the Monday Morning Debrief: Team Mentality
Being apart of any church or ministry automatically puts you on a team. You are a team member working together with other team members to obtain a goal. At New Life and the nZone, our goal is to help people discover God. All of us are striving to reach that goal. Sometimes it works in perfect symmetry where everything falls right into place and everyone is happy as the stars align just right.
But sometimes, there are challenges. Sometimes there are conflicting interests and although both team members are striving for the same goal, conflict on how to do that best and with what resources. That is where sacrifice comes in; sacrifice for the greater good. For example, that means that sometimes, you might have to move out of your "youth group room" so that another team member could use it for a special event they are doing. That might mean that you have to change your schedule to accommodate another team member and their schedule. That could mean countless other things. But what I'm trying to get to is that when you chose to work on a team working in a unified vision, conflict and challenges will arise. It is how you address those challenges and adapt that will keep your vision and goals lined up just right.
Just last week, our student ministry had to adapt for the greater good of our church mission. It was a challenge and honestly a little frustrating at times. But, our church's mission is to help people discover God and the other event happening had a unique opportunity to help people discover God so the student ministry adapted. Our volunteer leaders were great as they rallied around our ultimate mission and pulled off a great night for our students. We made a lot of changes that night, but NO student knew any different. And, truthfully, we discovered something that night that I think will be very beneficial to the health and growth of our youth program. All in all, it was a huge win for the other team member on Staff and for our student ministry.
So what about you? What kind of mentality do you have in your ministry? Are you a team member working towards the unified goal that everyone else is striving for or are you Han Solo working for your own benefit only? I believe when we have the team mentality and work together in unison for the ultimate good of our church or ministry's mission, great things will happen and a unity will develop that will bond you all together for Kingdom work.
Thoughts? Experiences? Post a comment so that we can all benefit and learn from each other.
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the BLACKBOARD: best lock-in ideas
Yesterday some local para-church and church leaders got together to process and brainstorm about possibly doing a lock-in outreach opportunity at the nZone (the building our Church, New Life Christian Church owns). It was a great time as we got to really throw out some good ideas and think through how we could make it work logistically. In some ways, as a late 30s something guy, I feel like I must be insane (like this cartoon fella) to try to stay up all night with energetic teens. But in a lot of other ways, I feel like with a building like the nZone and all the youth ministry connections, why not do some big Kingdom work and have a kick-butt night in order for students around the area to hear about Christ for what could be the 1st time ever.
So, as we talked and discussed, it made me to wonder, what are the best lock-in ideas you have done in the past. What were...
- the best ideas you have had and done for a lock-in.
- ways that you kept the night "fresh"
- and for fun...your worst idea that totally bombed.
TAKE A MINUTE and post a comment, experience or idea that bombed so that we can all learn and benefit from each other.
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the BLACKBOARD: Some of the best contact work I’ve ever done
I know I've written about it before and I'm pretty adament about it, but last week I volunteered at my daughters school and literally, it was some of the best contact work I've ever done. Here's why...
- I got to see my girls. Seeing your children in a different environment and setting is always enlightening because you get to see them interact with their friends and teachers in a way unlike any other time. School is THEIR territory, not mine so seeing them in their own environment was great.
- I ran into several students from the neighborhood that I know and they got to see a father (not a mother - mothers are always in the school helping) as a positive contributor to the school. So many fathers are busy at work and don't have the flexibility in their schedules like ministers do. Mothers are in the schools regularly so having a father in their contributing and involved is always nice. And, just like seeing my own children, I get to see neighborhood kids in a different environment and see how they act at school.
- I had good conversations with teachers and other administrators. This wasn't my 1st time volunteering and it certainly won't be my last so going to school I got to connect with other teachers (all who know what I do for a living) and administrators and catch up on them and their families. Developing those stronger bonds is always good in breaking down barriers between what they may think about ministers and churches. The more I interact and get to know them, the more likely they will think of me and my church if/when something hurtful or tragic happens at the school or in their lives.
- I saw other parents from around the neighborhood and got to talk to them. As parents came in to volunteer and eat lunch with their own children, I got to say, "hi" and talk to them about life in general. Simple conversations over and over again go a long way.
My hope is that times like these are not "wasted" time as I have "real" work to do in my office or out with teens. Rather, it all fits into my plan to minister to families, especially families within my neighborhood which is about 5-7 minutes away from the Church. As I did contact work with multiple groups of people, the more interaction I get with them, the more I earn the right to be heard by them. And, the more I earn their trust and confidence as they begin to share and trust me with their lives.
Contact work is contact work as long as you continue to build new relationships, develop the relationships you currently have and continually earn the right to be heard with them all. I can't wait to see how all these relationships I am developing with elementary school aged children now help the growth of my "ministry" when they get into middle school and high school.
So what do you think? What has been some of your best contact work experience? TAKE A MINUTE right now and post your best contact work you have ever done and why so that we can all learn and benefit.
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Orange Week: Best Breakout Session from OC ’12
With Orange '13 just right around the corner (seriously, April comes up quick and registration begins very soon), I'm participating with other bloggers this week in Orange Week...highlighting some of the key connections, speakers and workshops from Orange '12. So this week I'm going to be sharing some of my great moments from last years Orange Conference and invite you to share yours as well.
My favorite, best breakout that I went to last year had to be the how to "Intentionally Connect to your community through Sports". It was led by Caz McCaslin, founder of Upward Sports. Right before Orange '12, Upward and Orange announced a partnership with each other and I was really excited for a number of reasons. But the number one reason I was excited was because my church, New Life Christian Church, built our building, the nZone, as a way to have sports and recreation minister to the community. So I couldn't wait to hear from Caz as he talked about sports and ministry.
Here are some of the things Caz said that really enlightened me:
- Churches have to find common ground with people and sports is a great common ground for people to connect
- The world is telling us that they love sports and recreation. The church needs to listen to that and be intentional about finding ways to get people to participate in these kinds of activities.
- People aren’t looking for a friendly church…they’re looking for friends.
To read more about what Caz had to say last year, check out my notes here.
This was just one of the many great breakout sessions that Orange offers EVERY year! You don't want to miss out on what Orange '13 is going to have in store for all of us! Registrations open Sept. 27th!
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Living in the Community
The other day I left work and I took my 4 girls to our community pool. The intent was to go there and enjoy some time with the girls on a late afternoon. However, what it turned into was a great ministry opportunity as I saw a number of the teens in my youth program and their parents. What I thought was going to be a low key afternoon turned out to be a great connect for me. And I believe that I would never have had that experience had we not live in a community about 7 minutes from my workplace (church).
Living in a community close to the church you minister at is invaluable.
For me that means I have a great opportunity to interact with lots of teens and parents that has either heard about New Life or seen a mailing we have done or even been to New Life a time or two. Every time I step out the door and go grocery shopping, out to dinner, to the pool or even to Starbucks I have a tremendous opportunity to engage my community and hopefully help plug them into our church. The closeness my community is to New Life has turned out to be an awesome ministry opportunity for me.
Now I know I can do ministry in any neighborhood that I live in, but I believe that the closer you live to your church, the better chance you have at families you meet being able to start attending your church (if they aren't currently going to one). It just eliminates the "I wish your church was closer" excuse.
So what do you think? Do you live in a community close to your church or are you further away? What are the pros and cons of living in that community? TAKE A MINUTE and share your thoughts or experiences.
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the Monday Morning Debrief: reflecting on the fruit
This past weekend I had the tremendous honor and priviledge to perform a wedding for some former students of mine. It was great to be there and marry this couple I have known for about 10 years (they were not a couple for that long, but I met them both individually about 10 years ag0). Furthermore, it was great to celebrate with so many old friends and families. Overall, it was the highlight of my spring being apart of this amazing wedding.
How does this apply to ministry?
Do you ever sit back and reflect on the fruit of your labor? This isn't meant to be in a boastful, prideful way of "look what I've done". But it is a way to look at say, "look what God has done".
In ministry it can be so easy to look at all you aren't doing and all you should be doing and forget about all that God has done. This summer I will have performed 5 weddings. Of those 5, 4 are from former students who I have connected with. To be asked to perform weddings for former students is such an honor for me. In many ways it shows me that God allowed me to make an impact in their lives for the kingdom of Heaven. What a great honor.
So right now, TAKE A MINUTE and just reflect on the fruits of your labor. What has God done in your ministry? My mentor once told me that he tells volunteer leaders when they leave ministry that if they impacted just 1 life, they have made a difference. In the same way, I tell you, no matter how many or how few people you have impacted, if you have impacted just 1 person, you have made a difference.
Thoughts, comments, questions, suggestions? Post something so that we can all learn from each other and benefit.
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the BLACKBOARD: Making an impact in the Community
Last weekend, the nZone (owned by New Life Christian Church where I work) had it's grand opening. This was a video piece done by one of the local online newspapers. God is doing a mighty work at New Life through the nZone and it's a blessing to be apart of it.
My question is, what are you and your ministry doing for/in the community? What new idea(s) are you trying to reach people for the Lord? You don't have to build an nZone or multipurpose facility to do that. But Christ calls us in Matthew 28:19-20 to go and make disciples.
So what are you doing to fulfill that call? TAKE A MINUTE right now and post your thoughts and experiences so that we can be encouraging others in reaching others for Christ.
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Tom’s Twitter Updates
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- A #stumin stat, quote to reflect on and 6 blogs that you may have missed this past week http://t.co/OJdtZCdgNG #thinkorange3 hours ago
- @SAHolcomb @daily_bailey13 @MegHarmon7 have a great night tonight!!6 hours ago
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