Do you really believe in what you are doing?

I have a good friend who NEVER believes the best about his sports teams. Ask him how things are going and he will tell you that his teams are not doing well. It could be the line, the quarterbacks, the defensive backs, or coaching that leads to his doubt. I finally asked him why and he told me that when he did not allow himself to believe in the team it was easier for him to process the outcome. He is probably right because I choose to believe the best about my teams and it sure does hurt when things go bad!

The perspective of my friend might help with our sports teams but rarely will it help with any organization, department, or team you lead. If others are going to follow you they need to know you really do believe in what you are doing. If you don't believe in what you are doing why would anyone else. Belief helps people...

• Move Forward >> when leaderships displays belief in the mission then people are more likely to take a step of faith. Over and over in the Bible God used men and women to call people to action. Those leaders had nothing but belief in their God to lean on and the people responded.
• Never Quit >> when I see a leader believe and lead strong even in hard times I am encouraged to not give up and to keep pushing.
• Trust the Leadership >> when people see you believe then they can trust that you will make the best decision for the organization. Belief drives us to vision and away from selfishness.

If you see people around you not moving forward, quitting, and not trusting leadership maybe it's time to step back and see if you still really believe. When have you seen the power of belief make a difference in your organization or ministry?

controlling meeting madness

Meetings...we need them but so many of us seem to be drowning with them at the same time. They control our schedule to the point we have little time to get the work done we just met about with some leader, board, committee, or group. We are a church that is seven years old and over the almost six years I have been here we have gone through different levels of meeting madness. I feel like just this semester we have found a flow that is working for our family ministry team and our staff as a whole. The best way to control meeting madness is to have an effective plan. The point of meetings is to accomplish work as a team so we want to make sure they are effective not out of control. Here is our meeting strategy for our staff right now at Grace Community. Thought you might want to see our flow and I hope it helps...

1. all staff meeting [once a month] > our entire team gathers once a month for an all hands on deck staff meeting. Here we get to celebrate wins, cast vision, and focus on the big rocks that need everyone to give attention and effort.
2. family ministry team meeting [once a month] > our entire family team gathers for lunch, training, and encouragement once a month. This helps to make sure we are all fighting together to create engaging environments for the next generation and also partner with parents. We are better when we are connected together.
3. department meetings [twice a month] > on our off weeks departments (youth, kids, college, campus, worship, etc.) gather to make sure we are getting our work accomplished in our areas. This ensures we have enough time in between meetings to bring back progress after a meeting. 
4. staff development days [three times a year] > we make sure and block off three days each year where we get away and connect away from the office for a day and just get work done together. These are days to talk vision, long range planning, and team building. We just want to make our church better on these days.

How have you learned to manage meeting madness in your organization?

When you are overwhelmed...

There are seasons every year that are intense. Seasons where the work seams to never end, projects pile up, your iPhone won't top dinging, and the pressure is on. I have come to the conclusion that this is just part of leading any ministry. There are times when you have to push hard because you are leading "that event" or pushing "that idea" that could be the key to reaching more people and making more disciples. For many of us who work with teens and kids, summer is one of those seasons that can get a little crazy. For our family ministry team we have several amazing events that we are working on because we want to carve out experiences that will help kids and teens know what it means to follow Jesus with all of their life. Summer is our time to pull these events off and we are all working hard to make them happen. We are also all working to prepare for fall when people get back to school and get back in a normal routine. Summer can get a little out of control. I can easily get overwhelmed. When you are at the overwhelmed stage here are a few steps that will help you keep leading effectively...

• Block out solid blocks of time to work // When the work around you seems too much to handle block out time and get to work. Don't answer emails, or talk on the phone...WORK. Protect blocks of time so you can focus and get things done.
• Ask your other staff and volunteers for help // When you are overwhelmed you have to ask others to come around you and help. Your team wants to help but they can't if they do not now you need it!
• Manage your attitude and emotions // You control your attitude and you can work to manage your emotions. Self control is so important when we are stressed. When you choose to have a good attitude you are going to get more done and be ready to lead each day.
• Don't neglect rest, exercise,  prayer, and time reading God's Word // I know you are busy but you have to care for your soul, mind and body in the middle of the crunch. Your strength comes for God, never forget that. You are not invincible so yes you need rest and exercise.
• Use lists and prioritize // Write stuff down so you don't forget important tasks. Also make sure and prioritize how you use your time. There are some things that just have to wait.

Plan now, not later

It's March. Summer is coming fast. Easter in on the horizon. You are extremely busy. I know it seems crazy but now is the time to take some time and start making some plans for fall. So many times the rush of now can push us to ignore our next big season of ministry. Now is the time to look around and see what is working and what's not. You have had plenty of time to see the results of your plans from last fall now you have to slow down and evaluate. Blocking off the time to evaluate means you take the data and feedback and try to figure out what thrived and what didn't. Planning without evaluation just leads us to the "next big thing" mindset. We need to work harder a being better at what we do rather than chasing after things that are constantly new.  Plan now because...

1. Planning now allows us to actually spend time in prayer seeking God for wisdom. 
2. Planning now allows us to get outside feedback. 
3. Planning now makes sure we are in sync with other ministries.
4. Planning now enables us to actually block time in our calendar to work on what is most important for the fall.

Planning now just makes sense but very few leaders slow down in the spring long enough to do it. Summer comes and we make rushed decisions about direction for fall. Take a day, slow down, get some planning done.

Leave chaos behind & start managing your time!

Last month our family ministry team went to a one day conference called Illuminate (great event go check it out) and got to hear Jim Wideman speak. I have never met a guy who accomplishes more than Jim. Jim writes, leads the family ministry at a thriving church, invests in his family, speaks at conferences, blogs, and coaches leaders all across the country. He even makes time to play a little guitar now and then! Jim accomplishes more than most people because he manages his time. We all have 24 hours to manage every day and we all have the same opportunity to maximize or waste the time we have been given. Most of us never actually plan when we are going to do each day. We allow other people to shape how we spend our time. Some of that is inevitable but the truth is that you can manage your time and you can accomplish more. Chaos does not have to be the norm, you can manage the gift of time God has given you. At Illuminate, Jim talked about some steps he took to start managing his time years ago. Check these out...

• Planning / write how you want to spend your time, plan everything, writing, blogging, meetings, dates, birthdays, vacations. Determine what is important book it.
• Preparation / remind yourself to get ready for what is coming up. Work ahead. Maximize the digital tools we have on our mobile devices to keep on track!
• Evaluation / see what your results of time management was.
• Stay on track / It is easy to get distracted and stop managing your time. Don't stop. Apply the Nike principle. Just do it.

 

4 ways I'm using my iPad

In 2011 decided to add an iPad to my list of tech toys with one condition...I was going to find way to actually use it on a day to day basis. If I did not have a plan to use it I was not going to waste my money. I waited, planned, researched, saved up, and finally made the jump in December or 2011 with an iPad 2. Sure I debated if I should wait till the 3rd version came out but I decided to make the jump and move forward. You could find an Ipad 2 online and get Office Depot promotional codes and find the best deal. Honestly I think it is one of the best purchases I have ever made and I use it every day. As I talk about how I use my iPad please understand that the iPad will is not ready to replace your MacBook or iMac but it will allow you to be more flexible. Flexibility is the great advantage that comes with the iPad. Here are 4 ways I'm using my iPad every day...

• Meetings >> Evernote and Wunderlist are 2 apps that have dramatically helped me be more efficient in meetings and in follow up after meetings. I use my iPad in every meeting I'm in because I always want to be able to write notes down and mark dates down in my calendar that will then automatically sync with my MacBook.
• Speaking >> Yep, I use my iPad every week when I speak. I can make changes right up till the point of going on stage and then delete things for my next talk.
• Thinking and Dreaming >> The iPad has some amazing apps for brainstorming and drawing and I don't lose what I have created because I can send the documents to Evernote.
• Slowing down >> When I go home I leave my MacBook at the office. For some reason it feels great to leave work at work. There are things I can only do at the office and it allows me to be very intentional about when I bring my work laptop with me. My iPad allows me to feel a separation from the office but still have many tools with me to be very productive at home.

create a memory...

When you're planning your next worship gathering, event, or camp think about how you can create a moment or a memory in the middle of the service. At our Christmas Eve services our tech team worked hard to take our environment to the next level. Toward the end of the service they made it snow. The pictures above says it all. Look at the expression on those faces. That's a memory! So proud our team went out of their way to make it happen. I know it's impossible to create this kind of experience every week but go ahead and dream a little...see what you can pull off. We serve the God who created creativity so why not use it to bring Him Glory in the church. Go ahead, help people make a memory.

look ahead, work ahead

Everyone needs time in their year when they look ahead and also work ahead. For me that time of the year is December. For our team the month of December is good because we break for Christmas break with the student ministry and wait to launch again until after they go back to school in January. This time is gold because it allows us to get some strategic work done today that will free us in the future. Looking and working ahead now also makes sure we accomplish a few important goals. Here are a few...

• Working ahead helps us make sure we secure the right facilities for our ministry events. / The right location can make or break any event. When you look ahead and plan you can get the facilities you need! We are a portable and mutli-site church so this is a big issue.
• Working ahead makes sure we partner well with the rest of the church. / If we want to enhance and advance the mission of our church we have to plan to make our ministry work well with everything else going on. We are not the center of the universe!
• Working ahead helps us communicate better with parents so they can make family plans and be involved in the ministry. / Parents need info, why not give it to them ASAP so they can make plans also. Last minute surprises are not helpful for families.
• Working ahead helps you have a real budget. / There is no real way to budget without a plan. Plan first them budget to maximize the plan.

This year make sure you block out some strategic times to look and work ahead. I promise, dedicated work today will pay off with room to address the urgent tomorrow.

say less so you can say more

I know it sounds odd...say less when you speak so you actually say more but it's true. When we make our talks shorter and clearer people are able to take away more. Every communicator wants to say more. We all believe that if we just had 10 more minutes we could help a listener take that one extra thing home and it could change their life. That extra 10 minutes might just be what keeps the listener from taking your bottom line home! In our student ministry we embarked on a say less so we could say more experiment. We limited our middle school messages to 20 minutes and our high school messages to 25 minutes. During the first semester we have watched how God has used our shorter talks in big ways. We really believe we are making a bigger impact every week and here is why...

• Limited time forces us to say what is most important // with a time limit we use the best illustrations, best stories, best props, most important verses in Scripture because time is limited.
• Bottom Lines are stronger and more focused // we make sure now and work harder to say our bottom line in different ways and at different times in our talks because we want them going to small group remembering that one big idea
• We get to Scripture faster // with limited time we move to the Bible faster than we used to. The Scripture is the most important part of every talk anyway!
• Attention and retention is much better // teens know we are not going to talk forever so they are more willing to focus. Teens are also getting to group with a better grasp of the topic.

Our students really don't need us to speak longer, they need what we say to be clear and to the point. Yes, you can stretch your students spiritually with shorter talks because they will actually be paying attention. I hope you will give it a try...say less so you make a bigger impact every week!

What can God do in 45 minutes?

What can God do with 45 minutes in a middle school service? More than you can imagine. This year I have learned so much about effective middle school programing since our team got serious about making sure middle school students were engaging every minute of our weekly gathering. If you want to keep the attention of middle school students then you better embrace the idea that less is more. This year we forced our service time to 45 minutes and the time constraint has been an amazing catalyst. With limited time we have had to evaluate every phase of the service and make sure it works. Why...because we have 45 minutes. We have to choose the right songs. We have to promo events with limited time. We have to plan for the right game. We have to make sure the talk sets up our small groups and happens in 20 minutes. I can imagine many youth leaders right now asking for more time. I promise your middle school students do not need more they need better. If you want to engage middle school students begin with evaluating how you use the time you have in your program.

week of chaos

This week if just a little different...well it is simply crazy. I call it the week of chaos and these weeks tend to show up once or twice a year. I have a friend who suddenly got the news that his fiance was in a car wreck and passed away. I have another friend who is fighting for his marriage. I have worked with a few teens in the middle of crisis. Chelsea and I found out the transmission in our 2007 Ford Freestyle was jacked and we had to get a new vehicle. This has been a week where nothing seems quite right. These kind of weeks come not matter what we do. This is life. We all have these kind of weeks. It's in these times when I am reminded of the importance of working ahead, planning ahead, and leading through a team. When a chaotic week hits adjustments have to be made and it is in those seasons that we see if we are really empowering a team or if we are leading solo. I am going to make it through this week because of last week and the great team around me. You never know when your chaotic week is going to come. Work ahead, plan, and choose to empower other leaders around you!

summer planning...

Summer break is just a few weeks away and for those of us who invest in teens and summer brings opportunity to mix things up. Seriously, there is no reason to not mix things up in your ministry every summer. I know some of you try to keep normal programming going but I promise if you plan a different summer schedule you will bring fresh energy to the ministry you lead. For the past five years we have changed things up in the summer and it has created buzz for the fall. We have worked hard to find a summer plan that created momentum, blocked off time to intentionally invest in teens, and space so our volunteers could have a break. Every summer plan will be unique but here some ideas that help us guide the summer planning process.

make summer intentional // camp, groups, events, gatherings, mission trips...make sure everything you invest in during summer is intentional and has a goal. Your mission is to reach teens not create a social life for a small group of kids. Make sure you know why you are doing what you are doing.

make it fun // summer =fun so make sure plenty of fun is included in every event you do during the summer. Fun leads to making memories. I also find when kids have fun they are more open to allow you to invest in them spiritually.

change the pace // never keep the same schedule as you do during school for summer. Make it different. Give leaders a break. Give your teens a different experience. Changing the pace keeps things fresh.

build relationships // summer is a great time to connect with teens and get to know them better at camp or on a mission trip. Make sure your leaders know summer should lead to deeper relationships.

plan and pray toward fall // this is a big key. Bring in some of your core leaders and allow them to speak into fall and the ministry plan there! Give leaders a voice and ask them to help make the dream a reality.

MONDAY...best day of the week (for evaluation & planning)

I know, people hate Mondays. The weekend is over. People are dragging into work. But if you serve on a church staff Monday is one of the most important days of the week. Think about it...Sunday is our first day of the week. Sunday is the biggest day to carry out ministry. Sunday is the beginning, not Monday. Monday is day 2 for our team at Grace Community's week. Monday is so important because of 2 things...

1. Evaluating / more evaluation happens on Monday morning than any other day of the week at our office. It is informal, it is relational, it is fresh, and it is GREAT evaluation time. What worked, what didn't and what do we need to talk about in staff meeting gets processed on Mondays. For those of us who lead mid-week gatherings this same process happens on Thursday also. Evaluation happens best close to the event we are evaluating! We care so much about the Sunday morning experience we are evaluating every week. It matters that much and Monday is a great day to make it happen.
2. Planning / Monday is the best day for planning because it leaves the rest of the week for execution. The best idea talked about on Thursday is terrible. When you wait till mid week to plan you leave no time for execution. For our team, Friday and Saturday are days off and we work hard to protect that freedom. If our team works on Friday it is a choice or there is a major project due that week. We get more done creatively when all creative meetings are finished on Monday. Monday planning leads to amazing experiences later in the week.

For all of you who dread Monday you may need to rethink your Monday strategy. RETHINK MONDAY, it might end up being one of the best days of the week!

what do I value?

I know some of you get tired of me saying this but here goes once again...I love serving here at Grace Community. For anyone out there who goes to GCC you know Sunday was an amazing day and an amazing gathering to start 2009. Ron said a short statement in the middle of the message that really stuck in my mind yesterday. You can hear the entire message on our podcast at www.gcomchurch.com. The statement was simple and short but it is still bumping around in my head today. Ron said the our values shape our behavior. We "do" or "engage" or "support" things we value.

How we value health determines our work out plan for 2009.
The value we place on money determines how generous we will be in 2009.
How we value our wife determines how we communicate with her!
How I value the Titans determines if they will be Baltimore Saturday....oops that slipped out!

The incredible thing about this line of thinking is that we get to influence what we value. We can choose to place value on what we want and God allows us to choose. I can choose to value my time with God. I can choose to value other people. I can choose to value things that do not come naturally to me that God is calling me to value. Maybe instead of working on our 2009 goals we should first examine what we hope to give value to in our life first then make the goals. Just something to think about...