Archive for 'Fresh Ideas'
The power of Kidmin community
Posted on 17. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
I was really bummed that I missed out on CPC this year. I had the opportunity to watch a video of a session where Michael Chanley interviewed Matt McKee, Sam Luce and Jonathan Cliff about the “networking group” Gina McClain and I share with those guys. I say “networking group” lightly because now it’s more like a strong group of friends that give and receive so much life from each other far beyond conversations about ministry. I think that “our story” was a glimpse of what great networking and community can look like in the world of kidmin.
However, right now I’m experiencing kidmin community right now in an entirely different level and I’m really excited about it. Last week I wrote this post and tweeted several times about starting an official Kidmin Biggest Loser group.… Read the rest
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Tax Time!
Posted on 12. Jan, 2012 by Kenny.
On Tuesday, the IRS opens for another business year… collecting your money! So, what does this have to do with Kidmin? Well, nothing, but over the years I’ve been committed to sharing resources to those who serve in ministry. So, here’s one of those ways.
Over the years I’ve learned that most people I know in ministry have one of a few tax arrangements:
- They attempt to do their own taxes
- They pay a CPA
- They’ve got their own sweet hook up
The truth is that if you’re in ministry, your taxes are not straight-forward. Clergy tax is unique and the average H&R Block employee is not going to have any idea how to file your taxes (they may attempt it but there’s no telling if it done right).… Read the rest
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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).… Read the rest
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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.… Read the rest
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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.… Read the rest
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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?… Read the rest
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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.… Read the rest
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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.… Read the rest
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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.… Read the rest
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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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