One of the things I’ve learned most this year from the books I’ve been reading is the critical nature of systems. I’m absolutely convinced that systems help you win. You can be a great leader with a lot of charisma, but if you don’t have solid systems, you’ll never maintain what you want to achieve, if you even get there in the first place. I mentioned this in a post a few weeks ago along with the books I’ve read this year that supported this idea.

So, a few weeks ago I rented the movie Moneyball. I don’t like baseball, but I LOVED this movie. I saw incredible application of both systems and leading through change told through this movie, which was based on a true story.

Here’s the trailer to the movie. Pay special attention to what happens from 20 seconds in until 1:10 seconds, but the entire clip gives you the big idea.

Essentially the story revolved around how and underdog team without adequate resources could look at the game of baseball differently and actually compete with the bigest organizations in the league. It required less of looking at “star” players and the high caliber (and costly) skills they brought to the team and looking at the nuts and bolts of what each player contributed to the game. Basically, they were looking at individuals who could consistently get on base. If you have enough people who can get on base, eventually you’ll get enough people making it home and the more people you have making it home, the higher your chance of winning the game. This systematic approach toward the game of baseball turned the A’s from a team with little hope to a winning team. Catch the movie, it’s a great one.

The application toward ministry is simple. Just because your church doesn’t have a multi-million dollar kid’s facility doesn’t mean it can’t be a winning ministry. Just because your ministry doesn’t have skilled and polished communicators doesn’t mean it can’t be an incredible experience for families. Even if there is no staff and very little money, a systematic approach may be the strategy that leads you toward a winning season.

Define your wins? Usually they’re a lot smaller than we like to think. Forget about the “star players,” but take stock in what each person on your team can do and have them exert their energy toward your wins, doing what they do best. When this is done consistently over the long haul, you’ll win. We have to redefine our image os success and put people to work… on a system to see the long term winning results.

Next Thursday I’m heading up to Dallas-Forth Worth for a day to connect with Children’s Pastors and leaders from several large ministries. I’m really excited to partner with Greg Baird and speak, lead some conversations and learn from others on the subject of leadership within the context of leading in large churches.

The brains behind Worlds of Wow have put together a unique event at Gateway Church in Southlake, TX and I’m pretty pumped. It’s not too often when you’re in a room with other leaders who all lead at the same capacity or greater than you. I’m humbled because although I’ll be sharing the stage with Greg, I feel there’s probably much I could learn from those in the room. The thing I’ve found though is that this kind of stuff keeps you sharp. As I’ve been preparing for this event, I’ve been reminded of leadership gems I’ve gotten rusty on or simply stopped doing. Speaking and leading discussions like this sure keeps you honest… and focused.

I’m sure I’ll post more about this next week along with some information I’ve been preparing… hopefully to keep you sharp as well!

Yes, I did help write the book. But that’s not why I’m so excited. I’m excited because I believe that it’s a book that is going to impact a lot of people in Kidmin. Shoot, it might impact a lot of people in student ministry and other ministries as well. Why? Because I feel that it approaches the nitty gritty issues that every pastor/minister deals with… the tension they live in on a daily basis and it offers hope. The book is written in a very personal way that most will identify with. A half-dozen people beyond the authors have read the book and almost all have essentially said, “I really related to this book and saw myself in these pages.”  Plus, it’s a going to be a fun book to read. You’ll probably read through the book pretty quickly because it’s short and because it will draw you in.

This book, “The Eric Trap: Five things every leader has to get right” was written by Jim Wideman, Sam Luce, me and an incredible group of kid’s pastors that journeyed together through Jim Wideman’s Infuse for two years. The book will be available for the first time at the Orange Conference where there will be a book signing. Fun, huh? There will be a limited number of books available for bloggers, probably in March. If you’re interested in getting a copy to review on your blog, click here to request a copy.

Click here to read why Jim Wideman is so excited about this new book. Lastly, I leave you with a review from Jonathan Cliff.

“The “Eric Trap” takes Children’s Pastors on a dark, serious, and scary journey into the world of working in a church and balancing your priorities.  It was eerie how much the story mirrored my own story in so many ways.  I believe the “Eric Trap” can be a game changer for those willing to shine the light into the dark places of their own pastoral lives.  It’s on the other side of change that the insights gained from this book pay off in a rich way!”

On more than one occasion, I heard Reggie say this line last week at the Orange Tour.

We are stewards of timeless truths.

What I think is interesting is that I often hear people complain about Orange curriculum Usually I hear people complaining from the point of view that there isn’t enough Bible in it. The funny thing is that I have people on my own staff who at times complain that the curriculum is too church. Honestly, there’s no such thing as a perfect curriculum and that alone isn’t reason enough to go out and start writing your own.

Curriculum was made to be tweaked… especially when they give it to you in editable digital form, right? Whether your curriculum comes from a virtue perspective or a chronological spin through the scriptures, the foundation doesn’t change that scripture is the basis for all things taught. If we don’t connect kids and students to the life-changing power of the scripture, we’re sunk. We may explore how the scripture can transform us to lead self-controlled lives or how certain events in the Old Testament teach us about what God wants to do in our lives right now. The bottom line is about how scripture connects to our lives.

In ministry, we have to understand that we are stewards of timeless truths. Every one of us. Leaders, small group leaders, hosts and story tellers. We steward these timeless truths and it is so important that we convey these truths accurately and responsibly. Too many times in my ministry have I heard a leader butcher the telling of a biblical truth, either in delivery or in content. We need not forget about James 3:1.

 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

We are stewards of timeless truths and we must never take this responsibility lightly.

From day one of engaging with Orange (more than 4 years ago), the word strategy was a word I heard often. It’s not a new concept, but it was something that was brought to my attention again last Friday and I’m glad it was. Reggie painted a clear picture of the importance of strategy. He described how many great churches have incredible mission and vision statements that never really seem to do anything. Many of those church’s doors are closed now.

Strategy – A plan of action with an end in mind.

I love it. I’m leading a breakout at Illuminate in Nashville in a few weeks titled, “What Matters Most.” In this breakout I’m going to speak about how sometimes we lose track of that particular “end” in mind or maybe the “end” we’re focused on really isn’t as important as it should be.

I wonder what would happen if we as ministry leaders scripted out all that we did in a given week or month and then asked the very important question, “What is specific end we’re trying to get to as a result of this event/program/resource/meeting?” I think it would reveal what things we’re doing that are strategic and those things that are just wasting time. Man, do I hate wasting time. What’s worse is when I’m wasting time and don’t even know it.

Families, kids and students need us to be as strategic as possible. We must be strategic with our time, our tallent and our resources. How are you being strategic today?

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.

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?

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.

Fields of Gold

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!

The E-Myth Revisited

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.

I must admit, I’m very proud of myself. I think that this is probably the most books I’ve read in a year since I was in college and I had a lot of extra time on my hands. I think I did somewhere between 8-11 books in 2011. The funny thing is that I’ve been incredibly busy this year with starting up Illuminate and picking several new speaking opportunities. So, what changed?

Reading for a purpose:

There were several books that I picked up because I really needed to brush up on something or learn something for a breakout I was going to lead. Reading for a purpose seems to provide much higher motivation for me than just reading a book because someone said it was good.

Reading on the iPad allows me to multi-task

It was in April or May that I installed the Kindle app on my iPad and I started taking it with me to the gym while on the treadmill. I spent several months in the spring preparing to hike some mountains in Colorado and I found that the Kindle App allowed me to read while exercising. I love it. This alone helped me read more and kept me motivated to keep working out. Many times I went to run just because I wanted to read.

Here is the list of books:

• My First 90 Days in Ministry: How to Make a Splash Without Getting All Wet
• Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard My Review
• Fields of Gold
• Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
• A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: How I Learned to Live a Better Story
• The E-Myth Revisited
• The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right My Review
• The 4-Hour Workweek
• Connect with Your Kids
• Kidmin Leadership
• I Blew It
• No Shortcuts to the Top
• Hood (King Raven Trilogy, Book 1)
• The Hunger Games
• Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)
• Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games

Tomorrow I’ll share with you my top 5 favorite books of 2011 and why. I’ve written reviews of several of the books already, but those I haven’t reviewed, I’ll do so in the coming weeks. Maybe one of these books will end up on your 2012 reading list.

One of the most significant forces for kidmin in the local church are teenage volunteers. Every kidmin has them and some highly depend on teens. Although some teenagers lead small groups or have a strong presence from the stage, most fill many valuable roles here and there as helpers, behind the scenes volunteers and on the floor with preschoolers having fun. Teenagers in kidmin are highly valuable because many will be the next generation of volunteers and staff. I’m amazed by how many kid’s pastors I meet who were volunteers in children’s ministry when they were old enough to serve.

Unfortunately, many of these teens get over looked. They’re treated as another warm body that helps us keep our ratios. It’s not that we’re not grateful for them, but they’re treated differently than adult volunteers. I think that’s a shame. Sure, teenagers can be immature and a little undependable, but they have passion, availability and a longevity that could far surpass most adult volunteers. These teenage volunteers need to be equipped. Intentionally.

Well, I’m hoping to do my part with this in a small way. Last month at the Illuminate Conference in Austin, I had about 4 teenagers who serve at my church (Gateway) attend the conference. A few of them had parents who were attending the conference and a handful came on their own. I was totally amazed at their involvement. They paid attention, took notes and really got a lot out of the whole event. It was then that I realized that I should really try to provide something specifically for them. They can attend the conference just like everyone else, but maybe I’ll offer one breakout specifically for teenagers.

So I’m rolling this out in Nashville. A breakout entirely for teenagers who serve in kidmin. Oh, and guess who I have leading this breakout. Jim Wideman. It’s going to rock! Check out the breakout here: Teens in Ministry – Never Too Young!

So, hopefully we’ll have a lot of teenagers at the Nashville event who will get the benefit of a little equipping. Who knows, maybe this is the start of something we’ve not seen a lot of, intentional equipping of teenage volunteers.