Firing the 20 for the 80

I subscribe to Seth Godin's blog. I enjoy reading his leadership and organizational insights. They usually spur me on when I need a kick in the tail.

In the interview below, he speaks of a hotel owner who "fires" 20% of his customers so that he can focus on the other 80%. Having a clientele devoted to a particular vision allows the provider to focus on that vision. How do you get that clientele? Seth suggests firing those not on board. Risky? Controversial? Yes.

I know Mike Slaughter of Ginghamsburg UMC has said, "The biggest growth we ever had was from 100 to 60." Mike essentially "fired" attenders of his church and lead the church to devote their ministry to a core that ended up growing exponentially. To this day, he is unflexing in regard to the aims and direction of the church...food for thought. Lots of good stuff here, check out the video.

Exclusive interview with Seth Godin from GiANT Impact on Vimeo.

Speedlinking

Here are some great links to check out!!!

1. If you've ever put yourself out there, you'll know this already. But, it never hurts for all of us to be reminded: You will be misunderstood. It's OK...Keep at it!!!!
2. Interesting parable about ascetic theology from author Steve Taylor.
3. Cathy Escobar's great blog has a good post about single parents.
4. Andrew Conard lists some non-negotiables for church staffs. What do you think? What would you add? Subtract?
5. Is Yoga compatible with following Jesus? Interesting thoughts by my least favorite attention...lover, Mark Driscoll, but I found myself unable to disagree with what he was saying.
6. Apparently, the founder of the Tea Party movement isn't a fan of the United Methodist Church...and apparently, I'm not a big fan of him either after reading some of his other tirades!?!
7. If you haven't seen the new translation app called "Word Lens" you're missing out on Star Trek being made real today! It instantly translates any words/signs/etc. you point at...check it out!

Back From Vacation!

I'm back from a much needed vacation. It was a wonderful time...

I went to two days of continuing education at Duke. It was awesome listening to N.T. Wright and Rob Bell share their insights and thoughts regarding God and ministry.

After that we stayed at a beach house on Topsail Beach, NC. Wow! It was really nice...best of all, some friends of ours owned it and blessed us with a gift of staying there with no cost. Talk about a great vacation :)

If you're interested in pics from Uncle John's funeral, Duke, our trip just click on each of the links for my FB page pics! Sorry, but you have to be my FB friend to see them...

Speedlinking

Here's another set of great links to explore...

1. If the UMC really means this...wow! It sounds great. Now to implement it.
2. Kem Meyer has a good video for those skeptical of the social network media on internet. But then again, I doubt you are if you're reading this :)
3. People always scoff when I say that we MUST be working on the ethical considerations of AI. Will we enslave? Will we treat non-biologicals as equals? Partners? Will we marry them???? Oh, wait, someone's already doing that...yes, really!
4. Oh, please, God let this be the end...Unfortunately, Oprah might be just springboarding to something else.
5. The UMC is now actively engaging in a vigorous, 'grass-roots' marketing campaign. What do you think? Good idea to reach people in relevant ways? Or, missing the mark of what it means to share faith?
6. This blog by Kathy Escobar is truly an amazing blessing to me. Her passion for the Church being an authentic community of faith gives me hope when ministry isn't feeling great.
7. Seth Godin has a great post on "How to lose an online argument." Most of it applies to any discussion, yet...somehow we miss that!

TOM'S shoes

I'd heard about this a while ago, but I haven't seen anything about it in a while...Here is one of the greatest things to happen in a while. Not because it's saving lives, but the amount of care and dignity being offered. My favorite part is the young man (Tom?), hugging the little girl in the middle of the video...It becomes obvious in this moment that this is big human stuff. This is where Church thought should be taking us.




On the other hand, here is a spoof having some fun with the idea...gone bad!

Why? What? How?

Why does a U2 concert feel more worshipful than a typical, mainline church service to a born and raised mainline, UMC pastor?

Moreover, what, if anything, can we do to help people connect in the life of faith and worship?

Most of all: What can we do in our local churches to bring a spirit of worship that helps people experience the tranforming grace of God?

2 Perspectives

#1 I love Radiohead.

#2 I am concerned about global humanitarian issues.

#3 I am an American, which means I am part of the biggest consuming culture in world history.

This video is startling...

Where Have We Gone Wrong?

I saw this on Steve Taylor's Blog, and it stirred all sorts of thoughts and feelings.

Seriously, why? For what purpose? If the music is indicative, the church is going to need to be moved again...and again...and again, until it is in a museum.

Peter Rollins on the Emerging Church

All I can say is WOW! This video is an amazing combination of a brilliant young theologian and a brilliant interviewer. She was able to really draw out Rollins for the average listener. Kudos to her.

The discussion is in regard to the emerging church movement, and Peter Rollins' involvement.

Favorite quote of Rollins' is still, "I don't believe Christians are called to believe in the Resurrection. I believe they are called to live it."

I also liked his reversal of Christian development and its comparison to that of an person. Born into family. Grow into behavior. Develop thoughts, which grow against the family....Then, the thoughts become mature and incorporate the new thoughts into the family's beliefs.

This is by far and away the best theological interview I've seen.

The "X" Church/Movement/Thing

There are critical discussions happening all over the blogosphere regarding the "Emerging Church."

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Gen X intellectuals are notorious for hating the fad, and guess what the Emerging Church became a fad. The anti-institution, anti-Boomer, post-Modern church finally grew up, found itself at home, and hated it.

Gen-X'ers are also notorious for whining, and I just can't help myself from thinking, "This is what we wanted! An enormous discussion of what it means to follow Jesus...to be the Church...to have faith in God!" Now that it's here, we (and I use "we" as a proponent of the Emerging discussions and as a young Gen-Xer) want to chuck it. We started the discussion, and now others have engaged...well, now, apparently, it's too big. There are so many voices engaged that there has come...[gasp] disagreement [insert sinister music here]!

We can't use Emerging because it sounds like Emergent, which we DEFINITELY can't use because those crazy liberal Evangelicals might burn the Church right to Hell. Missional doesn't sound as cool, but it's OK because it sounds like something a Christian should do. "Organic" is passe, and besided organic products are usually more unhealthy than the rest.

Most discussions I've read are about renaming one group so that another group of Christians won't be confused with them.

I thought boxing people and ideas in were the very things we were fighting so hard to avoid? I thought that engaging the world and the Church were our goals. Now all of a sudden we want to switch names and identities because someone has a different idea that we don't share? How absolutely dogmatic and Modern (could I have insulted post-Moderns anymore?).

I know that some have said they don't want to defend others' beliefs due to the broadening of the Emerging concept. Well, I don't like defending the Crusades, the Reformation, D.A. Carson, fundamentalists, John Spong, or even myself most days...but that's life.

We are what we are. Names are irrelevant. A football called a squiggie is still a football, the name is merely a symbol of the reality present. No matter the new name we try to present, there will always be those that disagree, misrepresent, or misunderstand.

Changing the name in this case sounds too much like, "It's my ball. It's my rules, and if you don't like them, I'm going home."

Perhaps we need to be discussing the real issue: Why isn't the Church effectively ministering to the culture and people around her?