My Blog Thoughts 2011

As the new year unwinds before us, I’ve been thinking again about the focus of my writing. I’ve had little time for it as the infrequency of my posting here in the past three months is indicative of. There are good reasons for this but still, I enjoy my time at the keyboard hopefully sharing something interesting each time I post.

After reading this fine post by Michael Hyatt of Thomas Nelson publishers I had to ask myself if this blog is as focused as I want it to be? (See number 5).  My primary foci of this blog is simply to cross the boundaries of productivity, goal-setting, and spirituality. I wanted a hybrid blog that covered the best aspects of self-development in business and ministry while maintaining a spiritual center. Before I knew it, I had another kindred spirit in this endeavor in Mike St. Pierre who writes the excellent blog “The Daily Saint”. I found Mike’s blog shortly after launching my own and realized I wasn’t alone.

So what to do? Should I focus on the secular business type stuff that appeals for both spiritual and non-spiritual people? Or should I throw in my thoughts from my study of the Holy Bible as it pertains to life for those who need the encouragement as I and many others do? A few years back, I tried to maintain two different blogs keeping most of my spiritual thoughts on one and then writing everything else here. That was too much work and it had the potential to take away from my actual work which always comes first.

If my blog report from WordPress is to be believed I am on the right track. It appears the “favorites” in my postings are the productivity style writings and I’ve not gotten any negative feedback on the spiritual stuff that I write about. For now, I guess I’ll keep doing this the way I have been. By stating my goals at the beginning of this piece, I suppose I have a pretty sharp focus on what I want to achieve.

If you have thoughts you want to share with me, I’m always open to the conversation. Let me know what you think. I want this blog to be a place where I can share great stuff from other folks while at the same time hopefully providing value in my own writing.

Happy New Year and God Bless!

Focus, Focus, Focus!

This week I’ve focused on our plans and thoughts. Each year as a new year dawns I take some time to look back at my own achievements and plans and see where I need to improve. Every year my list gets longer as God shows me more and more how to live for him. I’m not perfect and never will be, but to have a focused mindset and be successful in business, ministry, and life, you must assess yourself daily.

As I plan each day, I give God glory for giving me another day to work in His field and impact those around me for Christ. Sometimes I get to share my faith with others but many times, it’s simply living with the right mindset and trusting that God will one day open a door for me to share my own journey with an interested person. I look at my goals and choose my activities as wise as I know how trying to keep my family and work life in balance. Sometimes, this isn’t always easy but failing to plan will almost always insure that I will fail in whatever goals I wish to achieve. Throughout my days, I’m flexible and change when I have to. Sometimes a person needs me and my calendar must change. Some items, barring emergency, are non-negotiable (time with my wife/kids). Each week, I review my lists and celebrate the tasks completed. I reshedule those that didn’t and plan new ones as a new week dawns. Only God knows if I will see all seven days through so I always plan with Him in mind. This focuses my priorities and gives a third dimension to my work. Each month and year differs from the last and what remains for me is the focus I’ve given to what most important. Am I growing as a person? 1 Timothy 6:11 gives the correct focus that should guide my pursuit so I ask myself if those things are present in my life? If not, I need to add these to my goals list and find ways to add them!

What remains when we are gone is the impact you had on others. Life is but a vapor and our time here is too short to waste on negative things, thoughts, and desires. They will always creep into our minds but we must be disciplined to stay on the right path. That is why planning and preparation are so important in our daily lives. Take what time God has given you and make it count forever. You might not think your life matters in that context but it does. Why else are you here?

Have a great weekend.

Personal Growth – Month to Month

Today we continue with planning for our personal growth with the monthly plan.  If you’ve read the first part of the series and my introduction, you know that I’ve asked for you to set some goals for yourself for the coming 12 months.  We’ve discussed putting together an annual plan to give some global focus to our year.   Now, it’s time to take those goals, look at your calendar, and set up the first month of your personal growth plan.

There are several items you can consider when planning your monthly goals.  For me, I look at a few key items:

First off, I try to plan a monthly mentoring meeting.  This could be someone I know and many times, it’s someone I would like to get to know.  While being a pastor isn’t a worldly calling, there’s nothing wrong with seeking the advice of others who are seeing God bless their work.  For me, this includes business leaders as well as pastors.  I want to spend time with people who can challenge me to grow.  For some people, you have to consider calling them a month or more ahead of time.  What I like to do is identify a few folks I would like to spend time with and I simply call them and ask for a luncheon meeting.  I limit myself to one hour (less if they ask but 60 minutes seems to be ideal).  I tell them up front that I would simply like to pick their brains about some ideas in my head and offer to buy their lunch if they’ll just give me one hour of their time.  I have a space on my monthly calendars for this meeting and I simply fill in names as others accept my invitations.  I’ve even gotten creative and met with some folks through the internet using online sites like SKYPE.  If this is the case, I always send a thank you card that day with a gift card to a restaurant thanking them for their time.  Depending on your work situation, this may or may not work for you but get creative.  Who can challenge you in your life’s goals?  Who can help you past a sticky situation you are experiencing?  Take the time to plan these meetings out ahead of time and you will not be sorry.

The next thing I do each month is take time to review my previous month’s goals and objectives.  If I wanted to read 10 books, lose 5 pounds, and meet with at least two or three families in the church, then I need to review those goals and see how successful I was? Of course, I have several goals and not just those used for my example but you get the idea.  I review situations that I’m going through.  Perhaps it’s something personal or professional.  If I have an upcoming mentoring meeting with a leader who’s skilled in these areas, I try to plan my questions ahead of time during my review and utilize this time to seek his advice on such matters.  Can you see how planning ahead helps you to grow?  If you didn’t take time for these steps, you might simply be reacting to things happening around you rather than being proactive in them.  This can be one way to grow as a leader that will set you apart from your peers.

As I look to the next month, I review the annual goals I’ve picked.  Am I taking steps to achieve them?  Am I wasting time on distractions that will not help me be a better pastor, father, husband, and citizen?  Now is the time to make some adjustments, reset the goals for the coming month and get ready for the next step…

Weekly planning

We’ll discuss that on Monday!

A New Way of Filing – Noguchi Style!

A File In the Noguchi System

Are you ready for a new way to file your “stuff”?  Perhaps the old file cabinets just aren’t doing it anymore?  While traditional methods of filing still very much have value, I’ve found a way that works for me and it came all the way from Japan.  It’s called the Noguchi system named after it’s apparent creator Yukio Noguchi.  I say apparent because Noguchi’s website is entirely written in Japanese and he’s never marketed this approach outside of his home country.  Years ago, I first read of this system at a website no longer in existence.  Since then, many have asked for a more thorough rendering of the system with appropriate diagrams on how to use it.  It’s really simple and not much explanation is needed but for those of you new to the system and wanting to try something different, let me give you a basic rundown of how the Noguchi system works.

At right you can see what a file in the system looks like.  To get started using the Noguchi system, you need to purchase some A4 or 9 x 12 envelopes at your local office supply store and then cut off the tops where you see the dotted line.  From there, you place a document that you want to file in the envelope and then label it at the side.  As you can see in the picture, the title of the document goes first, followed by the date, and then you can color code the file with a marker or label if you like.  Personally, I use the 1/2″ x 3/4″ self adhesive neon labels you can but at any office supply store.  I use different colors to code files for family, professional, church, school, or tax documents (I gave my tax documents their own color so I could find these easily when preparing my returns at the end of each year.

How to File a Noguchi File

Once you have your file completed, then it’s simple to put into the new system.  You simply file the document at the far left of your filing stack.  You file these documents vertically on a bookshelf.  Thus, the need for multiple filing cabinets is eliminated.  As you can see in the diagram at left the files are always filed to the far left thus, the most active files in the system will always be in the left side of your stack.  Using this system, when you access a file you automatically re-file it to the far left when you are done.  Lesser used files naturally migrate to the right of the stack.  The “Holy Files” that you see referenced in the diagram are old files that you no longer need in an active stack but you do not wish to discard. A simple filing box from the office supply store can quickly put these files in a place where they are easily found if needed months or even years later.  In most cases you will find several files will eventually wind up to the right and can be discarded whenever you choose to cull old files.  (For me, this is usually at the end of August).  After nearly four years of using the system, I have very few “Holy” files and my stack stays fairly neat and tidy.  I store everything from manuals, tax forms, medical records, church purchase orders, and insurance forms.  Obviously, there’s more but the beauty of this system is it can be naturally tailored to your use.

Another plus is that I find myself filing things much more quickly now than before.  I can quickly grab an envelope (I cut up several at a time) and label it when I need to file papers.  It takes a minute or so and the paper is quickly put away for easy retrieval when I need it.  The only horizontal file I really use anymore is my “43 folders” tickler file that is set up per David Allen’s instructions in “Getting Things Done”.

Many bloggers are asking for more thoroughness with the system but honestly, that’s all that’s required and all that I remember reading from the initial site that told of its design and use.  I’m sure if Noguchi really wanted the money, he could come up with an ebook to sell for $5 on the system to make it more complex but the beauty of the Noguchi filing system is it’s simplicity.  To try to add things to it would take away it’s very reason for using it.

The Noguchi system isn’t for everyone.  I know of many very “Concrete” and “Linear” thinkers that might find this a bit alarming.  But for someone who’s an “Abstract” organizer like me, the system does what I need it to do without creating a lot of clutter and stress.  So now you can think (or file) outside the box when it comes to storing your important documents.  Let me know if you try this and share your thoughts with me.

Why Do We Need Church “Consultants”?

In the past few weeks I’ve read of some high profile Christian leaders who are leaving their church positions as “pastors” to enter the world of consulting.  Apparently, there’s enough money to be made telling other churches what works and what doesn’t then I thought.  I do not say this flippantly because I have the utmost respect for some of these men I’ve read about.  Many are well known authors who’ve used social media to build a near “rock star” persona that has led to high profile positions in some of our country’s best known churches (at least to those who follow this sort of thing).  Now it appears the next step in that process is to leave their positions by “stepping out in faith” and entering this new, uncharted land.

Church consulting has been around for a while though.  It just wasn’t as chic as it is today.  When I arrived at the church I now pastor I began sifting through all the old paperwork that was left behind by the original church that had closed a few years prior.  Our denomination’s church planting department wisely elected to hold on to the church property that was left (especially with land prices at a premium in the Denver, Colorado market) and wait a few years before planting a new work that would start from this place.  Among the items I found in the old paperwork was a consulting report from some person I had never heard of but who apparently had a reputation for doing well in this type of endeavor.  Among his recommendations were to change the name of Sunday School classes to something more modern and to add a bit of contemporary music to the worship singing.  He also thought it would be a good idea to market to younger families with a series of events designed to encourage them to get involved and volunteer in the church.  He also included some demographic material that outlined the median age, race, and income of the surrounding area near the church.  I shook my head as I read his summary.  Coming from the business world I knew that most of this was just semantics.  The demographic information he provided was just as easily accessed by a quick trip and a few bucks at the local chamber of commerce office that has data unparalleled in this area.  Their entire sustenance is by providing this information to prospective businesses and they are usually pretty nice to churches if you approach them with a professional attitude.  There IS value in some of this information but much of it can be gleaned by a few quick phone calls to others and a deep commitment to prayer.  What I saw as sorely lacking in ANY of this consultant’s reports was the need for the congregation, led by its pastor, to seek God’s will for their church in prayer.  I understand the value of what some of these church “consultants” can provide but if I’ve read their books and I know their philosophy do I really need to pay a premium for them to come to my church just to tell me the obvious?

It helps to know who your audience is.  It helps to know a bit about the people you are trying to reach.  But it’s most important to seek God’s will for your specific ministry.  His will for your church might be drastically different from what the “market” says it is.  My fear with this CEO “consulting” mentality is that we will build churches bases on market need rather than on spiritual need.  Preaching the blood of Christ doesn’t register well on surveys but it’s exactly what the people need to hear.  Admitting our total depravity and a need for a Savior isn’t going to show up on a demographic report but I can tell you no matter your race, it’s the greatest message that needs to get out.  I don’t write these words as one who’s never been in the business world.  I have been.  The radio business is all about surveys, demographics, and reaching the masses with what THEY want.  In the church world though, it’s about reaching the world with the life saving message of Jesus Christ and for many, it is NOT what they want to hear.  Sure, we can find ways to make our church appealing to others so they will want to come but at some point, the unsaved will have to collide with the fact that they are lost, caught up in sin, and in need of salvation.  You do not need a consultant to tell you this.  Only through genuine love, care, and a generous dose of God’s grace will the life-change they need come about.  How you get to this point is open for many to discuss but let’s be honest, you HAVE to get to this point at some time and if you don’t, you don’t really have a church.  You have a social club.

I would love to discuss this more with many of you who stop by here to read this.  Feel free to contact me through the comment section and leave an email address and I will get back with you.  Do we need this type of service in our congregations? Am I off base with my thoughts here?

Thanks for reading!

The Future of Emedia

Is the Fooderacacycle Close Behind

Where is the popular media headed in the years ahead?  I briefly discussed this earlier this week after the Sony company announced a partnership with search giant Google to distribute public domain books for its “Reader” device.  This one agreement effectively gave Sony the edge in available content for ereaders as it’s competitor, the Amazon Kindle II, has just under a quarter-million books available for it’s device while the Sony Reader can now boast of having over 600,000 titles available.

With newspapers shutting down and radio and television stations cutting staff, the emedia market will dramatically change the landscape in information distribution in the years ahead.  Already, we are seeing the beginnings of this.  Independent TV stations now partner for newscasts at various times of the day, radio stations are consolidating and satellite delivery of shows is now commonplace, especially on the AM band.  HD radio will provide some options but “on demand” service will rule the day in the coming years and smaller stations will either shut down or simply mirror programming from larger stations that own them.

Christian ministries are changing their delivery systems also.  John Piper was one of the first last year to drop his radio show and offer his ministry program exclusively on the internet.  The convienence of  downloading the shows, synching them to my MP3 player, and then listening to them on my schedule makes more sense than trying to check schedules from local stations to find it.  It’s also cost effective too compared to what stations charge for 15-30 minute shows.  Internet distribution offers higher quality audio as well.

It makes sense that text content will follow suit.  As the portable reader devices become more mainstream, it will be vital for publishers to settle on an open format and make their product available for electronic consumption.  Soon, the daily task of gathering the morning paper will end as the content is available daily online.  The process will save trees, cut down on waste, and make storage much easier.  The need for recycling will be reduced as well as newsprint use is reduced dramatically.

Magazine publishers will benefit too with electronic distribution of their products.  Postage costs will be eliminated and interactive magazines will be a much more attractive product.  Music could be included with the product that can play on cue from the players to add another dimension to it’s presentation.

In the future, school textbooks can be made available on readers.  College costs should drop as textbook prices should be reduced with an electronic product that will be easy to buy and distribute.  Right now, the college text market is a racket with exorbitant prices being paid for books that easily could be made open source and available for much, much less.

On the Christian front, I would think that publishers would soon make a electronic edition of their wares available as a purchase product.  A church could buy a license for a product and it could be made available freely to all members of the congregation.  Profits would rise as costs to publish, package, and ship the products go down.

Companies who currently sell any of these products would be wise to begin to integrate purchases of their emedia counterparts starting today.  Already, Zondervan has done this by offering cards that can be purchased for a download through Christian dealers like “Family Christian” bookstores.  A kiosk is available in the center of the store with cards that you can buy that give you a code to enter to download the book you purchased.  The Borders chain is already in partnership with Sony as they offer readers, covers, chargers, and book cards for downloads.

Like it or not, change is coming.  The ereaders will get better and better in the years ahead.  While I love my Sony Reader, I’m still pulling for Amazon as well since competition will speed innovation and create lower prices for better products.

As a kid, I used to laugh when I watched the “Jetsons” television show and see George Jetson sit in an easy chair and read the paper from a drop down screen.  We’re there now folks!  It will only get better.

Blogging Resumes Next Week!

With my illness this past week, I’ve not had much time to write outside of my duties to my church.  Therefore, I’m skipping this week’s linkfest to take a break over the weekend.  

I plan to resume normal blogging again next week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 
(Luke 2:11 ESV)

Friday Linkfest

It’s time for another rundown of some posts that caught my eye this past week or so…Hope you enjoy these for your weekend reading…

Brandon Mendelson writes a guest post for Lifehack that talks about the best ways to promote events.  From a church perspective, much of this is of good use to plan your next outreach or mission event.

Do you “Twitter”?  Do you know what your Twitter influence is?  Matt Payne tipped me off to a nifty little tool designed to do just that.  Check it out.

Marty Schmidt writes a review of a new commentary on the book of Joshua by James Boice.  Marty always has good analysis in his book reviews so I think I’ll add this to my list of “someday/maybe” on my book list (Getting Things Done fnas know this one!)

That’s it for this week!  Enjoy and I’ll see you again on Monday!

Washes Whiter Than…

Now if you’re over 40 and liked Christian rock, you might think I’m referring to the band Petra and their 1979 album of the same name.

Actually, I’m just writing about our first significant snowfall of the season which started yesterday afternoon and is expected to taper off sometime later today.

There’s something about the steady snowfall that I enjoy.  Last night, I went out to run some errands and walked a bit between two of them just so I could feel the snow blowing in my face and the chill of the wind invigorating my senses.

The snowfall is beatiful too in that it’s a great representation of what God can do when we turn our lives over to Him.  As I enjoyed the beauty of fresh fallen snow all around me last night, I noted too how clean everything always looks in the first hours of the snow.  All the dirt and grime is erased and the pure snow shines in the evening lights.

God promises to not only cover our sins but to remove them completely and remembem them no more.  We punish ourselves at times by continuing to bring up the filth that led us to the cross but God wants to wipe it away completely if only we’ll let Him.

As I walked back to my car last night, I said a prayer and thanked God for the beautiful pictures of His grace He gives me in nature.   My sins are washed away and my garments are as white as the newfallen snow!

Enjoy your day.  I have some shoveling to do!