Category Archives: Personal Leadership

Conference, Discipleship, Heroes, Leadership, Leadership Axioms, Ministry, Personal Leadership, Preaching

Catalyst Dallas Highlights

I had a full weekend.

I had the opportunity to attend both The Catalyst Conference in Dallas with some of my team and than a Men’s Conference with some great dudes from our church. I am exhausted, inspired, spent, fired up, sleepy, and wide-awake. Many of you in ministry and leadership know exactly the kind of tension I am feeling right now. These events are often like trying drink from a firehose. With so much information and inspiration coming at you you grab what you can, take some notes, sing loud and proud, and then find some time over the next few days to ruminate on and incorporate what you’ve learned into your real world.

The theme of Catalyst this year was A Community of Change Makers. I attend the Atlanta event back in October and was excited to take a handful of our ministry leaders to the event at Gateway Church here in the metroplex. The major emphasis from every speaker was that to truly lead others effectively, a leader must lead him or herself first.

Here is a fundamental truth that is so important for us to learn and live out:

Who we are as leaders is more important that what we do.

For today, I just want to share a few of my favorite quotes from the weekend – with a couple of Don Miller & Bob Goff quotes from the Men’s Conference. I hope that these thoughts give you some motivation for your week ahead. Be sure to comment on the exit question at the bottom.

Whatever you have to do today, Love. Everybody. Always.

Andy Stanley

  • 2 questions every leader must ask: 1) Who am I? 2) What breaks my heart?
  • Great leaders make things better for their people.
  • You have no idea what hangs in the balance of your decision to embrace the burden God has put in your heart.
  • Many years from now, what would you like people to line up to thank you for?

Lisa TerKeurst

  • External Change requires Internal Shifts.
  • The 1st Five – give the first five minutes of your day to the Lord.
  • God is good and God is good at being God.

Dr Caroline Leaf

  • Your brain is nothing compared to your mind.
  • Change you mind and you can change your brain.
  • You can listen to God or Google and Gossip. (Non-toxic thoughts vs. Toxic Thoughts)

Eugene Cho

  • God doesn’t want to change the world. He wants to change us.
  • Act upon the thing that God puts on your hearts.
  • Don’t be more in love with the IDEA of change. Actually Change.
  • Don’t quit. Persevere. (Note: Apparently Cho had been ill and traveled from Seattle to Dallas. He had to stop part way through to take a breath and recover.)

Robert Morris

  • We may be born selfish but we are re-born generous.
  • Do not GIVE in order to GET. Wrong motivation.
  • Mammon promises us things only God can give. Life. Peace. Joy.
  • People don’t need money. They need God.
  • Abel gave of his first fruits. Cain gave what he wanted, when he wanted, in the way he wanted.
  • We are the most like God when we GIVE.

Robert Madu

  • When you encounter Jesus you always walk away with more than you expected.
  • Fatherhood is the best ‘hood.
  • There is a vast difference between knowing Church and knowing Jesus.
  • Jesus wasn’t just a good man but a God-Man.
  • When someone is lowered through the roof… you should probably shut that sermon down.
  • When your EXPERIENCE doesn’t line up with your EXPECTATIONS God is probably giving you a REVELATION. Pay attention to what he is telling you.

Danielle Strickland (The Highlight of Catalyst for me)

  • Everyone wants to change the world. Not everyone is willing to get up (early) to do it.
  • You know which surfer catches the wave? The one in the water.
  • Posture yourself/Posture your life in such a way that when the wave comes, you can catch it.

Rich Wilkenson Jr

  • God hasn’t called us to hard things. God has called us to do IMPOSSIBLE things.
  • Don’t let your past failures or your fear of future failures keep you from following where Jesus is calling you.
  • Don’t take a fragment of failure with you to the next place.
  • Criticism can get on you but don’t let it get IN YOU.

Bob Goff

  • You are not defined by your worst day or your greatest success. You are defined by LOVE.
  • When we live under the banner of Christ it doesn’t just change some things, it changes EVERYTHING.
  • I’m just trying to be the next humblest version of myself.
  • Love. Everybody. Always.
  • People turn into who others say they are.
  • You get the green lights you get.
  • God wants us to live right on the edge of YIKES.
  • It’s not about MANNING UP. It’s about SHOWING UP!

Don Miller

  • Tie your dreams with the dreams of others. Good stories involve other people.
  • Think of Joker’s face and Vader’s limbs. They didn’t do the hard work needed to bring about real healing.
  • We are in the middle of Act II. It’s difficult. There is no resolution. In the midst of conflict.
  • Look at the people God calls into LEADERSHIP. You have not done worse than them.
  • Heroes are in it for the sake of others.

Exit Question:

What is the most important leadership lesson you are currently try to live out in your leadership context?

Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry, Mission, Personal Leadership

The Fifteenth Year

15 years ago I had just returned from a semester overseas studying abroad in Athens, Greece. My small Christian college seemed even smaller after exploring the world but I was ready to get back to classes and earn my degree in Youth and Family Ministry.

That’s when I got the call.

A graduate student had recommended me to a small church just outside of Little Rock to serve as their part-time youth minister. He told me about the church and all that the job entailed. I would teach classes on Sunday, Sunday Night, and Wednesday night. I would also occasionally lead singing and participate in the life of the church.

He said that the job was mine if I wanted it.

I said, “Yes!”

With that invitation and with my agreement to work and serve that little church, I officially began as a full-time minister following God’s calling in my life.

So much has happened over the last 15 years. 

We have moved from AR to AL and back to TX. I have taught hundreds of classes, led thousands of songs, read countless commentaries, and attended numerous conferences. I’ve held new born babies, prayed over men and women going into surgery, spent late nights in the ER, and stood by those who have lost loved ones. I’ve welcomed new families in the church and said goodbye to others. I’ve been to the mountain top and I’ve trudged through the dark valleys. I have seen God work wonders and I have seen Him transform myself and those around me.

My focus for this year is Fitness.

I want to be Spiritually Fit.

I want to be Physically Fit.

I want to be Emotionally Fit.

I want to be Intellectually Fit.

As I think about what it means to be fit in ministry and in life I remember the challenge Paul shares with the church on Corinth:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24–27)

Over the last few weeks I have been praying over and planning some pretty ambitious goals for this year. I feel God is calling me to abandon the average life and ministry in order to go deeper into His Story and His Kingdom. No one stumbles into fitness. No one wanders around the track and crosses the finish line. To run the race and finish well takes training, focus, passion, and faith in the One who provides the strength needed to endure.

I live a great life.

I get to live out my calling doing the thing that I love with people that I love for a Savior that I love.

As I begin my 15th year in full-time ministry I have never been more excited about what God may have in store. I’m ready to dig deeper, reach higher, abandon average, and run the race full out.

Here’s to the start of another 15 years in ministry.

 

Collecting Experiences, Experience, Faith in Action, Personal Leadership, Pope Bono

Dream Out Loud for 2013

In the final moments of 1989, U2 played a handful of shows at the Point Depot in their hometown, Dublin. The concerts brought their Love Comes to Town tour to a close and marked the end of what had been a phenomenal and meteoric rise to becoming the World’s Biggest Rock Band.

dublin1989xl5

Two years earlier, the band released The Joshua Tree. This seminal album contains the hits Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You, and I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. These four boyhood friends from Ireland had officially made it. The album went on to win Album of the Year and the band became a household name. Next they made a movie and released the follow-up/extension album Rattle and Hum. They had rode a fast and high wave to superstardom and in the final days of the decade many, including the members of U2 themselves, wondered what was next.

As the clock counted down the last remaining seconds of the decade, the band started playing the opening chords to Streets and then as the clock struck midnight, Auld Lang Syne kicked off a pretty boisterous and incredible live show that was broadcast on the radio all over the world.

Sometime during the night Bono, the lead singer of the band, address the crowd saying, “This is just the end of something for U2. And that’s what we’re playing these concerts — and we’re throwing a party for ourselves and you. It’s no big deal, it’s just — we have to go away and … and dream it all up again.”

Of course, everyone wondered if the band was breaking up. They weren’t.

Bono has a flair for the dramatic but he and his bandmates were at a crossroad. They had experienced tremendous success as a result of their very hard work and effort for many years. Here they were at the top of the game and faced with a new year and a new decade they had to wrestle with what to do.

Today, is January 1, 2013.

What I love about the beginning of the New Year is that we all get the opportunity to “dream it all up again.”

You may have experienced your greatest success last year. However, what got you here may not be enough to duplicate that success in 2013.

Conversely, 2012 may have been devastating for you. It might have been so bad that you were actually looking forward to the Mayan apocalypse. The great news is that today is a new day. Today is a new year.

U2 did go away for a while. In fact, the start of the new decade actually was an extremely difficult time for the band personally and professionally. The process that they endured as they dreamed it all over again was rough but it was not a wasted effort.

In 1991, U2 released the album Achtung Baby complete with a brand new sound and look. They had dreamed big and it paid off. Achtung Baby also won the Album of the Year and for some, it is an even greater album than The Joshua Tree.

So, what are you going to do today?

I would suggest that you do reminisce about the year that has just past. Give Thanks where Thanks is due. Address mistakes and work to strengthen relationships with those closest to you.

And after that… dream it all up again.

All is quiet on this New Year’s Day. Don’t let the sun set on January 1st without making some concrete decisions to do things differently this year. Don’t rely on your past successes and never allow past mistakes to crush you completely.

My prayer for you is that God will pour out every grace and mercy he has on you so that 2013 might be your greatest year ever. As you dream about what may happen this year and what you may do, allow God to give you His agenda for your life. He is the one who wired us to dream and He is the one who gives us the strength to move.

I’ll leave you with some more of Bono’s words from that first day in January, 23 years ago.

“Forget about the past. We’re gonna celebrate the future. Seeing as it’s New Year’s Day you probably expect me to get all sentimental, yeah? Well, you’re exactly right. The only limitation are the limits of our imagination. Dream up the kind of world you want to live in. Dream out loud at high volume. That’s what we do for a living.”

Happy New Year everyone! Dream out loud today. And tomorrow. And the day after that.

Get Back, Leadership, Ministry, Mission, Personal Leadership, Resources, Self-Leadership, Theology

Get Back 5- Life-Long Learning

I have a passion for learning. One of my core values is that Leaders are Learners and so I make sure that my daily actions are in line with this belief. Learning is a discipline and is strengthened through daily exercise.

We live in an day and age where each day offers you a new opportunity to grow in your calling. You can read a book, attend a conference, Skype with a mentor, or listen to a podcast. The possibilities are endless. All you have to do is make the choice to develop yourself, create a plan and stick with it.

My go-to form of development is Reading. Some may look at reading as merely a hobby. However, the truth is that while I love reading it is much more than a hobby for me. It is a necessity.

If I want to learn… I read.
If I need inspiration… I read.
If I need to understand the complexities of life… I read.
If I am hungry… I eat. (As amazing as reading is it can’t do everything.)

This year, I will read somewhere around 50 books.

I’m not chasing a number. I’m chasing wisdom.
I’m not after a trophy. I’m after knowledge.

Reading is essential for growth, development, inspiration, and focus. It is true in my life and it should be true in yours. As I’ve said before, you may believe that you do not have the time to read but the truth is you don’t time NOT to read. It is that important to your development as a leader. Growing organizations are led by growing leaders. If you aren’t growing… you’re dying.

I have had friends ask me how I read so much. Today’s post will give you a little insight into how I make the most of life-long learning through my reading.

I want share with you 3 simple ways to help you make reading an essential part of your life…

1) Choose the RIGHT BOOKS to read
There will be over 1 million new books published this year. You can’t possibly begin to try and read everything so the first step in making reading a essential part of your life is to read only the books that will have a direct impact on your leadership. I look for books in 3 categories:

a) Theology
As a pastor, I read books on theology in order to help me better understand God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Primarily this understanding comes directly through the Bible, God’s Word. I also read theologians like NT Wright, Walter Brueggemann, Miroslav Wolf, and Timothy Keller. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimension.” I want my mind stretched by the things of God so that I will be forever changed.

b) Philosophy
I read theology so that I can understand God. I read philosophy so I can understand man. I may read a book on Psychology and then read a biography/autobiography. I might read up on a particular time in history and then I might follow that up with reading a work of literature. Reading philosophy isn’t about reading Freud or Socrates. The whole point of reading books in this category is to understand how others think and what they believe about life and how it should be lived. Reading about competing world views and philosophies doesn’t make them all equal and valid. Understanding them though will aid in helping to connect them to Jesus Christ and his will for their lives.

c) Best Practices
Best Practices are the types of books that will help me in a practical areas of life and ministry. Books on leadership, small groups, marriage, and administration help me gain insight and develop skills that I need to succeed. I am currently in a season where I am devouring everything I can on communication so that I can develop my teaching and speaking skills.

Exit Question: What are the categories of books you need to read in order to grow and develop your area of leadership? Choose 3 categories right now.

2) Take NOTES on what you read
If you want to get the most from your reading you must take notes on what you are learning. I have two ways that I take notes on what I’m reading. First, I never go anywhere without my Rickshaw Moleskine Folio. When I’m reading I try and distill any thoughts or ideas down to one sentance. I also write out any quotes that strike me as important. I primarily use my moleskin to take notes if I am reading from my Kindle. If I have a physical copy of the book I write my notes inside the front cover and the quotes on the inside of the back cover. Find a way to take notes that matches your personality and learning style.

photo
(This a picture of my Rickshaw Moleskine Folio. I actually own more than one of these. The folio allows me to carry my notes, pens, and anything else I might need when I’m reading and writing. You can see the reflection of my Starbucks Gold Card there in the front. I love this product.)

3) TELL someone what you are reading
Telling someone about what you are reading will do 2 things for you. First, you will begin to understand and clarify for yourself what you’re learning. Teaching others is a great way to learn. Second, you will find that as you share with others your excitement and confidence will grow. You will begin to feel and see the fruit of all your hard work. This will in turn encourage you to keep reading. You will see, feel, and know that your learning is having a tangible impact on you and those around you!

When leaders stop learning they ultimately stop leading. Don’t let this be true of your life. Right now commit to growing in your leadership through reading. Over the weekend, choose a book that will help you in your calling, decide on a method for keeping track on what you’re learning, and tell a close friend about the book you’ve chosen. Then…

Get reading so you can get leading!

Family Ministry, Get Back, My Life, My Wife Rules, Parenthood, Parenting, Personal Leadership, Self-Leadership

Get Back Day 1- Family

I love my family and I do everything possible to make sure that they know that they are my number one priority. However, it isn’t always easy. Often times I feel caught in the middle between family and ministry.

Family

There is a pull to spend all my focus and all my time on my ministry but if I do that I will lose my family. One of my core values is that I refuse to sacrifice my family on the alter of ministry. I will not let that happen. I know I cannot focus exclusively on my ministry.

There is a pull in the opposite direction to spend all my time and focus on my family. However, if I do that I will struggle to live out  my calling to lead others into a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ.

There is a lot of tension between my family and my ministry. One thing I understand completely: I am called to lead a local congregation but I’m commanded to lead my family. The tension comes from my desire to do both equally well without sacrificing .

I’m sure you feel this tension as well. Our default reaction is to work feverishly in order to release or erase tension from our lives. I spent many years trying to resolve this type of tension yet I found myself super busy with little to show for my effort. I was meeting the unique needs of each part of my life poorly.

A few years ago I was challenged to manage the tension rather than resolve it. This mindset has made all the difference for us.

The tension between family and ministry or family and work will always, always, always be there. You can’t get around it. So you must learn how to work within the tension and allow both areas to co-exists and even strengthen one another.

Over the years, my wife and I have learned to consistently practiced 5 habits that help us manage the tension between family and ministry.

5 Ways We Manage the Tension

1) Communication
Communication is the foundation of every good relationship and it is essential for managing the tensions in your life. Specifically we seek to communicate the expectations we have for one another and what we need from each other in any given situation. For example, Sandy will tell me that she needs me to be home on Thursday night of next week so that she can be at a ladies event. I’ll then move my schedule- maybe I’ll schedule a meeting over coffee that morning or during lunch so that I am available when she needs me to be. Sandy knows that on Saturday nights I spend a few hours in preparation for Sunday. She understands this need and works her Saturday family plans around this. Bonus: If you add Flexibility to Communication, everybody wins.

2) Schedule
Sandy and I regularly talk about what is on our calendar. At least twice a week we connect with the upcoming calendar (usually we talk about the next 2 weeks). This helps us be intentional about our schedules and it helps us avoid scheduling conflicts. Before I plan anything big on my ministry calendar, I run it by Sandy. I’m not looking for permission but I want to include her in on any scheduling issues to make sure that she is available, aware, and a part of the conversation. This one thing has made a huge difference in our relationship.

3) Date Night
The ideal for us is to have a date night once a week. Having an infant definitely throws a wrench in the gears of that ideal. However, we have found that the real power behind having a regular date night lies with the mindset. Dating your spouse is very much a state of mind. While we can’t go out each week, we can make spending quality time with one another a reality. The couch in our living room can transform into an IMAX movie experience when we make time to watch a movie together. Our couch can also change into a quiet coffee shop as we sit and talk about how our day went and what are our future dreams and plans are. Dates don’t always have to take place “offsite” so make time today for your next date night.

4) Family Night
Right now, Tuesday night is Felker Family Fun Night. I put a hedge around Tuesday nights because I know that we are going out as a family. We typically load the kids up and head out to dinner. One of our favorite restaurants runs a family special on Tuesdays– 2 kids eat free with 1 adult purchase. (How cool is that!?!?!) After dinner we typically enjoy an evening activity. We walk around the mall, we visit the free zoo (pet store), we visit the free amusement park (the playground at church), play at the free waterpark (splash pad)- Are you picking up on a theme here? Family night is my favorite night of the week! Look around your town and see what kind of deals are in your area. Pick a night of the week and protect it from all other events. You will love it and your family will thank you.

5) Do ministry as a family
This will look differently for everyone but we decided years ago to make sure to do ministry together. When someone needs a meal delivered, we load up the car and deliver it as a family. Sometimes we invite a few families over to our home for dinner and fellowship. My hope is that over time my kids will be able to join us in ministry as well. Sandy truly is my ministry partner. I have been blessed beyond my wildest imagination.

My prayer for you is that you will learn to manage the tensions in your life. When you do, you will find freedom and life. Use your creativity and imagination to work within the tension rather than expending your time and energy trying to resolve a problem that won’t go away.

Question: How do you manage the tensions between Family and Work? (Leave your thoughts and ideas in the comment section)

Collecting Experiences, Experience, Get Back, Personal Leadership

Get Back

In the spring of 2004, I signed up for a free account with Blogger and began my blogging journey. I have always had a burning desire to be a writer and blogging gave me an outlet and a platform to share my thoughts, ideas, and passions. I instantly fell in love with writing posts, sharing my thoughts, and engaging with others in the blogging community. I was able to connect with music writers, ministry leaders, friends, and thought-makers. I blogged about 2 years using that free account before I graduated to this self-hosted site at MichealFelker.com. This site gave me the freedom to make my blog exactly what I wanted it to be. Again, I fell in love with posting my thoughts and ideas and linking to articles and starting conversations and relationships.

Most of all I loved writing. Every day.

I developed a rhythm and a voice. I learned about myself, ministry, and developing/creating content.

Fast forward 5 years. Then my son was born. Then our family suffered through a miscarriage. Then our church entered into a season of transition. Then I transitioned from youth ministry to the role of lead minister.

Life got busy. Things changed. Schedules got shuffled. Making time to write and to develop my writing became harder and harder.

Reality is, I’ve been able to spend the last few years living life. And in my opinion, I live a great life.

I have a smokin’ hot wife who loves me unconditionally and supports me completely.
My son is pretty much the greatest kid on the planet.
I have a brand spanking new daughter who is beautiful.
I love my church and I absolutely love what I do.
I have a group of awesome friends.
Every day I’m given unlimited opportunities to succeed.

Life is good.

However, I miss writing and posting articles on my blog each day. There have been fits and starts over the last year or so, but nowhere near the consistency of the past or the vision I have for my writing life.

This summer, I am preaching a series based on the Book of Ephesians called Get Back. I’ve decided that it’s time to Get Back to blogging.

Over the course of the next 40 days my goal is to post 40 articles based on my favorite people, places, and things in an effort to be re-inspired and to get back in the groove of posting again on a daily basis.

Over the 40 days (Mon-Fri), I want to write about my life, my passions, my hopes, my dreams, and my core values.

I’m ready to get back to writing.
I’m ready to get back to sharing.
I’m ready to get back to Kicking at the Darkness.

I Love My Church, Leadership, Ministry, Personal Leadership, Resources

What’s Your Rhythm?

In 2012, I made it a goal to communicate with my leadership team more consistently each week. One way that I have tried to accomplish this is through a weekly leadership email that I send out to the ministry staff, deacons, and shepherds. This month’s theme has been focused on Rhythm. It is my hope that this short message will be meaningful to you and your situation and that you may be encouraged. Enjoy.

The rhythms in our lives can strengthen us personally, professionally and spiritually.

The problem is that we struggle to balance the different rhythms that we are moving in. We must learn to live and work at a rhythm that is sustainable and life-giving. You don’t just stumble into this type of rhythm. Living life at the right pace takes intentional action and relentless focus. It is tough work but the pay off is incredible.

No doubt, two things happened this week that impacted your normal rhythm or routine- Daylight Savings Time and Spring Break.

With DST, the upside is that the sun is still out after dinner giving you and your family a few extra hours to bond, play, and spend time together. No complaining there! The downside, for me at least, is that I have really struggled to get going each morning because it is still dark at 7am.

While I am not a morning person, I have found that one of my rhythms is that I am more productive in the hours leading up to lunch time. I do my best administrative work and my best studying before noon. If I don’t get cracking first thing in the morning, I feel like my back gets put up against a wall. Struggling through the first two hours of the day this week has thrown me off my game a bit. Since I know that my sweet spot to be at my most productive is before lunch than I must fight to keep this rhythm going. That means choosing to go to bed a little earlier, laying out the night before everything I need for the next day, and dedicating those first few hours to getting things done. It has definitely not been easy this week to keep my rhythm going.

For some of you, your routine has been impacted this week because of the rhythm of the school year. That’s not always a bad thing. Weeks like Spring Break can provide an opportunity for us to unplug from our normal routine and reevaluate where our time is being spent, where we need a more sustainable rhythm, and can give us the energy to make the changes needed to start a brand new rhythm.

Next week, we will look at the elements that will make up a life-giving and sustainable life rhythm. Until then, here are some things to think through this week:

1) What does your normal day look like? Try and sketch out an hour by hour look at your day.

2) How much of you time is spent and work and at home? Do you have time built in for reflecting on your day? Do you have time set aside where you can plan the next day?

3) Is there any non-essential thing you are doing right now, that if you STOPPED doing it, would give you more time to accomplish the things you really need to do? How can you begin to move that task to your TO (NOT) DO list?

Best of..., Book Review, iBoard, Leadership, Mission, Personal Leadership, Planning

Steve Martin and Ministry

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If you get the chance, I would encourage you to read through Steve Martin’s brilliant memoir about his stand-up career, Born Standing Up. I read it few years ago but have been reflecting back on it over the last few days.

Steve Martin is a member of my iBoard. My iBoard is an imaginary board of directors made up of men and women that I regard as leaders and visionaries in their respective fields whom I believe that I can learn from. My iBoard members represent people in the fields of leadership, ministry, theology, music, comedy, and philosophy.

I decided to read Martin’s memoir for a little more insight into the creative process and I wanted to understand how someone goes about crafting and then honing their skills until they are just right. I also knew that after 18 years (”Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four were spent in wild success.”) Martin walked away from stand-up comedy forever.

I know plenty of pastors and volunteers who have experienced the same ebb and flow that I know Martin experienced. As a pastor I wanted to know if Martin chose to walk away because he felt burned out from his years in front of live audiences or if, like Seinfeld, he chose to exit while at the peak of success rather than slinking away in mediocrity.

As someone who spends a great deal of time standing before people delivering a message each week I can tell you that I have learned just as much watching stand-up comedians as I have watching people preach. I have learned more about timing, delivery, surprises, storytelling, and audience interaction by watching Steve Martin and Conan O’Brien than I ever have in a formal preaching class.

As I read the introduction I found proof that comedy and preaching go hand in hand despite what I was taught. I am quoting below but I exchanged the words comedy and stand-up for words that I deal with every week. See if you can relate.

My most persistent memory of (preaching) is of my mouth being in the present and my mind being in the future: the mouth speaking the line, the body delivering the gesture, while the mind looks back, observing, analyzing, judging, worrying, and then deciding when and what to say next. Enjoyment while (preaching) was rare – enjoyment would have been an indulgent loss of focus that (preaching) cannot afford. After the (sermon), however, I experienced long hours of elation of misery depending on how the show went, because (preaching) alone onstage is the ego’s last stand.

(Preaching) is seldom preformed in ideal circumstances. (Preaching’s) enemy is distraction, and rarely do (preachers) get a pristine performing environment. I worried about the sound system, ambient noise, hecklers, lighting, sudden clangs, latecomers, and not to mention the nagging concern “Is this (reaching people)?”

I too go through this same range of emotions and questions when I speak in front of any audience. As a campus minister I had to speak in front of a crowd of 600 high school and middle schoolers each day. I would have to be speaking, thinking about what I said, what I was going to say, judging reactions, judging content, analyzing the audience, worrying about this or that, monitoring time, and editing. Thankfully breathing and my heart work involuntary! Today whether I’m speaking in front of groups of 25 or 300, 20 leaders or the entire congregation the same thoughts and feelings surge through me. I am still working on my skills.

Born Standing Up was a great read. Do not be fooled, as affable and unflappable as Steve Martin might seem his struggles of self-doubt and self-worth can be shared by anyone who stands before an audience with a message. Martin is an extremely hard worker with a desire to better himself and his craft.

Martin has given me the understanding that in order to go as far as you want to go, you need a little self-realization, much discipline, and a whole lot of tenacity and courage.

Born Standing Up

Best Practices, Personal Leadership, Resources, Self-Leadership

Clean Out

I’m spending a little time on the Black Friday to clean up and clear out my office up at the church building. The space where I work is often (most often) cluttered with notepads filled with ideas, post-it notes with reminders, articles I haven’t read yet, forms I have to filled out, catalogs, cups, pens, and other miscellaneous office-like things.

One of my favorite ministry management books is Youth Ministry Management Tools by Olsen, Elliot, and Work. I have consistently  come back to this book over and over in ministry in order to draft forms or plan events. The whole first half of the book is dedicated to Getting Organized so I am cleaning out the office based on some of their suggestions and tips. Here’s what I’m doing:

1) Sort the stuff in your office
Quickly sort everything into 4 boxes
  • Stuff to FILE: Fill this box with forms, old pictures, personal notes, archives, anything “paper-ish” that you need.
  • Stuff to READ: Fill it with magazines, catalogs, brochures, fliers, event posters, conference brochures,  curriculum samples, and general ministry mail
  • Stuff to GIVE AWAY: In this box sort all your miscellaneous items, free stuff you’ll never read or use, old stufff you’ll never really need, pens, desk junk
  • Stuff to THROW AWAY: Anything you can’t put in the other 3 boxes. Ask, “Can I get this information somewhere else if I throw it away?”
2) Go through the boxes
  • FILE: label each item in the box with a Post-It note giving the name of the folder in which the item belongs. Then invite you assistant or a volunteer to file each one.
  • READ: Use Post-It Notes to identify any article you wish to save. Ask your assistant or a volunteer to rip out or photocopy necessary articles, toss the rest of the magazine, and then file the article.
  • GIVE AWAY: Give yourself 1 week to find  home for all your “good junk.” Then toss it in box 4!
  • THROW AWAY: Give it to the Trash gods ASAP!

In a little over 2 hours I was able to tame the chaos and regain control over my work space.

My next step will be to clear out and organize my file cabinet so that I can actually file the important things that I have uncovered today by cleaning my desk area. My hope to also utilize Evernote to digitally file everything where it is easily accessible and searchable.

I hope you found some of these tips helpful. Having a clean and usable work space is key to getting stuff done. We all have important work to do. Clear the clutter and get back to work! People are counting on us!

Personal Leadership, Randomness, Thanksgiving

5 Things for Thanksgiving Break

I am very much looking forward to the next 5 days celebrating and being with family and friends over the Thanksgiving break. I am excited to hang with my sister for a few days and I’m preparing to cook the world’s greatest turkey dinner for Thursday. This will be an EPIC week!

I am also excited about getting to catch up on some things that I haven’t had time for over the past few weeks. In fact I have Five Things I Want to Do Over Thanksgiving Break.

  1. Listen to the new Switchfoot Album- Switchfoot put out a brand-new album back at the end of September. September!!! It has been sitting in my iTunes since then and I haven’t listened to one track yet because I wanted to sit and listen to it all the way through. This week, I will have some time to strap on the headphones and finally listen to Vice Verses.
  2. Make a big dent in Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson- I also have yet to dive deep into the biography to end all biographies. I have read reviews, reflections, and opinions on it but I have only read a couple of chapters. This week I want to really burn through a good part of the book.
  3. Organize my Office- Actually I want to organize my office at work and clean my office at home. Loose notes,stacks of paper, and old magazines- you’re on notice.
  4. Catch up on some podcasts- I have a handful of podcasts that I haven’t gotten around to listening to. Sometimes I hate listening to them in the car because I don’t want to drive and take notes in my Moleskin. Call me crazy, but if I’m taking notes on living and leading more effectively than wrapping my car around a tree seems counter productive.
  5. Rest- Vacation is all about spending time with the ones you love and just being present. I want to spend some time just being over the next few days.

Enjoy your break and enjoy your Thanksgiving everyone!