Wayne Hedlund

Author: Wayne Hedlund

  • Strategy Kickstart: Mission Down The Hall

     

    A Strategy Kickstart is a short 3-5 minute video clip which can be used to ‘kickstart’ a strategic discussion in your church or ministry. Simply show the video clip to your team and use the ideas and question posed in the video to stimulate a valuable and hopefully relevant discussion on how you can better fulfill your ministry mission.

    In today’s Strategy Kickstart I challenge your team to consider just how effective you have been in connecting your mission to your ministry. This discussion is relevant to have at any stage in your ministry’s development.

    For more information about developing and rolling out your ministry mission, check out Mission, Mission, On The Wall and Developing Your Mission!

  • Tactical Tip: Return Emails Within 24 Hours

    Recently, I sent an email to a leader in my life asking a question and making a suggestion I thought he might appreciate. I didn’t hear back from him for more than two weeks. After the first couple of days I started to wonder if perhaps I didn’t actually send it, so I double-checked. A few days later I started to wonder if I had somehow offended him. Every day thereafter I discovered a pattern whereby I would battle with imagined stories in my head regarding why my friend never responded. I didn’t really want to email or bring it up again simply because I didn’t want to be a pest. Finally, I got the anticipated response. He answered my question and expressed gratitude for my suggestion, which he had already acted on. Needless to say, I put myself through a lot of emotional trauma for no reason at all. This could very easily have been prevented by my friend. 

    I’m sure we’re all guilty of this at some point or another. Our Inbox gets inundated with every sort of email imaginable. You know some emails can be deleted, many can be dealt with in just a few seconds, a handful will only take a minute or two of your time, and then there’s the rest. Those emails will require some sort of follow up, action, research, or a lengthy response. That last category of email are the ones that will sometimes sit in the Inbox for days – even weeks.

    Today’s Tactical Tip is simply to get into the habit of returning every email within 24 hours.

    This is so simple to do, it’s actually embarrassing. Obviously, we can’t control what others might think about us on the other end, but we certainly can minimize the chance that they tell the kinds of ‘stories’ I was guilty of telling myself! Here are three simple steps that will help you build this new habit into your email ridden life.

    1. Read or scan the email and determine what you need to do (and when) in order to properly respond.
    2. Place a task in your Task List or Calendar which includes a deadline on when you believe you can reasonably respond.
    3. Reply to the email author and let them know you have received their question/request and how long it will take for you to get back to them.
    Perhaps this scripted response might help:

    Jim,

    Thanks for sending me this email. I just looked it over and realize that I won’t be able to respond to you the way I really want to right away. I’d like to take some time to process and think it through. I’m also right in the middle of a couple other projects that take precedence right now. I’ll do my best to get back to you on this in about five days.

    Thanks for your patience! 

    Wayne 

    OK. You’ve officially been armed with an easy to do challenge. Get back to everyone who emails you within 24 hours. I’m confident people will be glad you do!

    Image compliments of Salvatore Vuono on freedigitalphotos.net.

  • Running Great Meetings Summary

    I love the title of Patrick Lencioni’s book, “Death by Meeting“. It can be so true . . . sometimes it feels like a slow death that somehow turns minutes into hours. In the mid 2000’s I was asked by my boss to begin leading our weekly staff meetings. Although I was honored, I was also quite intimidated. Up until that point I just had to show up and participate. Now I was in charge. I have vivid memories of the insecurity I felt after each session as I tried evaluating how it went.

    Fast forward to today, hundreds of meetings later. I am still mildly intimidated, but not nearly as insecure. I don’t always hit the home run, and I suspect some of the meetings I lead can seem boring to the participants, especially Tactical meetings. That said, I think I’ve learned a lot as well.

    In an effort to help all the pastors and church leaders out there that still struggle in this area, I have put together a series of posts that may prove beneficial. Enjoy!

    On Leading Meetings:

    • The Meeting Professional
      A link to a great article by Seth Godin asking the question, “What would our meetings be like if we hired a meeting fairie?”

    On Trust & Teamwork:
    • Creating A Trust Culture
      An exhortation from Matthew 5 and a link to Andy Stanley’s podcast entitled ‘Trust vs Suspicion’.
    • The Tunnel of Chaos
      A discussion about a very important principle that is the key to developing and maintaining trust among team members.
    • Teamwork and Trust
      I just had to find a way to fit this video clip into my blog. It overwhelmed me. These young men express a visual illustration of what unity and teamwork can look like (obviously, not literally).

    On Kinds of People and Kinds of Meetings:
    • Strategy Kickstart: Team Meetings
      This is a short video clip encouraging your team to discuss the idea of splitting strategic discussions from tactical discussions.
    • The Seats of the Bus
      In this article I break down the three different ‘kinds’ of teams you should have. 
    • The Four C’s
      A detailed explanation of the ‘Four C’s’ every leader should consider when hiring or looking for new leaders to join a team.
    • The Strategic Personality
      This article explains the most ideal temperament/personality of a big picture, back seat of the bus leader.

    Exploring Team Dilemma’s
    • The Sacred Cow
      What is a sacred cow and what does it look like in the context of the local church?
    • The Smelly Cow
      A dangerous idea on how you might discover where your sacred cows are hiding.
    Check out my Resources Page to see more summaries of past series! 


    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

  • My Notes from Preach Better Sermons Online Conference

    For anyone who missed the workshop on how to ‘Preach Better Sermons’. I watched it and decided to take notes for you (with help from my friends at Elim Gospel Church). This seminar was sponsored by preachingrocket.com. Check out their website to see how this new service can help you be effective as a communicator and preacher.

    Here are the main ideas/concepts shared during the conference. Enjoy.

    PERRY NOBLE.
    Perry Noble is an author, speaker and Senior Pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina.

    • Why create a preaching calendar?
      I need to give my people time to prepare for creative elements. My job is to serve my team by planning in advance.
    • When did you discover you had a gift of preaching?
      One of the best sermon you could ever share . . . how you discovered Christ?
    • What do you do to get better as a preacher?
      Read Andy Stanley’s book, ‘Communicating for a Change‘. Trying to preach shorter messages. I’m going to be here a long time. I don’t need to try to say everything in one week. How can I say the ‘one’ thing.
    • How many times do you preach in the year?35-40 Times
    • How do I figure out what to preach on? 
      Nearly every idea I’ve preached came out of my quiet time. A preacher preaches best when he does so out of the overflow of his heart. I use Evernote to keep track of all my thoughts, ideas, concepts that I can preach on at any time. That’s what he uses as a resource for a preaching calendar.
    • What have you learned working with your team?
      We have a Creative Pastor who takes all our creative ideas and makes them happen. He invites various people to creative team meetings. Single people, men, women, married, etc. Different people give him unique ideas that he couldn’t figure out himself. I learned how to ask the right questions to the right people and have learned to listen to other people.
    • I don’t have a big staff? I’m the ‘Lonely People’ Pastor.
      You can do this without a staff. Invite {the right} people to lunch and tell them you want them to help you put your sermon together. They will come.
    • How do you deal with criticism & praise?
      Pastors have foes, fans, and very few friends. Foes tell you how bad you are (makes you think you’re worse than you are), fans tell you how awesome you are (makes you think you’re better than you are), friends tell you the truth. Your friends love Jesus first, the church second, and you third. So you know they will always give you the feedback you need because their priorities are straight.
    • Closing Thoughts:
      Let the Bible speak for itself and be your platform. Listen to other preachers as much as you can. I’ll say what other preachers have said all the time. Podcasts are the common day commentaries. Surround yourself with people who can help you communicate better. Get a great team to support you as the preacher. Don’t ‘give them hell’ on Sunday. ‘Give them hope’ on Sunday.
    JUD WILHITE
    Jud Wilhite is an author, speaker and senior pastor of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas. Jud talked about how we can find common ground with other people. We have to communicate in language that people relate to. Here are a few insights to do that.
     
    • Communicate from your life.
      I often start my messages by sharing something personal in my life that relates to my topic. The most powerful illustrations are when those illustrations overlap with the person’s personal experience/life. My favorite definition of preaching: expressing truth through personality.
    • Communicate honestly.
      Be honest about what you’re thinking, feeling, experiencing, etc.
    • Communicate to the broken.
      I imagine broken people around my desk as I prepare what I’m going to say. The 17 year old who doesn’t want to be there. A single person struggling at work. A couple struggling in their marriage. Someone struggling with an addiction. I write my message to each of them. I want people to feel like I’m talking directly to them. “If you speak to the broken, you will always have an audience.”
    • Communicate the Word.
      Just preach Jesus. We don’t have to apologize for the Bible. People are there to hear what it has to say. 2 Timothy 4:2. Be careful about religious language. Don’t water things down, just remember to use language that everyone understands and explain/define things when you don’t. I try to stay in ONE Bible passage when I preach. I shifted to the NLT version because it’s at a younger grade reading level so people could track with the task.
    • Communicate for Next Steps.
      Let them know whether the Bible has something to say AND it has a connection with their life. I ask what the text says to me as a person, to the imaginary individuals around my desk, and to my church and my community as well. I define a crystal clear ‘next step’ opportunity. 

    ANDY STANLEY

    Andy Stanley is an author, speaker, and Lead Pastor of North Point Community Church in Georgia. Get his book on preaching, Communicating for a Change.
     
    • How did you know speaking was a gift for you?
      Taught a Bible Study in a home and a woman spoke a word of encouragement about that gift.
    • Discuss how you prepare your messages?
      Most importantly is that the process needs to be relational. The pattern I mostly use is Me. We. God. You. We. This approach can help you connect with the audience. It may allow you to be able to preach without using notes so much. It breaks your message up into chunks, instead of points.
    • How do you craft a Sermon based on application instead of information?
      I tend towards (wired) application because my strengths/gifts are exhortation oriented. I’m not satisfied if people don’t know what’s at stake and don’t know what to do. Make sure they know what to do at the end. It’s not just about what they need to know. It’s also about why it’s important to know it and what to do about it. It’s critical that you have a burden to preach.
    • How do you create these memorable phrases when you preach?
      It is very difficult to do, but the phrase is the best way to make an idea stick. You owe it to yourself to create a ‘bottom line’ phrase, question, application statement. It will equip you to be more successful as a communicator. I also prepare my sermons way in advance which also gives me a lot of time to mull over the concepts and get these nuggets. The ‘crock-pot’ approach. This approach also protects me from bad ideas. I have time to come up with something else.
    • What have you learned about ‘tension’ in communicating?
      It’s critical that you create tension in the first few minutes if you want people to track with you during the sermon. Tension makes things interesting. You are never bored where there’s tension. If it’s boring, then you haven’t interested people by creating a tension they can get into. I’m OK with developing an entire series to focus on one tension, as opposed to taking care of it in one sermon.
    • How do you preach to the unchurched & everyone else at the same time?Some of it comes back to tension. It’s not about content, it’s about the approach we use. Get his new book coming out in the fall to read about it more.
    • What are you doing lately to improve yourself?
      I watch myself preach. I listen to other people. I watch other communicators, including comedians, newscasters, etc.
    • Closing Comments
      When you speak, do it with a burden to reach broken, hurting people. Make it personal. Think of the person you know who needs to hear it or that you think needs to hear it. Pick a target audience and preach to them, not about you.

    JEFF FOXWORTHY

    Jeff Foxworthy is one of the most respected and successful comedians in the country. There are many similarities between what comedians and preachers do. One of them is using humor.
     
    • How can preachers lean into humor when preaching?
      It’s important for us to not take ourselves too seriously. I figured out that what I think, experience, and see probably isn’t unique to me. I trust that truth and am willing to take risks by sharing them with others.
    • What have you learned about timing with humor?
      Usually people who are good ‘joke-tellers’ have learned how to cut the fat (details). Trim humor down to the bare essentials. This includes telling funny stories. 
    • How do you prepare jokes/humor?
      I use note-cards. I put a thought that occurred to me on a note-card that I keep nearby. I try ideas/thoughts on people, either randomly or formally. The yellow notepad is where I develop thoughts and jokes to a context. When do you develop content . . . always. 
    • How can we reach the heart of men?
      Make sure we don’t portray Christianity or Christ as a ‘sissy’ faith.
    • Closing Comments:
      Be vulnerable from the pulpit. Let people see you living life to the full.

    Thanks to Eric Scott, Care Pastor at Elim Gospel Church for the below notes. Unfortunately, I had to step away from the conference at this point.

    VANABLE MOODY II
    Vanable (Van) Moody is an author, speaker and Senior Pastor of The Worship Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

    • Start with the end in mind.
      All navigational systems start with the end in mind.  A message is the same.
    • The most effective form of preaching is behavioral.
      Behavioral preaching goes after the impact the message has on the hearer. Jesus gives many examples in this way (John 4 or Pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to get better?” this was about behavior.
    • Impression or Impact?
      Settle this issue – Do you want to make an impression or do you want to make an impact?  It’s great to hear, “Good message!”  Yet it’s better when a person’s life is impacted with the gospel and it brings about lasting life-change.
    • The Behavioral Purpose.
      Come to an understanding of what the behavioral purpose is.  What is God wanting to change and do?  Craft your message around that purpose. When you are clear with this then you should be able to reduce your message down to one crystal clear statement – your objective statement.  The message should then consistently support this message.  What do you want people to do as a result of this message.
    • Message vs Messenger
      While behavioral messages are important, it is imperative that you not separate the message from the messenger.  
    • Keep it Clear and Simple
      Make sure as you communicate the purpose, make sure it is clear and simple. Use words phrases and sentences your people can grasp onto. Give points for their head and pictures for their heart. Provide a vehicle for them to do what you have been preaching about.  Muscles grow because they are exercised.

    DAN CATHY

    Dan Cathy is the President and COO at Chick-fil-A.

    • Strive to be a communicator who communicates to real felt needs.
    • When putting a message together work with a smaller audience first.
    • Rehearse the message.
    • Illustrations on stage are powerful!

    CHARLES STANLEY

    Dr. Charles Stanley is an author, speaker and Senior Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Atlanta.

    • The most important part of sermon prep is my personal walk with God.  A man can preach no better than he prays.
    • Discipline is key to the pastor’s life.
    • It boils down to this: I must have a balanced schedule, a healthy body, healthy relationships, the courage to be obedient to God no matter what he requires and most of all a pure heart before God.
    • You must have the weight of the message on your shoulders concerning what you believe God wants you to communicate through this message.  This way you’re preaching for impact.  

    Preparation Process:

    • Ask: “What’s the need of the people listening?”
    • Ask: “What is the text that best speaks to this need?”
    • Ask: “Now, what does it say personally to me?”  
    • Number your statements as you gather materials and then ask yourself, “How do I put this together into a  format that will work?”  With that in mind, ask, “What is the one thing they can walk away with?”
    • Once this comes together the outline comes next with the theme in mind – that one thing.
    • Look for clarity, movement and always with the idea that this must have impact.
    • You cannot be thinking about yourself and also have an impact on others.  You’ve got to have the people in mind.
    • I does not give an outline to the congregation.  I want it bottled up inside me until it is just right in my mind, even up to the evening before.  I do not want anything between myself and those hearing the message prior to giving it. I do not manuscript, but use an outline and memory.
    • In the midst all of this I pray and ask for help with points in the outline that are troubling me.
    • It should be a rare exception to step into the pulpit without proper preparation.
    • “Obey God and leave all consequences to Him.”
    • “Your personal intimate relationship with God is above all else.”
    • I feel a tremendous responsibility when I think about who I am speaking to and who is listening and that deeply moves me.  I am not nervous, but feel very responsible to communicate for impact.
    • My goal during personal devotions is to ask, “What are You speaking to me, Lord?”  If my life is not right, it will not communicate what it needs to a waiting world.  Every test and heartache I have had has been seen later as something God worked about for good.
    • Changing Bibles periodically helps me quite a bit in reinvigorating my personal devotional life with God.
    • Closing thought:  “See everything that comes at you as coming from Me (God).” If you’ll come to this then you’ll begin to see the purpose behind the circumstance that came.  He’ll turn it for good if you’ll turn it over to Him, listen to Him and obey Him.

    LOUIE GIGLIO

    Louie Giglio is an author, speaker and Lead Pastor at the Passion City Church in Roswell, Georgia.

    • Recognition of the gift came early and encouraged came in phrases like, “You have no idea what God has in mind for your life…”
    • Calling and self-discovery plus affirmation tells you that you are in the right spot.
    • There was an inner-witness inside of him that said, “I’m going to speak here someday.”  However, you need to park that in the recesses of your spirit and speak where you can, where you are invited and grow from there to the place where that word actualizes. 
    • The God Factor – At the end of the day it is the Spirit of God moving through God’s Word that impacts people.  Even Paul said he was not perfect in speech.  It’s more about the power of God happening there.
    • Ask: “God, what do you want to say and what do You want Your people impacted by?”  And then get to work.  Craft it into a message that impacts people.
    • Preparation and presentation are much like a funnel.  The wide end is all your life, experience, study, etc., but you need to bring it down to that one thing that comes from all that wide area of the funnel and work it down to that one thing. 
    • Let the text work its way through you until what comes out leads to that place of impact.

  • Thursday Quote: Simply Strategic Growth

    Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan published the book, ‘Simply Strategic Growth: Attracting a Crowd to Your Church‘. It’s a great book with a ton of simple ideas/principles you can use to stimulate strategic discussions about becoming a Guest Friendly and attractive church in your community. Each chapter is very short and to the point, which makes it a great bathroom book too (you know what that is, but I talk about it more right here).

    This quote is from the chapter entitled: Thou Shalt Stop Using Christianese

    “Several years ago when we moved into a new house, I met one of our neighbors. This guy didn’t know I was a pastor. He only knew that I was moving into the neighborhood. And yet his conversation dripped with Christianese. “Glory to God.” “Hallelujah.” “Praise the Lord.” It made me sick, and I’m a Christian! My heart sank because I thought, “This guy is going to be an obstacle for me in building relationships with my neighbors.” I’m sure he had no idea how he was coming across.

    “Consider these examples of what we say, and how a ‘normal’ person in our culture would say the same thing:

    • Christianese: “Share some blessings with us.” Normal: “Tell us what God is doing in your life.”
    • Christianese: “Can someone share a testimony?” Normal: “Let’s hear some stories.”
    • Christianese: “How long have you been saved?” Normal: “When did you begin following Christ?”
    • Christianese: “Here I raise my Ebenezer.” Normal: “Say what?”

    Add Simply Strategic Growth: Attracting a Crowd to Your Church to your library today!

    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

  • Time Management 101: Get Meeting Happy

     

    I have a recommendation for you. FILL UP YOUR CALENDAR WITH MEETINGS! That’s right. I believe this can be a very powerful tool to help you stay focused, use your time wisely and get things done. Since I’m sure you don’t want to be stuck in any more meetings than I do, I guess I better explain myself. The point of this basic time management principle isn’t to get more busy, but LESS busy, by ensuring you schedule out your week and days in advance.

    Here are the different kinds of meetings you should fill your calendar with:

    • Team Meetings.
      A team meeting is any meeting that includes more than two people. It’s important you connect with the team(s) you work with. That doesn’t mean you should be in team meetings all day, every day. Limit team meetings as much as possible so that you have the time/energy in your week to process and get done what you’ve been dreaming and talking about in team meetings. I also recommend you clarify the type of team meetings you participate in. I lay out the three basic kinds of meetings in the post: The Seats of the Bus.
    • One on One Meetings.
      One on One meetings include any meeting between just you and one other person. If you manage people (staff or volunteers) you should be holding 1on1 meetings with various people in order to encourage, evaluate, and equip them for ongoing ministry. If you have a boss (or direct report), hopefully you are invited to similar meetings with him or her (if not, I encourage you to setup a 1on1 with them to talk about it). Finally, 1on1 meetings will include counselling sessions, lunch appointments, time with key staff to connect or troubleshoot problems, etc. Check out Tactical Tip: Moving to Eye Level.
    • Self-Appointments.
      The rest of your calendar should be filled in with self-appointments. These are blocks of time that you have dedicated to getting things done. Most people don’t fill their calendar in with self-appointment time. As a result, the tyranny of the urgent rules the day. Long term projects, study time, prayer time, and admin time get squeezed in wherever it will fit in – and often it doesn’t fit in. I recommend you protect self-appointments like you would 1on1 and team meetings. That doesn’t mean you become legalistic about it, just protective. For example, you might create a weekly self appointment on Mondays for 1-2 hour slot that is specifically set aside for reading or study; or perhaps a 5 hour chunk for sermon prep on Tuesdays. You could slot off a 2 hour chunk on a Thursday to work on a long term project or something that is coming up later this month. I often create self-appointments prior to 1on1 and team meetings so I can prepare for them properly.
    Additional Suggestions:
    Here are a few more random suggestions in regards to filling your calendar with meetings.
    • Schedule ‘Off Time’ Too.
      It’s just an idea, consider scheduling what your off hours (that means hours you don’t work – for those of you who keep hours like that) look like too? This is where you would include the obvious, like Doctor appointments and kids games. But it could also include specific time with the whole family or individual family members, down time, TV time, exercise, and more.
    • Block Flexible Hours.
      If you are a pastor, you know that any given week you need to be available to meet with people, even if those meetings aren’t setup today. Block the hours and days you will be available for 1on1 meetings. If you don’t have meetings during that block of time, work on other things. The key is to keep most of your meetings within those blocked times and protect the rest of your week’s self-appointments.

  • Mission, Mission, On The Wall

     

    Andy Stanley once asked, “Is the statement on the wall actually happening down the hall?” Asked differently, “Is your mission statement simply a bunch of words that sound great or do they represent the heartbeat of your church at every level of ministry?” It can be very satisfying to develop your ministries mission, but it is ultimately a waste of time and energy if it just becomes empty words that are rarely mentioned in the context of weekly ministry.

    I wonder how that applies to you? Has your mission been successfully integrated into everyday life in your organization? Here are a few indicators that may help you evaluate whether your ministry mission is simply a ‘On The Wall’ mission (words but no action) or a ‘Down The Hall’ (words and action) mission.

    ‘On The Wall’ Indicators:
    If any of the following are TRUE then it may indicate missional slippage. In your next Strategic Meeting discuss how you can reintegrate your church mission into everyday ministry.

    • You can’t quote your mission from memory.
    • You haven’t personally quoted your mission statement in the last 3 weeks.
    • You haven’t mentioned your mission from the pulpit in the last month.
    • You haven’t “preached” your mission in the last 9 months.
    • You don’t teach your mission to new members in the membership class.
    • Your mission isn’t posted prominently somewhere in the facility and/or on your website.
    • Your mission is long – more than two short sentences.
    • None of your key staff, elders, or board can quote your mission.
    • Your ministry leaders have never heard you talk about how the ministry they lead fits into the church’s mission.
    • When someone introduces a new ministry idea you don’t automatically ask the question, “How will that help us fulfill our mission?”
    • You have never tried to evaluate your effectiveness through the lenses of your mission.
     
    ‘Down the Hall’ Indicators:
    If any of the following are TRUE then it may indicate missional traction. In your next Strategic Meeting discuss how effective this has been and what else you might do to strengthen missional momentum. Obviously these indicators will seem familiarly similar but altogether different from the ‘On the Wall’ indicators.
    • You can quote it from memory right now.
    • Your leadership team has strategically discussed your church mission within the past year (to either develop it, evaluate it, or consider how effectively you are fulfilling it).
    • Your staff, elders, and board can quote your mission or something that closely reflects your mission.
    • Someone has mentioned your church mission in some form from the pulpit within the last three weeks (a worship leader, emcee, during a testimony, on the screens, or in the sermon).
    • You have ‘preached’ about your church mission within the past 9 months (that is, you have preached a message that directly points to why your church exists and/or how you are fulfilling your church mission).
    • Your mission is prominently displayed on your church website.
    • Your mission can be found in several places throughout the church (on the wall, church letterhead, business cards, bulletin, etc.).
    • Your Head Usher (or worship leader, children’s director, etc.) understands how the ministry they lead is fulfilling the church’s mission.
    • Every new member learns about the church’s mission and why it is important.
    • Your church mission reflects a deep passion within you personally. You get excited and emotional when you talk about it.

  • Thursday Quote Archive

    I have some absolutely amazing mentors. What’s odd is that I’ve never actually met most of them. That’s right. They don’t even know I exist. I suspect many of these individuals have played a ‘mentor’ role in your life as well. We are so blessed to have the benefit of audio, video, books, blogs, podcasts and more. We can learn from the most learned people in the world as long as we take the initiative to do so.

    Now, every week I’m reading books and blogs by authors like Bill Hybels, Steven Furtick, Craig Groeschel, Will Mancini, Tony Morgan, Michael Hyatt, Patrick Lencioni, John Maxwell, and many, many more.

    This Thursday Quote series is my attempt to let these mentors rub off on you just a little bit. Each article features a meaningful quote from my reading. I will also recommend books and provide links to Amazon. Should you choose to purchase a book through that link I will also receive a small commission which helps to support what I am doing with Transforming Leader. Enjoy!

    Thursday Quote Archive (in descending order by date posted):

     
    Check out my Resources Page to see other past series.
     

  • Copyright And The Local Church

    TRUE STORY #1.

    Yesterday I was browsing through a bunch of blogs I read each week. The title of a popular blog and christian leader caught my attention, so I clicked the link in my Google Reader and opened it up. The first thing I noticed was the image that the author used. It was a great image. I know. I have the same one on one of my posts. The second thing I noticed, after a little searching, was that the author didn’t give a source for the image.  I was very disappointed. I see this happen a TON on the internet, but I didn’t think someone so well known in the nation would miss this. If he only knew that all it would take is ONE email to the right person and his whole blog/website could potentially be blocked from the internet!

    TRUE STORY #2.

    About a year ago I ran across an article that caused me to question something I had been doing for a long time on my blog. Nearly every Thursday I post what I call a “Thursday Quote“. I try to share a quote from something I’m reading or have read that I know will be an encouragement to my readers. Sometimes I will share additional thoughts as well. At any rate, I became concerned that perhaps I was defying copyright law, so I pulled every one of them from my blog. After months of research I finally came to the conclusion that I was still ‘within bounds’ from a copyright perspective through what’s called the ‘doctrine of fair use’ . So I’ve been republishing them over time. Moral: I’d rather err on the side of integrity and NOT post something than post something and hope it’s OK.

    TRUE STORY #3.

    Many months ago we began having a problem at my church with our ‘on-hold music’. The equipment we had been using just died. Not only was the music something for our telephone guests to listen to while on hold, it doubled as our lobby music. After some serious brainstorming we had a great idea. We connected a computer with internet access to the equipment and just turned on a free internet radio service like Pandora.com. Problem solved . . . for about a week. A nagging thought began forming in the back of my mind. What if we didn’t have a legal right to do that? I prayed I was wrong and did the research. I discovered I was right. It was illegal to use the service we had signed up for as on-hold and lobby music. I have to be honest. I was STRONGLY tempted to just pretend I didn’t know and keep it hooked up. After all, if I hadn’t given in to that ‘nagging thought’ everything would have been just fine.


    Copyright & The Local Church
    Sadly, many churches and ministries are guilty of plagiarism and/or copyright infringement. What’s worse is that many of them either know it or suspect it, but don’t do anything about it. This doesn’t just apply to things on the internet. It applies to everything from worship songs, lyrics, movie clips, YouTube video’s, images, and more. Let me share a couple more examples.

    • Example 1: Images. The secretary is trying to find a really cool image to put inside the bulletin for Sunday. She does a Google Image search and finds exactly what she’s looking for. A quick ‘Save As’ later, she has fulfilled her goal, and committed a crime on behalf of the church.
    • Example 2: Songs & Lyrics. During the Sunday morning service the congregation enjoys a lively and anointed worship service. The lyrics to the songs are displayed in large print on the giant screen for everyone to see. The service was great and lives were changed, but again, the church has dishonored the writers of those songs and misrepresented Christ by not displaying their CCLI# and the copyright information on the first or last slide (assuming they even had a current CCLI license.)
    • Example 3: Video. The preacher has the perfect example for the third point in the sermon. After a brief verbal setup, the lights dim and the congregation watches a 5 minute segment of a popular movie that was just released that week. Afterwards, with tears in many people’s eyes, he is able to drive home how the scene represented Christ’s sacrifice for them. The front of the room is flooded with people whose lives are forever changed. True ministry has taken place, but the means lacked integrity. 

    I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on anyone. Really. I know what it’s like to do everything you know to be right, and still be wrong. What I am trying to highlight is how important it is that the local church rise up and learn what’s needed to stay compliant to our government while ministering in the power of God.


    Intentional Ignorance
    I’ve often thought that perhaps the best solution to this problem was to intentionally stay ignorant. After all, I’m not accountable to what I don’t know, right? Unfortunately, this mindset has several very important flaws.

    • It Won’t Hold Up In Court.
      As much as we’d like to think it’s true, the ‘ignorance card’ holds no weight before the judge. Our kids may be masters at “Asking forgiveness instead of permission.” but, as the Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 13, “When I became a man I put childish ways behind me.” Should we ever be sued for copyright infringement, we will be responsible for what we know as well as what we don’t know.
    • It Dishonors The Author.
      There is a real and appropriate reason for copyright law. Like you, the person behind that symbol has to make a living. Whether they are rolling in the dough or not, we owe them their due. Otherwise we are technically stealing from them.
    • It Reflects Immaturity.
      Chances are, someone in your congregation knows something about copyright law. Musicians, artists, writers, business people, inventors, photographers, lawyers, web designers, managers . . . and so many more have to interact with this issue somewhere along the line. By choosing ignorance, we inadvertently communicate something to those who understand these things, even in part. We communicate that we either don’t care, that we’d prefer to ‘bend the rules’ or that we are simply not professional in how we run the church. 
    • It Lacks Integrity.
      I’ve heard a number of definitions of integrity over the years. To keep it simple, I’ll use dictionary.com’s definition: adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. I’m convinced that integrity will never look the other way. Acting in integrity while practicing intentional ignorance is impossible. They are contradictory ideas. Choosing ignorance in order to justify disobedience is just plain wrong and dishonest.
    • It Misrepresents Christ.
      For all of the above reasons, and more, it misrepresents the character of Christ. That doesn’t mean we have a responsibility to never be ignorant. It just means we will never intentionally choose ignorance. Proverbs 2:10-11, “for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,” 


    What You Need To Know
    I’m no expert in this area, so I’m not going to try to explain everything in this post. What I will do instead is point you in the right direction. Here are a few links that you will find helpful. Also, at any time feel free to email me your question and I will do my best to help you find the answer.

    • Fact Summaries from CCLI.com.
      To date, ccli.com has been the most reliable and helpful christian copyright service available to churches, in my opinion. Click on ‘More Information’ at each section to learn more about what you CAN and CANNOT do without a license.
    • Fact Sheets from CopyrightSolver.com.
      This website does a great job explaining copyright law in relationship with the local church. Just keep in mind that it is also a company wanting you to use them for all your copyright solutions. Consider doing some shopping around before deciding on using their services; you may find other solutions cheaper.

    Image from porcorex on istockphoto.com.

  • Tactical Tips

    I believe that small changes can often create a big impact. The Tactical Tip series is designed to give you ONE practical idea in each post that, if implemented, can help build positive momentum in your ministry and life. Enjoy.

    Common Sense Tips:
    • Return Emails Within 24 Hours
      Basic email etiquette says that individuals should not have to wait for a response from you for more than a day. That’s not always practical if the email will require more time or information that you have at your immediate disposal. This Tactical Tip outlines a simple way to always respond to emails.
    • Teach Yourself To Smile
      You’d think smiling would be a natural skill that every leader possessed. Wrong answer. Many leaders aren’t even aware of the scowl and frown they wear every day. This tip explores simple ideas to build new habits that will bring people’s perception of you just a little bit closer to reality.
    • Moving to Eye Level
      I ‘get’ to hang out with some tall people sometimes, and I’m not short. I’ve discovered that communication goes so much better when I’m not looking down or up while talking. This tip will explore why this is important and ideas on how to make it happen in everyday life.
    • Say ‘Thanks’ In Your Email
      It can be so easy for us to get into ‘work’ mode and forget that the person on the other side of our emails has feelings too. It takes 3 seconds to type, but often we don’t even think about it. This tip is a great reminder to add value to the conversation with one little word.

    Leveraging Technology:

    • Backup Your Files!I’ve learned over the years how important it is to backup computer files. I also know a lot of people don’t do it. I’ve discovered a great and simple way to ensure you’ll never lose your files again.
    • Build Momentum & Create Unity With A Blog
      As an avid blogger and blog reader, I’ve become convinced that a great blog can become a powerful communication tool. It may not be for everyone, but it certainly CAN be a game changer in certain situations. This tip is the beginning of several posts that will help you understand why a blog can make a difference as well as how to get started.
    • Email Signature
      There is absolutely no reason why I should ever have to wonder WHO just wrote this email or HOW I can get hold of him over the phone. This tip gives a few pointers on building a signature for your emails. 
    • Reminder Calendar
      Pastors and leaders in general can be notorious for forgetting things. Especially little details. I discovered a method by which a Google calendar can act as a reminder to me on things I don’t want to think about. This tip will show you how to leverage this idea for your purposes.
    • The Embedded Hyperlink
      Nobody likes to get a hyperlink in the email only to discover it doesn’t work. Additionally, we don’t really care about the actual address. We just want to know WHAT we are clicking on and we want to GET there. This tip will give practical advice on expanding your professionalism and honoring your reader with the embedded hyperlink.
    • Internet Passwords
      Nearly every month I hear about someone who got ‘hacked’. I finally did some research and came up with a system to better ensure I don’t become one of those statistics. This tip will walk you through a strategy that, once learned, can help your passwords be much more difficult to be hacked.
    Building Great Systems:
    • Saying ‘Thank You’ Systematically
      Everyone knows it’s important to thank volunteers and leaders. Most people just don’t take the time to do it. We’re too busy. This tip will walk you through each step of a system whereby you will always thank the people you need to thank both systematically and consistently.
    Check out my Resources Page to see other past series.