Take a look around. I bet you have all that you need to get started. I bet that you have all you need to hit a home run! Our vision for ministry cannot begin with the proper tools. This is a backwards way to lead the church. Good ideas come long before the resources needed to pull them off.  A little creativity goes a long ways. What projects have you been waiting to start?

The concept of behavioral play is fascinating. I tore my way through each chapter in one sitting and cant wait to design my own game. What is more interesting is the types of “games” I see around me in my every day life. The checkout page on a web site, the rewards program of my credit card and the gas efficiency meter on my care are just a few that have jumped out to me over these past few weeks. I was expecting a sort of soft pitch, “have fun in a job that you love” message from Dignan’s text but came away with something completely different. He delivers a detailed and highly structured vision of “gaming” that is worthy of looking into. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in sociology or game theory. I cant say that the take aways from this read were obvious. This is a specific read on a specific topic. It is well written and compels you to fly from chapter to chapter. If you are up for a brain bender then follow the links above and check it out!

What job would you like to turn into a game?

The Spiritual world of Mario

Is spirituality visible or invisible? What does it look like? Many of us draw a clear black line between the spiritual and physical self. We believe that what happens in the heart cannot be seen in the real world. Our Christianity becomes otherworldly and we start to believe that our role in God’s story is to escape creation. This view has become known as Platonic dualism (ya, I just name dropped Plato).

Robert E. Webber has written a book about ancient spirituality titled The Divine Embrace. In it he argues that, ”the Christian spiritual life is not an experience out of this world, it is an experience of transcendent meaning here and now in this world through a passionate participation in God’s vision for humanity in theis world.” This passionate participation has a real world effect.

Do you agree with Webber? Can your spiritual life have an affect in the created world?

Robert E. Webber, The Divine Embrace p. 171

Are you a part of a team? Are their areas of your own work that you have been unwilling to submit to others? Know that teamwork is crowded and the benefits far outweigh the burdens.

So Pink believes that right-brainers will rule the futre… kind of. The core of Pink’s argument is that left brain work will have to be spiced up with right brain creativity. Those who wish to succede in our flat world must be able to add meaning to their work that surpasses the basic functions of their job. Engineers must create works that are equally artistic as they are function. Scientists must be able to relate to moral and social causes to their work. Pink paints an overall priority of empathy with the right brain.

Which way do you lean? Right or left? Can you add more right brain meaning to your left brain tasks? What would this even look like? I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in making the biggest impact possible in your nine to five occupation.

You and I are a limited resource. I hate to admit it but I can only accomplish so many things in a given day. When we enlist the help of others we can increase the potential output exponentially. The scary part is that it no longer becomes our output and is the output of others. I think this is why so many of us have a hard time empowering others to succeed: we lose control. The success is no longer accomplished how we would have done it. The end result may be different than we imagined it and the worst part: we may not get any credit!

How is this process more powerful? It sounds like a losing proposition.  Those of us who serve the church cannot make decisions based on our own egos. It is not about you. You and I must realize that we are serving a purpose that is far greater than ourselves.

If your church is going to make a difference then you need to help other people win. You propagate the life changing story of Jesus in this way: by teaching and training up others. Remind yourself that serving in the church should never bring glory to your own name. Serving the church means serving others. This service is where we can find value being the first loser.

I was surprised by the tone that Brett and Kay took towards the end of the book as they progressed through the superficial qualities of manliness and began to take a closer look at heart matters. I got the feeling that the authors suckered me in with fisticuffs and hit me with paternal advice. It was good! This book lacks any spiritual insight regarding masculinity but still offers a fun look into the life of a modern day gentleman. It was a fun read and I would recommend it for anyone interested in some casual, and sometimes challenging, fun.

Yes, Allah.

I was reminded that today’s culture in North America is becoming more ignorant of the Christian tradition. At the same time I believe that our culture is becoming more religiously aware. The lines between religions are becoming less and less distinguishable for an entire generation. God or Allah: its all the same to them. Christian or Mormon: same difference. I understand that the name Allah can be used outside of the context of Islam. Our guest this Sunday had innocently confused the two faiths.

Does this change the way that we present the Bible to kids? Do you see a greater awareness of world religions emerging in your Sunday school classes? Could this be a good thing for the Church?

This is not Joiner’s doctoral thesis on family ministry. It is, however, a useful guide to help you start thinking about family ministry. The second half of the book offers some helpful images of family ministry that would be useful for any church. If any of us could begin to implement some of the concepts that Joiner and his team have captured we would be in a better place.  I have brought some of Joiners ideas to my team already. This book is well worth your time… but dont read it alone. Make sure that everyone in your church who works with babies to eighteen year olds gets their hands on this book. It is really that good.

What about your church? Does your church think orange? Is the family regarded as one unit or do you ministries take a narrow view of children and students?

God is Not in Your Toolbox

God is not in your toolbox; he is not at your disposal.

He is not something for you to apply to a problem. That is not how it works. Some of us work hard in ministry and think that if we can find the best way to apply God then we will succede. This approach inverts the relationship between us and God. We are to be his hands and feet in ministry, not the other way around.

We are in God’s toolbox, we are at his disposal.

Do you have control over an environment? Perhaps it is a small class room or large auditorium. Have you ever asked yourself what people see first? It is important to start with this in mind. We may have prepared brilliant content but unless people start with you you will never end with them. 

We must understand what people see first or else we may never catch their attention. We all know that first impressions can last a lifetime. Take a walk through the areas where you impress upon people. It is important that they see what you are all right from the get go. This is not salesmanship, this is communication. And a master communicator speaks with words after they have introduced themselves.

Click through to Amazon

The Question Behind the Question is a great book by John G. Miller. It is centered around the question of personal accountability and forces us to take a closer look at how we can solve problems instead of finding new ways to shirk responsibility. I got though this book in just over an hour. The chapters were short and to the point. I appreciated the clarity of Miller as he unpacked the importance of us asking the question behind the question. The cap stayed off of my highlighter most of the time as I found many quips useful to my role in ministry. This book is well worth your read. Click on the picture to check it out on Amazon.

No Quick Fixes in 2011

This is the time of year where people envision ways to better themselves. My pastor has created a Spiritual Health Self-Assessment Tool for the purpose of cultivating a healthy self. This is a great way to make a quick evaluation of your own life. Check it out.  You could also Google “New Year Resolutions” and come up with thousands of results. It is important to set goals and measure our progress. How do we respond when things get difficult? When our goals seem unobtainable? When the effort required to succede seems to far outweigh the prize? We take the easy way out.

We cannot take the path of least resistance. Edwin H. Friedman wrote a book called A Failure of Nerve. In it he describes a series of characteristics that describe a society in regression. My favorite is number four, “A quick-fix mentality: a low threshold for pain that constantly seeks symptom relief rather than fundamental change (p.54).” Ask yourself this question: are my resolutions just a quick fix for a greater issue? Are you afraid of facing some pain?

We all know the axiom: no pain no gain. Is it true? Think back on some of the most important things that have happened to you. How much did they cost you? Make sure that you are not settling for a patch up job when you set goals. You are the owner of your success and failure. Make sure that you aim high and work hard and get stuff done.

Top Ten Books of 2011

Christmas is over and it is time for everyone’s top ten list. Here is mine. I have had a chance to read a lot of great books this year… more books than ever. I started counting and realized that I averaged more than a book a week these past twelve months. Between school and church I have had my work cut out for me. The following list contains a sampling of books regarding leadership, culture and the church. I loved each of these because they made me think. I have tried to order them 1-10 by level of personal impact. Know that I could have moved many of these up or down the scale, not to mention those books that didn’t make the cut. Nevertheless here are my top ten books of 2011.

10) The Presence of the Future by George Eldon Ladd

George Ladd paints a clear picture of the Kingdom of God. He starts at the beginning and works his way to the end… the very end. What does it mean for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven? I feel that this book is foundational for those who are wrestling with the concepts of Christ’s redemption on earth.

9) In the Plex by Steven Levy

Steven Levy describes what it is like to live and work inside Google. The “googleplex” is the affectionate term used to describe the sprawling campus of the worlds greatest organizers of information. This book made me think long and hard about how systems scale. Google survives on the ability for a program to grow exponentially. Many of the systems that I put in place live or die on the same criteria.

8) Group Dynamics for Teams by Daniel Levi

This is a great leadership read. Daniel Levi does a great job describing how teams work. Each chapter is straight forward and simple. I constantly asked myself why didnt I write this?! That is not to say that Levi didn’t offer some profound insight into the life of a team. I highly recommend this book for anyone involved in leadership.

7) The Master Switch by Tim Wu

Geek alert! This book is awesome. Tim Wu walks his readers through the last hundred years of information innovation. He puts his finger on a pattern of open and closed that I found fascinating. Today people are talking a lot about how open or closed the internet should be. Wu provided me with a great perspective on the matter. If you are at all curious about the future of the internet or the history of other like technologies this book is a must read.

6) The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen

Henri Nouwen is an inspirational person and tells us the story of the Prodigal Son. What? You have already read this story? You have already lead group studies on this parable of Jesus? Trust me: you will get something out of this book. Nouwen describes how each of us can play the role of father, son or brother in this familiar story. It is another excellent read.

5) The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell has written a classic. This book describes the factors that contribute to the tipping point of any idea into popular culture. Gladwell takes a close look at several case studies and tracks popular memes from beginning to end. This book made me think hard about the movements we try to start in our churches and communities. Have we considered Gladwell’s factors? Perhaps we should.

4) When the Well Runs Dry by Thomas Green

Thomas Green speaks to a soft subject; one that many of us are hesitant to admit to. What do you do when your spiritual well runs dry? Green takes this touchy subject head on. Is it right for someone to go through a spiritual dry spell? Is that even Biblical? Anyone in ministry should read through this book.

3) Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard

I think that Dallas Willard has been reading my journal. He wrote this book and spoke directly to me. Renovation of the Heart discusses the concept of spiritual formation. I know that I want to get closer to God but I don’t always know how. I should read the Bible, pray and do church stuff… but is that it? Yes and no. Willard offers some powerful guidance. Again, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be better Christ follower.

2) Addicted to Mediocrity by Franky Schaeffer

Home run Franky. I can tell you that I read this book in one sitting… and then I read it again later that week. I cant believe how long ago Schaeffer wrote this book (1984). He was way ahead of his time with this one. And yes the cover of the book is corny. I had to get past that too. This book takes the conflict of sacred vs. secular head on. Spoiler alert: Franky doesn’t believe that there is a secular world for the church to compete with. Wha? Anyone who hopes to shape the culture of Christianity needs to give this book a chance. It has the potential to radically shift your perspective on what sorts of things we should be doing in the church.

1) Bonhoeffer: Pastor Martyr Spy by Eric Metaxas

Read this book. Metaxas walks through the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I was encouraged and inspired by this account of his calling, ministry and struggle against Adolf Hitler. I will admit that I am a bit of a WWII buff but that should not prohibit anyone from reading through this powerful biography. I was surprised at how well Metaxas described the theological process of Bonhoeffer. I found myself asking questions about what and why I believe. This book changed me and I would love for you to have the same experience.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

This past year has gone by so quickly, it is hard to believe that we are closing the chapter of 2011 and welcoming a new year! These past twelve months have been filled with many new things; including the start of Brent’s second year in his graduate program, Adelé’s first birthday, moving to Olympia, Brent’s new job at Evergreen   Christian Community as the Children’s pastor and the news that we are expecting our  second!

Brent’s days are filled with endless hours on his papers, reading countless books (for work, school and fun), training for triathlons and other races as well as being involved with as many Children Ministry Network events as possible. Brent is incredibly ambitious and his energy never ceases to amaze me. Of course he finds time to play, read and entertain Adelé whenever he is home. She has become quite a daddy’s girl in the past few months. They are nearly inseparable.

Bria has continued her nursing, with an on-call position at Tacoma General Hospital in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). She works a few days a month while she and Adelé keep up on the house, spend time at the church and go on as many outings as we have time for.  Bria ran my first ½ marathon in Seattle at the end of June. This was a huge accomplishment for her! In August we found out we were pregnant with baby #2! We are expecting his or her arrival around April 27, 2012. Being pregnant while chasing a toddler around has proven to be exhausting. So, Bria has begun a routine of napping whenever Adelé naps.  The two girls do most things together. She is such a great little friend.

Adelé is 20 months now and is talking about anything and everything on her mind. Today she was playing with a toy and exclaimed, “Oh, boy!” She is an extremely friendly, emotional, spirited, and affectionate little girl. She imitates us in chores, singing, even inflections in our voices. She has brought us so much joy. She kisses my tummy each day and talks about the “baby”. We are sure she will be a great big sister to our new little one.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

All Our Love- Brent, Bria, Adelé and Baby

The Christmas Story

Nothing is better than kids sharing the Christmas story. A group from New Zealand have created my favorite reenactment of the story of Jesus’ birth. They do a great job at capturing the reality surrounding Joseph, Marry, the Shepherds and some of the other major players. I love watching this narrative striped of popular christmas culture. It reminds me that this story is real. It reminds me that Christmas recognizes the day that God’s son came to earth as a human being.

They have made the video free to use so long as you dont “change it in any way, nor make money out of it.” Its not too late to add it to your Christmas service. You can download it by following the link below.

I think of my ability to resist temptation. Sometimes I succede and sometimes I fail. I noticed how some kids would stare at the marshmallow, some would touch it, smell it even nibble it! How are they going to resist eating the thing when they get so dangerously close! There it is. I do the same thing. How can I resist temptation? Stay far, far away. I am sure you are familiar with the words that Paul wrote to the early Christians in Corinth.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. -1 Corinthians 10:13

We can resist because God is faithful. If marshmallows are your kryptonite then keep far away. In fact, I would recommend running in the opposite direction! Many of us need to pull a Joseph and run away from the sin that so easily entangles. How do you avoid temptation?

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,

Born to set thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us;

Let us find our rest in thee.

-Charles Wesley, Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Charles Wesley

I had the privilege of reading the Christmas story to a small group of kids last weekend. Three of the seven had never head it before and had lots of questions. Who was Cesar? Why would they want to count everyone? Why didn’t they go to the hospital? It was awesome to talk through Luke 2 with fresh eyes and a curious heart.

Something jumped out to me. When the angels announced the birth of Jesus they referred to him using several names: Savior, Messiah, the Lord. Catch that? From day one Jesus was already the savior. How could a baby save anyone? We see how Jesus came for the purpose of bringing God’s rescue plan into fulness. Jesus came to save us.

And so we pray for Jesus to come, to save us, to set us free so that we may rest in him.

Back to the future?

How awesome was yesterday? Many of us consider the past better than the present… and you can forget about the future! Have you turned on the TV lately? The world is going to fall apart any day now. What’s that noise? Trumpets? I think I see a white horse poking its heads through yonder clouds (Bible Joke: Rev. 19:11)… You hear this talk in the church all the time. People begin sentences with remember when and they drift back to simpler times where flannel graphs and overhead projectors better communicated the love of Jesus.

Then there are those who throw out the past entirely. Grandma and Grandpa have nothing to offer because we have it all figured out. These people navigate with one reference point and can become easily lost. How can you possibly know where to go unless you know where you came from? These people also have a loud voice in the church and wont settle for anything less than the latest web 3.0

We read about this tension between the yesterday and tomorrow in the book of Ezra.

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. -Ezra 3:11-13

What a mixed bag emotions! Some people are happy about laying a new foundation for the temple; the house of God was going to be rebuilt after many years. But the old timers could only weep aloud because of what used to be; they saw the lost glory of God’s house. Who is correct?

The world is in constant motion including the lives of those who make up the church. At some point in life we feel most comfortable and would like to hit the pause button. We have found a balance and things make sense! The problem is that you cannot pause life. Even if you attempt to stand still the rest of the world continues to move forward. We may try to live in cultural stasis while the world around us continues to progress through history. The longer we stay still the less and less relevant our voice becomes. We must be fluid in our approach to being the church. Our mission is to the world of today not to the world of yesterday. We must be willing to take the message of Jesus to the people who need to hear it the most regardless of where that takes us. Know this: it will take you into uncomfortable places.

The more our methods change the more we depend on our knowledge of the past. No one can successfully navigate with one point of reference. This is especially true when we are navigating on currents of change that seem to moving more quickly than ever. You have to know where you are coming from. The church must understand its history in a local and global sense. This is how we can understand the best ways to tell people and show people how much Jesus loves them.

How do we do all this? The attempt to creatively forward the mission of God while thoughtfully considering our local and global foundation is a big task. Honestly, I dont know. It would seem that we start from a place of understanding and continue to move towards a creative expression of Jesus’ love that respects the current realities of life.

I dont think I would ever consider things too hot in years past. The more change the better! This view, however, dose not consider those whom we wish to lead. It can be difficult to remember that there are people to worry about other than ourselves when it comes to change. Martin Linsky discussed the importance of controlling the temperature when introducing change. It give you something to think about.

If you try to stimulate deep change within an organization, you have to control the temperature… The heat must stay within a tolerable range—not so high that people demand it be turned off completely, and not so low that they are lulled into inaction.

How hot is too hot? When was the last time you considered cooling things down?

Seconds of Beauty

How much can you say in a second? I often ask myself this question on Sunday morning. If your in leadership and work with a large team then you may not get to spend as much time as you would like with each member. We have many amazing volunteers at our church and many more wonderful parents. On the best week I get a chance to say, “hi” to half of them. OK, lets be honest, a quarter of them!

How much can you say in a second? Not much. I saw this project called Seconds of Beauty by Montblanc. They made me think twice about how much can be communicated in a brief amount of time. See for yourself and take in a collection of one second documentaries.

JumpStart Podcast

This is an excellent ministry tool for anyone involved in children’s ministry. The JumpStart Podcast hosts a collection of talks from some of the best children’s ministry leaders in the Northwest. They are releasing monthly episodes to keep the conversation going and hooking up their listeners with great resources. Check their backlog for dozens of talks on leadership in ministry to kids. Their hosts, Dan @danmetteer and Kevin @lifengeer do a great job hosting each episode.

Check it out and recommend it to your local children’s pastor.

You are free to shop wherever you wish; it is a matter of conscience for you and your family. If you dont say merry Christmas in your window I want to meet you. I want to have a relationship with you and welcome you to walk right through MY door. If fact, you can come to my church. Both you and Santa would be welcome to hang out any time of the week.