That Thing!

January 7, 2010 in Uncategorized with 8 Comments

Can we be honest?

At the end of the day, one of the main things I want said about me is that I was authentic…I want it said that I lived in reality and that my life helped people out of their psychosis and into the world in which God meant us to live.

So, can you take a second to do the hard thing?

Can you really think about this question?   Are you ready?

Why do you do what you do?

(And I’m not talking about job titles here.)

Now, if you’re a good Christian, you might say something like “for the glory of God.” That’s probably not what I’m looking for out of you…but, if for some reason, that is your true answer, than you are either a liar or I want to set-up a time with you in a mentor/mentee relationship. The truth is, that on my good days I would say that too, and probably mean it. But I’m not asking for that.

What about on your bad days?

What about on the days you are unsure about yourself? Why do you do what you do then? I have been the way I am, and doing what I do (and I’m still not talking job titles here) in one way or another for a long time. In my worst days of faith, and in my best days, I have done my deal and been driven. And, to be authentic and honest, it wasn’t all for the glory of God. It was for That Thing. That Thing that drives me.

What is That Thing that drives you?

We are going to spend a lot of time on this blog talking about ways to be effective. We are going to talk about tons of different ways to make your ministry and yourself better. But, central to all of our discussion, is this idea.

You have to figure out what That Thing is for you and replace it, more often, with “for the Glory of God”.

That should be the focus of your quiet time. That should be the center of your sanctification. That needs to be your personal journey and your quest. And if you can’t totally explain it…Welcome to our journey.

Because (and here’s some authenticity for you), until you figure out That Thing enough to identify it and go and kill it….it will be That Thing that kills you…kills your ministry…kills your true effectiveness.

So…what is it? What is That Thing for you?

GOING LIVE!

January 4, 2010 in Uncategorized with 13 Comments

So…I’m finally going live!

This is my blog.

I work in youth ministry and at an incredible church.  I am probably the most unlikely youth pastor in America (A story I’ll save for another day).  The best part is, for some reason, I get to do this amazing job. The strange part is, I am very different than the rest of you guys.

What could an old guy that’s good at systems and processes offer a bunch of young and talented visionaries, relationals, and creatives?

The answer is simple.  I can offer systems and processes.

Chances are that, if you’re reading this and looking at leadership,  you are a gifted person.

  • You may be a Visionary with huge ideas.  These ideas get the right people excited and you end up in charge…YOU JUST HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO START OR YOU GET BOGGED DOWN HELPING THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO YOU.
  • You may be a Creative and your unique and brilliant insights have earned you a couple of steps up the old corporate ladder.….YOU JUST HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO START TO MAKE THE IDEA A REALITY.
  • You may be a Relational and your ability to gain and maintain friends has given you responsibilities beyond your imagination…BUT, YOUR FAILURE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON PROMISES IS CATCHING UP AND YOUR FAN BASE IS FALLING AWAY.

Here’s some good and hard truth…you are the next generation of church leaders AND you are probably no good at systems…and it’s killing you (or at least slowing you down). I have met few visionaries, relationals, or creatives who are.

But….That is what I’m here for.

As I get to lead this amazing team and work with some of the most successful people in ministry today I want to pass on what I do and what I’ve learned to you.

My dream is to help you out on your journey,

speed you up so you can do more sooner,

and make you more effective…today.

Simply put, I want to bridge the gap between giftedness and effectiveness for the next generation of leaders.

I hope you’ll come along.  Welcome to my BLOG.

Cardinal Sins for Young Leaders

January 4, 2010 in Uncategorized with 2 Comments

There are obvious things that tear us down at an early age in our ministry.  I bet you think you know what the biggest is….

so I’ll talk about what it isn’t.

  • It isn’t arrogance. You might mistake it for this but this isn’t it.  In fact, if you are a young leader and I don’t see a hint of arrogance, I wonder how long you are going to make it in this world.
  • It isn’t unprofessionalism. Basically, most good leaders assume young leaders will have a good dose of this.  There are few formal institutions that teach this and most of us learn it from the school of hard knocks.
  • It isn’t a lack of organization. Don’t get me wrong…you need to sort this out…but it’s not going to kill you early…it will slow you down but, for most of us, it won’t kill you.
  • It isn’t that you’re immature. That is more of a transient characteristic than anything you can work on.
  • It isn’t even that you got frustrated in traffic and “accidently” flipped off somebody important…errr…nah…just don’t do that.

The cardinal sin of young leaders is unteachability.  Think about it.  If you’re arrogant, and unteachable, you will always be arrogant.   If you’re unprofessional and unteachable…well, you get the point.

Here is the good news:

being teachable is a choice.  The bad news is that it’s a choice you’ll  have to make during some of the toughest times in your career.  Those are the times when your arrogance, unprofessionalism, disorganization and immaturity are being exposed.  It’s in those moments you have to choose and ask yourself:

Am I teachable?



Restricted by my Goals

January 4, 2010 in Uncategorized with 2 Comments

As an athlete I grew up talking about goals all the time.

I would sit at swim camp every summer and write them down for the year. Some coaches told me to set goals higher than I thought I could achieve so I wouldn’t underestimate myself. Some coaches would make sure the goals were achievable so that I didn’t get frustrated and quit. The whole thing was an abusive balancing act of not too much but not too little. The goals wound up feeling either unattainable or pointless. As a result, the goals served as a deterrent and not a motivator. That’s the opposite of what a goal should do.

Looking back, the whole thing was really annoying, and it ticks me off even as I type this now.

I’m sure that these sorts of goal-setting can be very effective for people wired differently than me. I don’t know those people. The truth is, for me, and for most leaders, I know, you don’t have to tell us to go further, higher, faster, or better. These words define my effort on daily, weekly, and yearly. This job is what I was put here to do. Why wouldn’t I give my all to every project and person? The thing is that as I grow older, I’m okay with an unspecified definition of what that might look like. Let’s face it: our worlds are far too complex to set goals like “under a minute in the 100 breaststroke.”

…something I never achieved, by the way…

So, what’s the use in having any goals at all, then? Well I think that they’re still important to have. They keep me centered. My problem is not the dream…it is that I have too many dreams. My problem is not drive….it’s focus. And my way of goal-setting does that for me.

The trick is to divide my goals into three groups:

  • Yearly goals – Normally written in November and December for the following year.
  • Quarterly goals – We call these 90-day goals around work. Written each quarter in light of the yearly goals.
  • Weekly goals – I write these every Sunday night in light of my quarterly goals. I put these on an email and send them to those I report to, those who report to me, and others I want to keep in the departmental loop.

I will write a separate post about how I do all of these individually, but for now here’s the point: in the end, my Sunday through Thursday keeps me heading in the direction I decided on for the quarter, and the quarter for the year. It’s pretty simple and SO worth the time. If I don’t do my weekly goals on Sunday night, my week certainly feels different and less effective.

How do you break down your goals so that they can be real each day?

I Hate Journaling.

January 4, 2010 in Uncategorized with 1 Comment

I hate journaling.

To be honest, I hate to write PERIOD. I get hand cramps, the ink starts smearing all over the place. Not to mention my lackluster penmanship, which only serves as a visual reminder of my struggles in school.

My self-esteem can’t handle writing (or golf for that matter). Oh, and another thing: my thoughts never come out right on paper. They are jagged…they are disjointed…they don’t sound nearly as good in black and white as they do in my head.

Simply said, writing stinks!

But how can I be a Christian if I don’t keep a journal? Isn’t that…I don’t know…like a requirement or something?

Here’s What I Do

I’ll tell you what I want to do, what I like to do, even: TYPE! Typing is way less painful on my hands and my ego. I can quickly hammer out my thoughts and ideas, reread them, then cut and then paste them in order. I think in bullets. And guess what? This thing (typing) will let me do that! If my bullets are out of order, with a click of a button, I move them around. It’s amazing!

Not only do I want to type, but I want to type what I’m typing as if someone else were going to read my typing. Make sense? And if I were to do this, would anyone read it? Because maybe, just maybe, that would force me to organize my wandering thoughts into coherent sentences.

I’m Thinking Curriculum…

You know what else? My thoughts—the ones that mosey around aimlessly—they vary with each passing day. One day it’s about curriculum, the next it’s about relationships and leadership, and the next it’s simply about God and me. If only I could find a way to keep all of this in one place…to link the thoughts together. If only….

One other thing. I work for and with incredible people. I get to learn way more on a daily basis than many folks get to even when the pay for it. If only I could find a place to put all that stuff down. You know, before it gets lost roaming in my jumbled brain.

If only…

If only I could find a way to do that….to type…my various thoughts…and the cool things I get to learn every day….publically…linked together…if only.

It’s hopeless…I don’t know what to do.

Anybody have ideas?

[Image from Zack]

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