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Removing Barriers from Around the Manger

removingthebarriers

The line felt like it was barely even moving. The sun was beastly hot, and I kept trying to stand in the occasional shadows. As we rounded the next turn in the endless maze which led to the roller coaster, I saw why we were moving so slowly. A group of people had an all-access pass that enabled them skip all the waiting and head straight to the front of the line.

I suddenly felt like a peasant. Never mind the tickets I had in my pocket… I would only be granted limited access to the rides.

 
I am convinced that there are many who feel that way about Jesus. They feel like they have restricted access.

Their last visit to a church probably reinforced that feeling… They were immersed in an unfamiliar routine, but no one bothered to help them through. They were peppered with textbook-sounding words they didn’t understand. They were made to feel that their lingering doubts were the biggest offense in the room.

Somehow, their visit made Jesus seem even more distant and restricted.

 
But it wasn’t always that way. In Luke’s careful documentary of Jesus’ life, he describes the birth of this important baby as anything but a limited-access event.

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Seven Steps To Giving a Compelling Talk Without Being Chained to Your Notes

Compelling Talk Without Notes

Public speaking terrifies a lot of people. Even those of us who aren’t afraid of the stage can struggle to confidently present without using notes.

It is a difficult thing to do.

But if done properly, your presentation will be more compelling. Your cadence and eye contact will be better. Your passion will be more convincing. And most importantly, your audience will be more likely to remember your point.

For the next few moments, I’m going to assume you have already created your talk, or you’ve been handed a script. I’ll assume that you don’t have the time, skill or desire to memorize your talk word-for-word.

With those assumptions in mind, here are the seven steps I use to deliver a compelling talk without notes.

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The 4 Key Parts of a Sunday Huddle That Energizes Volunteers

photo by Todd Anderson some rights reserved

Your volunteer teams have not been thinking about church all week like you have.

If you are like me, you begin planning for next Sunday before this Sunday is even over. You’ve thought about it all week… while you were driving, while you were watching the movie, and when you woke up in the middle of the night.

But you are a leader — the exception not the rule.

More often than not, even your most faithful volunteers arrive burdened by the struggles of their week and distracted by the details of their role.

Somehow, you have to get your team energized and on the same page.

A well-led huddle can do exactly that.

This huddle is a brief team meeting lasting less than 10 minutes. But it isn’t just any team meeting. To be effective, a huddle must intentionally include four key parts.

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How You Can Shape the Culture (and Success) of Your Team

You want to work alongside great people.

You want them to stay with you for a long time.

You want your financials to be strong.

And more than anything, you want to be successful in your mission.

 

What if I told you that as a leader in your church or business, YOU determine whether these things are possible? It’s true, because of one thing… You shape the culture. Organizations with a healthy culture thrive. Those with an unhealthy culture struggle.

 

Culture is the unwritten code of behaviors, values, and ethics of an organization. It is shaped by

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One Reason You’re Still Failing

 

You wanted to lose weight, but you’re still as heavy as ever.

You had a plan to expand your business, but it’s still struggling.

You intended to read the Bible more often, but that app still only opens occasionally.

You wanted to make a life-enhancing change, but it still hasn’t happened. And you have tried!

 

On several occasions when I was little, my mom created a new schedule for us. She announced the new plan for how we were going to spend our time — chores here, reading here, playtime here. And for a few days, it would work. But more often than not, we would drift back to the easier, more familiar way, and that schedule would never be heard from again. As a parent now myself, I’ve done the exact same thing.

Change is hard.

 

There are so many great changes we want to make to our lives, but most of us remain unchanged.

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7 Keys to Keeping Great Volunteers

I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the best people in business, public service and academia. There have been young adults, seniors, parents of teens and empty nesters.

Together, we’ve accomplished some of the most amazing missions. I could never afford to pay what they are worth, but they willingly serve anyway. They are volunteers. They are the people that turn big visions into powerful realities.

But how do leaders keep great volunteers on our teams?

I don’t have the perfect formula. I’ve had some long-term greats, and I have seen my share of good people walk away. Over time, I’ve noted these 7 keys to keeping great volunteers.

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Six Pivotal Thoughts I Noted at Catalyst One Day

Catalyst One Day

Several days ago, I had the priviledge of attending the Catalyst One Day event in Atlanta. This event is held several times a year in various cities across the country.

Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel shared the speaking responsibilities. They discussed things like the heart of a leader, the family of a leader and the message of a leader in a post-Christian culture.

Here are six of the pivotal thoughts I noted from that conference.

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What My Experience with the Mechanic Reminded Me About Church

How many times do we let the people in our church feel stupid?

Here’s why I ask…

 

The other day I took my truck in for repairs. It had developed a squeal behind the dash.

Now I’m not a great mechanic.

But the squeal, coupled with a never-before seen drip beneath the front end, was enough to alert me that something was off. My assumptions (and fears) were intensified by stories from the other drivers in our family of various “road hazards” they had encountered on that side of the truck.

 

After a few hours, the service manager called.

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Why Your Best Memories Might Be Ruining Your Life

 

Your best memories might be ruining your life.

 

You have lots of acquaintances, but not many close friends. There was one, years ago, but no one since has seemed to measure up.

That first date was SO romantic. You felt an emotion inside you that you never knew existed. You’ve never forgotten that feeling.

At the retreat a while back, God seemed real, alive, close. Suddenly, all your day-to-day concerns seemed minimal compared to your passion for Him. You’ve longed to get that moment back.

 

We all have meaningful memories. The problem comes when we try to recreate them instead of simply remembering them.

 

Memories should be like the mile-marker signs on the side of the highway. They mark progress on a journey. But they are not a destination. No one plans a special trip “back to mile-marker number 7.”

 

Your best memories can ruin life in two ways:

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Simple Ways You Might Be Stealing Your Team’s Passion

You need your team’s passion, not just their presence.

This is true of your family “team,” a volunteer team, or a team of employees.

You need them to participate with all their heart, not just go through the motions. But sometimes, we drain the passion from our teammates. And we don’t even know we are doing it.

 

I was recently inspired by Carey Nieuwhof, a lead pastor who regularly asks his team, “Is there anything I have done or said in the last month that’s robbed you of your passion or energy for our mission?”

 

Here are a few common ways leaders can steal passion from their teams: