18 months ago I returned from the Orange Conference with on single book that has impacted my ministry more than any other resource I have come across in years. There have been incredible resources that have impacted the way I lead, communicate and create, but this resource was something that impacted me and was something I could physically give my small group leaders. I’ve personally seen leaders change because of this book. I’ve seen kids impacted powerfully because of this book. What book is this?

LeadSmall. It’s a job description for any small group leader, preschool through high school. It’s inspiring. It’s practical. I’ve given away dozens and dozens of these books and this year we’re rolling out systematic training and resourcing around the idea of LeasSmall.

Oh, and it only gets better. I left the Orange Conference this last spring with a new book. Playing for Keeps. I knew a good bit about the book as it was being written. I knew it had a fable piece to it to help connect the teaching points. I knew it was also written in the style of LeadSmall. It also tied into this marbles theme. However, I wasn’t completely sure what it was all about.

Last week I attended the Orange Tour in Tampa where the theme really was Playing for Keeps. It was the official launch of the Playing for Keeps book. Things started to click for me. On the flight home, I read half of the book and since then, I’ve been devouring the rest. I’m almost done and I’ve marked up this book like crazy. To break it down, this is what the book is about:

LeadSmall gave every small group leader a job description. The first principle of LeadSmall is to Be Present.

Playing for Keeps breaks down the idea of Being Present in a powerful and practical way. It introduces 6 things every kid/student needs over time. This is a book for small group leaders and parents. POWERFUL! It’s challenging me as a leader of small group leaders and as a dad!

Today, at 12:30 PM EST, tune in to a short and fun webcast from the folks at Orange. It’s all about the launch of Playing for Keeps. Click here to tune it!