Archive for 'Fresh Ideas'
A wireless conference
Posted on 11. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
Yesterday I made an announcement via the KidzMatter weekly email blast. As many of you may know, the Illuminate Conference is making final preparations for the last stop in the 2011-2012 conference year. On February 18th, we’re going to have our largest Illuminate Conference in Nashville, TN. If you’re in the area and want more information, be sure to check out that event here.
However, I know that most who read this blog are not able to make it to Nashville due to the distance. Austin and Birmingham wasn’t really close enough either. Illuminate’s DNA is to offer high quality events that are both local and affordable. Unfortunately, we can’t be local for everyone… yet (give me a little time people). Ha!
However, all along it’s been my intention to provide great resources for kidmin leaders and volunteers, regardless of location. Every general session and breakout has been recorded for that very purpose. So, on March 1st, Illuminate Online will officially go “Online!” The site is still being put together and resources organized, but I think it’s going to be a really cool resource for those in kidmin. For more information, head on over and check it out here.
Stay tuned for more info soon!
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The next big thing is already here
Posted on 10. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
Today in a staff meeting I was introduced to this quote by H. Richard Niebuhr.
“The Great Christian revolutions come not by the discover of something new that was not known before, they happen when somebody takes radically something that was already there.”
How true is this quote. The biggest way I see this quote in Kidmin is the family ministry emphasis we see ourselves in now. Ten years ago, no one was really talking “Family Ministry” the way they are today. You can’t engage a kidmin conversation without someone throwing out Deuteronomy 6. The funny thing is that Deuteronomy 6 said the same thing 10 years ago as it does now.
I love the Family Ministry revolution happening in our churches now and I look forward to seeing the long term affects. I look forward to seeing the ministry “revolution” continue to to mature and develop. However, I’m also curious as to what happens next. I wonder if it too is right in front of our noses and we’ve simply not paid attention to it like we should.
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What I learned from reading in 2011
Posted on 06. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
Yesterday I posted about how leaders and readers and I posted my 2011 reading list earlier in the week. I intentionally focused this summer/fall and read several books on leadership, productivity systems and processes. Two of those books made it to my top 5. It’s interesting though that several themes popped out among several of the books, things that significantly impacted me. I’d like to share those things with you here.
Less truly is more
Two books I read referenced Pareto’s Law on multiple occasions. Most of us are familiar with this law. It is why only 20% (or less) tithe and support your church. It’s why only 20% (or less) tend to volunteer and support your ministry. It says that 20% usually accounts for 80% of the results. What I never realized before is that this law applies to my work as well. When I look at my list of things to do, about 20% of the things on that list will likely produce 80% of the results. However, when I procrastinate, I tend to spend my time knocking off the easy things that don’t produces heavy results. Ferriss from the Four Hour Work Week goes to the extreme of saying that you should really only have 2-3 things on your task list every day. Everything else should be eliminated or delegated. This principle is really what Eat That Frog is all about. Good stuff.
Systems are critical
Almost every book, but more specifically the E-Myth Revisited, The Checklist Manifesto and the Four Hour Work Week address this whole concept of systems. As a leader, if I don’t develop good systems, my results will always be inconsistant. When I have good systems, systems help keep everything running regardless of my people. Systems are what typically make great businesses great. Great systems are what get leaders out of the weeds, allows them to easily delegate and get to work on strategic things. Systems aren’t just for the administratively gifted… but for everyone who desires to lead… and the more you lead, the more systems become critical.
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Leaders are readers
Posted on 05. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
I’m pretty sure it’s Jim Wideman who I heard this quote from, but I’ve learned over the years that Leaders are Readers. There’s just not a lot of getting around that. We can learn a lot on our own, but nothing like learning from the experiences of others who have gone before us, done more than we have or have experienced a different perspective from our own? When we are intentional about what we read, we walk away with principles or concepts that transform our lives and quite possibly the lives of others.
I had many people tell me through the blog and twitter what their best book of 2011 was, but I’m curious about what concept or idea gained from a book or books impacted you the most? I’ll share mine in a post later today. So, what what your greatest learning from a book or books in 2011?
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Top books of 2011
Posted on 04. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
This is a hard choice. I read 16 books in 2011 and all of them were very good. However, if I had to pick my top five, they would be the books listed below. My choice in the top 5 are books that have had the most profound affect on me. These are books that shape how I think and act and I often find myself thinking about the concepts long after I finished reading. So, here they are.
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
Switch was actually the first book I read this year and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve passed this book along to someone else, always with the same result. Switch changed the way I think about change. Both changing things within my personal life and helping to lead other people through change. I’m convinced that there’s more science to change than there is just random chance. There’s a real psychology to it and understanding what truly motivates a person or how to design a system around their emotions is the better way to lead through change. Read this book, you will not be disappointed!
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story
I heard Donald Miller speak at Orange on two different occasions and I loved his talks. They are some of the few talks that stuck with me over the years. Why, he’s such a good story teller. People have been talking about Blue Like Jazz for years, but I have not read it yet (although I do own it now). I finally picked up this book and loved every minute of reading it. It affected me in two ways. First of all, it challenged me in the way that I’m living my life. It caused me to ask the question, “Is my life a compelling story that’s worth being told/read? Where is the adventure? Where am I overcoming conflict?” My wife and I have been talking a lot about this. Secondly, there’s a story in the book where a family jumps into a river at midnight as a “goodbye” ritual. When asked about this later, they explained that they jumped into the river to create a memory that the other people will never forget. This caused me to think about the precious moments we have in ministry with kids. Are we intentional about creating experiences that create memories they’ll never forget. This won’t happen without intentionality.
Many leaders at my church have read this book by Andy Stanley. It’s about generosity. I’ve never read a book that talks about giving to your church quite like this. I’ve read and heard many formulaic teachings, usually how in the end, it benefits the giver… almost in a selfish way. For several months, my wife and I have been talking about how we can increase what we give every year with a goal where sometime in the future, we’ve learned how to give more than we keep. Reading this book fueled that kind of thinking and made us want to make that happen as soon as possible. It’s an incredible book. Be careful though, it will change your outlook on giving!
Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
I’m busier than I’ve ever been and I struggle to get everything done. I know that I have some inefficiencies in my life… we all do. I heard about this book from Gina McClain and I’m so glad I picked it up. It immediately changed how I get things done. I’ve always been a list keeper, but this book helped me get really smart about my lists. Now I start every morning naming the frogs I need to eat ASAP. Definitely a must read!
I read a lot of leadership books, but not as many business books. However, I did start a side business this year and this book came highly recommended. I immediately learned many things that I was doing wrong and how I needed to fix them before I had a mess on my hands. What’s more though, I discovered that the principles apply to the ministry I lead in a very specific way. If you oversee a ministry or even a department, you must read this book. Read with an open mind and keep asking yourself, “how does this apply to my ministry.” In it is a plan to equipping others where you can do the important work of strategy and growth and not get stuck in the weeds like so many of us do.
Okay, so there’s my top five. Like I said, this was a difficult list. I read many more that challenged me profoundly. If you’re looking for some good books to read, I highly recommend these five, but I’d also encourage you to hit any of the others on my 2011 reading list.
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2011 Reading List: What book was your favorite?
Posted on 03. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
Back in 2010, I published my reading list for that year. It was a disaster. I posted 18 books and when it was all said and done, I think I read 3 of them. I wasn’t a total slacker, I did read 8-11 books total, but my list just changed. Many of the books on that list have still gone unread. In 2011, I didn’t publish a reading list. Because I tend to jump into books as people recommend them, I decided not to set a goal of what books to read… but just to read more book. I’ll share my 2011 reading list with you later, but first I’d like to know what your favorite book of 2011 was. I’m trying to decide what books to start on next, so I’m curious as to what you might recommend.
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The Power of Persuasion: Repetition
Posted on 14. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
I came across a very interesting article on the role of repetition when it comes to persuasion. Essentially, we have to remember the elements of human nature when hoping to persuade someone to volunteer or some other thing we need. It’s not that people don’t want to do what we’re asking, sometimes they just don’t get it yet. In the case of repetition, it may mean that they need to hear the request 3-4 times before there is a connection in their brain that says, “Hey, I think I want to try that.”
Persuasion can be exhausting. Ever spent an hour on the phone calling through a list of parent trying to get them to volunteer? Of course you have! It takes a lot out of most of us. I think it’s this way because in many ways we feel like we’re selling ourselves. We have a lot invested and to hear a no or not get any answers or call backs is personally difficult. I think that sometimes we give up too early or we don’t ask often enough. People need to see that video a few times or hear two or three different stories of life change before they pony up. Find a way to separate the ask from you personally and do it often. Although they said no six months ago doesn’t mean they’ll say no when asked again.
For repetition to really work (according to research), it’s important to create a brand and be consistant in the way you communicate a need. The familiarity of the brand is what will make people more inclined to say yes. So, when it comes to persuasion, your image/brand is just as important in how/when you ask.
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Christmast Prayer Activity
Posted on 14. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
I don’t repost stuff on this site very often, but I figured that I couldn’t pass this one up as it was too popular last year.
A year ago as we were preparing for our Christmas Eve services, I led our staff in a prayer event for our church that had a fun Christmas theme involving Christmas music. What’s not to love about that? Click here to read that post and download files to host a similar Christmas prayer event with your staff or volunteers.
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The Power of Persuasion: Limit the choices
Posted on 12. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
As much as we love to have the freedom of choice, sometimes it can be our very downfall. I’ve worked with kids long enough that you never ask a group of kids, “what do you want to do?” or “what movie do you want to watch?” Chaos, disappointment and tears always follow such questions. Instead, I ask, “Hey, do you guys want to go to the park or to the pool?” or “Do you want to watch this movie or that movie?”
Studies show that options also have a significant effect on persuasion. Interestingly, the more choices you offer, the less effective you’re going to be in persuading someone to pick something. An intriguing study was done to illustrate how extensive choices can be demotivating. In this study, an upscale store had 24 varieties of jam and anyone who tasted the jam got a voucher to get jam at a discount. Three percent of the tasters purchased jam. However, in another experiment, the store offered 6 flavors for tasting. In this case, 30% o the tasters bought jam. Excessive choice can be demotivating.
I whole-heartedly believe in this principle. I absolutely hate going to the Cheesecake Factory. Their 40 page menu is so frustrating. Obviously, they’ve seen success, but the excessive choice does have a negative affect on me.
In ministry, we naturally have tried to limit choices. In times of recruiting, we used to have a ministry selection card where we had various roles that could be selected for Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School and High School. Each department had 5-8 different roles. So, someone interested in serving “kids” had to choose between 20-30 different roles. Too much. So, we’ve consolidated. We eventually narrowed it down to where we only really have 3-5 roles available in Next Gen. So, someone only needs to pick which of those 3-5 roles they’d like to do and then what age group they’d want to serve in. It’s so much easier to explain and so much easier to get someone ob board.
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Getting your notes and highlights off the Kindle
Posted on 12. Dec, 2011 by Kenny.
I got an iPad a little over a year ago and the application I use more than any other on this device is the Kindle app. Because of both the iPad and this App, I’m reading more than I ever have. It’s just too easy and convenient and because I always have either my iPhone or iPad with me, I always have my books.
I love how you can highlight as you’re reading which allows me to boil down the most important parts of the book for later review. Unfortunately, Kindle has made it next to impossible to get these highlights and notes off the device, especially if you’re using the iPad. However, this weekend I came across some instructions on how to take my notes and highlights off the device and it works like a champ. The secret? Evernote.
I downloaded and used Evernote for a few months almost four years ago, but it just never caught on for me. However, in learning how to get my stuff off the Kindle, I think I fell in love with Evernote again.
I’m not going to walk you through the process step by step, but here is the link to Michael Hyatt’s blog where he describes how to do this in detail. Enjoy!
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