Vetrean Pastor, Life time Learner, Problem Solver, Servant-Leader and Motivational Speaker.

Six Ways To Make Your Words More Meaningful | Lead Change Group

Below are six ways to make your words more meaningful:

1. Make sure that your words are supported by your actions. Often leaders “talk a good game” but the lack of supporting action makes your words powerless. Speak words that build-up not tear-down.
2. Be transparent. People already know that you are not perfect and that you do not have all the answers (that should allow you to breathe easier and relax a bit). Do your words reflect the authentic you? Transparency shows your humanity. It builds trust.
3. Ask more often than you tell. Be curious about what people are thinking and what they know. They will often surprise you with some really great ideas and insight. You will learn a lot. Make sure you credit those that have taught you something. They will continue to share and encourage others to share.
4. Hold people accountable for their role and be accountable for yours. Make sure expectations are clearly communicated and measured. For the most part, people will live up to whatever expectations you set as long they can see you are living up to yours.
5. Communicate your Vision.  As the leader you are the custodian of the vision. Communicate it often and weave it into every initiative, project and event.  No vision – No focus. No focus – no drive. People want to be involved with something larger than themselves.
6. Be visible. People will see you as more accessible and willing to listen. Being visible is not about “looking over everyone’s shoulder.” Being seen can be done through the use of all aspects of media, written communications, interviews, showing up for team meetings/celebrations, etc. Visible leaders create engagement. Visible leaders inspire confidence.

via leadchangegroup.com

Fors Clavigera: An Open Letter to Praise Bands

So let me offer just a few brief axioms with the hope of encouraging new reflection on the practice of "leading worship":

1. If we, the congregation, can't hear ourselves, it's not worship. Christian worship is not a concert. In a concert (a particular "form of performance"), we often expect to be overwhelmed by sound, particularly in certain styles of music. In a concert, we come to expect that weird sort of sensory deprivation that happens from sensory overload, when the pounding of the bass on our chest and the wash of music over the crowd leaves us with the rush of a certain aural vertigo. And there's nothing wrong with concerts! It's just that Christian worship is not a concert. Christian worship is a collective, communal, congregational practice--and the gathered sound and harmony of a congregation singing as one is integral to the practice of worship. It is a way of "performing" the reality that, in Christ, we are one body. But that requires that we actually be able to hear ourselves, and hear our sisters and brothers singing alongside us. When the amped sound of the praise band overwhelms congregational voices, we can't hear ourselves sing--so we lose that communal aspect of the congregation and are encouraged to effectively become "private," passive worshipers.

2. If we, the congregation, can't sing along, it's not worship. In other forms of musical performance, musicians and bands will want to improvise and "be creative," offering new renditions and exhibiting their virtuosity with all sorts of different trills and pauses and improvisations on the received tune. Again, that can be a delightful aspect of a concert, but in Christian worship it just means that we, the congregation, can't sing along. And so your virtuosity gives rise to our passivity; your creativity simply encourages our silence. And while you may be worshiping with your creativity, the same creativity actually shuts down congregational song.

3. If you, the praise band, are the center of attention, it's not worship. I know it's generally not your fault that we've put you at the front of the church. And I know you want to model worship for us to imitate. But because we've encouraged you to basically import forms of performance from the concert venue into the sanctuary, we might not realize that we've also unwittingly encouraged a sense that you are the center of attention. And when your performance becomes a display of your virtuosity--even with the best of intentions--it's difficult to counter the temptation to make the praise band the focus of our attention. When the praise band goes into long riffs that you might intend as "offerings to God," we the congregation become utterly passive, and because we've adopted habits of relating to music from the Grammys and the concert venue, we unwittingly make you the center of attention. I wonder if there might be some intentional reflection on placement (to the side? leading from behind?) and performance that might help us counter these habits we bring with us to worship.

Please consider these points carefully and recognize what I am not saying. This isn't just some plea for "traditional" worship and a critique of "contemporary" worship. Don't mistake this as a defense of pipe organs and a critique of guitars and drums (or banjos and mandolins). My concern isn't with style, but with form: What are we trying to do when we "lead worship?" If we are intentional about worship as a communal, congregational practice that brings us into a dialogical encounter with the living God--that worship is not merely expressive but also formative--then we can do that with cellos or steel guitars, pipe organs or African dr

via forsclavigera.blogspot.com

For Women Under 30, Most Births Occur Outside Marriage - NYTimes.com

Others noted that if they married, their official household income would rise, which could cost them government benefits like food stamps and child care. W. Bradford Wilcox, a sociologist at the University of Virginia, said other government policies, like no-fault divorce, signaled that “marriage is not as fundamental to society” as it once was.

Even as many Americans withdraw from marriage, researchers say, they expect more from it: emotional fulfillment as opposed merely to practical support. “Family life is no longer about playing the social role of father or husband or wife, it’s more about individual satisfaction and self-development,” said Andrew Cherlin, a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University.

Money helps explain why well-educated Americans still marry at high rates: they can offer each other more financial support, and hire others to do chores that prompt conflict. But some researchers argue that educated men have also been quicker than their blue-collar peers to give women equal authority. “They are more willing to play the partner role,” said Sara McLanahan, a Princeton sociologist.

via www.nytimes.com

5 Things I Pray At Every Youth Program | youthwork talk

Here’s what I pray regularly at our weekly programs: 

“Thanks so much for the new faces here tonight, and thanks for the students who call this place home” – It’s imperative to communicate care to the new students as we pray for them and thank God for them. It’s also imperative that I thank God new people while also reminding our regular students that there are new faces here to look out for.

“Thanks to these incredible youth leaders who show up week after week to love students” – I have some of the most fantastic youth leaders a youth pastor could ask for! I realize this, but students don’t always consider the sacrifice their small group leaders make to show up week after week. In addition, it’s my job to help the small group leaders become ‘ministry heroes’ to the students. Praying for adult leaders every week truly helps students to see how much they are loved by these brilliant people!

“Thanks for this incredible place called ‘The Warehouse” – Our student ministry center is a converted warehouse on an industrial park. (It’s pretty sweet to see what we’ve done in there). Although new students think it’s awesome, our regulars can easily take this place for granted. But, here’s the biggest point: Whether or not we have a sweet place to meet or not, it’s important to help students give thanks for a place they can call their own.

“Help us to walk away tonight completely changed” – It’s paramount that we ask God to do the amazing in our lives and expect Him to show up in incredible ways. In some ways, this prayer sets the standard and expectations for the night. As a leader I must pray boldly and pray that students will be open to life change.

“Help me to be used powerfully tonight” – This is the prayer I pray privately as I get ready to deliver my weekly messages. No matter whether my preparation time has been great, or whether it has been a challenging week, I believe that God can and will work through my humble efforts. I need to remember that God can work in spite of my efforts too. It’s not about me, it’s about Him working through me. I know this might be a given for many of us, but it’s easy to think that God’s work totally depends on us when it is not…

What are some of the things you pray on a regular basis with your students at your weekly programs? How does prayer teach students students each week? What are you modeling through prayer?

via youthworktalk.com

Really cool slide show...kinda 2012 Middle School Ministry North Mason Bible Church 2012........

 

Why Studying the Bible Won't Change Your Life by Trevin Wax - ChurchLeaders.com - Christian Leadership Blogs, Articles, Videos, How To's, and Free Resources - Page 3

It’s possible to amass great amounts of biblical knowledge, to impress people with your mastery of Bible trivia, to creatively apply the Bible in ways that seem so down to Earth and practical, to dot your theological i’s and cross your exegetical t’s – and still miss Jesus. Scary, isn’t it?

That’s why it’s not enough to be “Bible-believing” or “Word-centered,” because, after all, the Bible we believe and the Word we proclaim is itself Christ-centered.

The purpose of our Bible study is to know God and make Him known.

The Bible unveils Jesus Christ as the focal point of human history. All creation exists by Him, through Him, to Him, and for Him. Our Bible study should exist for Him, too. That’s the only kind of Bible study that will change your life.

via www.churchleaders.com

Stetzer: The next 10 years | ToddRhoades.com

What will the church need to deal with in the next 10 years?

Ed Stetzer gives some thoughts:

1.  Churches that used to been ‘seeker targeted’ will find that many people just aren’t seeking that much anymore.  They have no ‘religious memory’ as Ed calls it.  That will force churches to come up with a new model to engage people like this.

2.  Churches will need to concentrate on the gospel.  That’s accomplished by a church thinking through what the gospel is and actually living it out.  It’s time to reassess and reorganize since we may find ourselves a little off track.

3.  Christians will rethink discipleship.  Stetzer argues that discipleship doesn’t need to be re-invented, but rather re-defined.

4.  Churches will need to be innovative and implement new ways of doing church.  Some churches are already doing that through things like multi-site and global initiatives.  But these things are still new to myriads of ch

via www.toddrhoades.com

Small Youth Groups: Consumerism - smallyouthgroup.com

I think there are some spiritual issues, and, however counter-cultural it is, I don’t think we are doing our job if we don’t address those issues. Let’s consider the two most obvious ones.

First, millennials are not growing up with a biblical understanding of stewardship. We are not helping them to understand that they are not given wealth simply to consume it on themselves. Most millennials have no sense of responsibility to help anyone else. They see themselves as not having the resources to help others even if they wanted to … and they can show you their low bank balance in seconds from their new iPhone. While I don’t want to miss that one of the ways God blesses people is materially, I also don’t want to miss the strong warnings of Jesus about those who are wealthy, particularly when they consume the wealth on themselves (Luke 16:19-31).

Second, millennials are tending to define themselves by the products they buy. They have witnessed a steady stream of commercials since they were old enough to hold up their heads that have told them that their lives would be warm, happy, and … um, sexy if they would only buy … you fill in the blank: everything from shampoo to sports cars. They tend to see their stuff as extensions of who they are, ways that they define themselves. Not a problem … except that Jesus expects for our identity to be defined by HIM.

So, what do we do? How do we address this cultural trend toward consumerism that is like the air our students breath?

1. We point out the push toward consumerism. Watch commercials with students and ask them to talk about the claims made by them. When they talk about needing a new phone, or new shoes, or a new car, ask, Why? Ask students what they think drives us to always want more stuff.
2. Make the case for stewardship. I don’t mean just to get them to give a tenth to the church. I mean, ask them to think about why God has blessed them with so much…and what they think is required of them since He did.
3. Give students real experiences to invest in people from poor cultures. It is amazing how much students are willing to give away when they see the need in front of them.
4. Teach students to practice contentment. Every ad they see is designed to get them to be discontent, to want something. Teach them to say, “You know, I have everything I need. There is nothing I need and nothing I really want.” OK, maybe that’s a stretch, but we should at least help students to question their own constant desire for more.

via www.smallyouthgroup.com

learning my lines. . .: Crossing The Line With Ellen Degeneres. . . .

To be honest, you feel like a killjoy when you start to question stuff like this. But we still need to stand back and ask the hard questions. Did Ellen cross a line? Did the parents cross a line? Do we cross a line when we ignore what's really going on to enjoy the cuteness of a couple of little kids, justifying it all by saying, "Come on, they're only little kids"? Do we allow our emotions to trump responsible thinking and critique? I'm afraid we're losing our ability to think critically and Christianly about all of life, a reality which requires us to recapture and relearn skills that evidence discipleship of the mind.

I took some time to think more intentionally about this whole thing. I wrote up a 2-page 3(D) review of these videos of Sophia Grace with Nicki Minaj for our latest edition of ENGAGE. You can download the pdf of my review here. Use it to provoke your own thought. If you're a parent, talk about it with your kids. If you're a youth worker, spend an entire evening looking at, talking about, and thinking through the video clips.

After you read it, I want to know. . . Am I over-reacting? Should we be concerned? Is this evidence of deeper issues in our culture? If so, what are those issues? What do you think?

via learningmylines.blogspot.com

http://www.epicparent.tv/10-things-your-father-never-said/

http://www.epicparent.tv/10-things-your-father-never-said/

used him to impact me and Team Sprad.

So John has written a book called “Wild At Heart”, and in this book he uses the term “Father Wound.”

This is a wound that so many fathers inflict upon their kids.  This wound can come from neglect, absence, abuse, control, lack of blessing and lack of affirmation.

As your reading this, some of you are standing up on the chair screaming…yeah, that’s me!  My dad was never around, he loved worked more than me, he never told me he loved me and my dad abused me!!

We all have our father wounds because of what our dad’s did to us or said, but I also believe that we have father wounds because of what our dad’s never said.

10 Things Our Dad’s Never Said…

• “I really blew it!  Will you forgive me for beating/disciplining you out of anger”
• “I want you to know that you are a gift from God and I am so blessed to be your father”
• “Here’s how you budget your money, balance a checkbook and save for retirement”
• “That girl your about to take out on a date…remember that she is God’s daughter”
• “Here is what God’s word says about how to be a man of character and integrity”
• “God has a plan for your life and he has given you gifts that He will use to change the world”
• “While you are at school today I want you to know that I will be praying for you”
  
• “When your fighting with your mom…just remember that I am on her side”
• ” I give you permission to let me know when I am scaring you”
• “I trust you to make the right decision”