Coconut Island

When a song makes you want to cry

2012-01-18T16:06:00.002-06:00

You sometimes just have to...well..cry.love this song

How to face a cold day

2012-01-12T10:59:00.002-06:00

It's cold today. Seriously. I walked outside and it felt like someone slapped me in the face and threw cold water on my legs. But I figured out how to face a cold day like this...

Book Review: Simple Church by Rainer and Geiger

2011-12-26T22:42:00.001-06:00

"Many of our churches have become cluttered. So cluttered that people have a difficult time encountering the simple and powerful message of Christ. So cluttered that many people are busy doing church instead of being the church."

When I read "Simple Church" it was both a breath of fresh air and a heavy blow at the same time.

It was a breath of fresh air because it represented all the things that I and my colleagues in ministry have been discussing for the past 5-10 years. We just were not able to "simply" put into words what we were feeling. "Simple Church" described the problem we were feeling - but went a step further and offered practical principles that could be applied in the context of a local church - no matter where they are.

It was a heavy blow at the same time because I know that as a pastor, I have been part of the "problem" as well. Not that I intentionally wanted to make being the church more complicated than it should, but by asking people to "do church" at the expense of their ability to "be the church" - I became part of the problem. What is that problem?

"Simple Church" addresses these - in my own opinion - pretty well.

I can't give justice to the breadth of work this book contains, but here are a couple of quotes from the book that I am still "chewing on". Whether you agree or not, they are points to be considered and wrestled with if you believe that the local church is still God's plan for bringing hope to world. In no particular order, here they are:

Perhaps our church people do not know lost people because out churches have kept people at the church building, thereby nullifying their opportunities to deeply engage in relationships with lost people.
New programs and special events were constantly implemented to remedy the problem, but the busier the church became, the more the problem was amplified. Problems are always bigger when everyone is tired.
It is hard to be excellent when you are focused on so much.
Simple churches pay attention to the handoffs. They have grasped the truth that assimilation effectiveness is more important than programmatic effectiveness.
New members are told at the new member's call that they should not join the church if they do not plan on serving.
Focus does not make church leaders popular.
In many churches the original tools for life change have created too much clutter. Instead of uniting, they divide focus. The Programs have become ends in themselves
Every program must facilitate movement through a simple process. Anything that facilitates movement is a "yes." Anything that does not is a "no."
Define. Illustrate. Measure. Discuss. All these factors lead to understanding.
(Regarding staff and leaders) They must be committed not only to ministry but also to how your church does ministry.
Simple church leaders seek to meet the need through an existing program while complex church leaders add another program.
(From a university of Florida study) hypothessized that churches that offered more programs would grow more than churches that offered fewer programs. [The} research proved the opposite.

Twilight and Cougar Moms

2011-12-18T22:04:00.000-06:00

I'm not one to jump on bandwagons, but saw this on a friend's facebook page and it's both funny and thought provoking. Watch it all the way to the end and let me know what you think :)

Instagram vs Path

2011-12-12T09:03:00.001-06:00

Last week I downloaded an app that I have been hearing about in the twitter world put out by path.com. As with any new social media app I asked the same question people asked about facebook - how is this any different?

What I have found over the past week is that the path app has slowly taken away my need for the use of several apps I use to integrate social media into my everyday life. What I appreciate about path is that it integrates 3 of my favorite apps:

It also integrates Tumblr. One of the things I am dissapointed in is that it doesn't integrate google+, but that's probably more of a problem with google+.

ok...so this post is about the differences between instagram and path.

I have been using instgram for quite some time now and love how I can feel free to share pictures of my life in a more private way than facebook - and in a way that someone doesn't roll their eyes when they see I am using facebook like a flickr account.

Why Instagram is better
App of the year. 15 million+ users. Tons of beautiful picture editing options.

Why Path is better
It doesn't have all the "bells and whistles" that instagram does, but I think what will really make this app great is that - unlike instagram - path supports both iphones and android phones. What this means is that the people I care to share pictures with through social media don't have to have iphones. Truth is, not everyone likes iphones and some of those people are friends and family members.

For this simple reason I have moved towards utlizing path.com to share photos more often. Past photo sharing, path.com is superior with foursquare integration and unique status update options.

What are your favorite social media apps on iphone or android phones?

My Day Yesterday in 90 Sec.

2011-12-05T08:49:00.000-06:00

I've seen these around on blogs like LosWhit's and decided it would be fun to make my own.

So here it is. My day in 90 seconds.

What the font?!

2011-11-03T19:57:00.000-05:00

I've been arguing this point with my wife forever! It makes a difference.

What's your favorite fonts?

What's the most overused or annoying fonts to you?

Got Swagger?

2011-10-28T08:42:00.001-05:00

"lol" of the day

2011-10-12T10:50:00.000-05:00

HT: Ron Peasha

Canon Lens for a Newbie

2011-10-09T20:21:00.001-05:00

Dear Canon users,

I have a photography question for you.

So I have been saving up for a DSLR since the beginning of this summer and I am almost near my budget mark for getting one :) My questions is, what is a good "first lens" that won't break the bank?

(I'm thinking either t3i or 60D by the way)

Don't Waste Your Life

2011-10-05T21:39:00.002-05:00

"No one wants to die, even people who want to go to Heaven don't want to die to get there, and yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It's life's change agent; it clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now, the new is you. But someday, not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it's quite true. Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life...."
Steve Jobs 1995 @ Stanford Uni

What are you living for?
If you faced God today would you be ready?

HT:Rob Lamont

The New Reality of Church in America

2011-09-13T08:51:00.000-05:00

My friend and ministry colleague Paul Stewart just sent me an article entitled:

More Americans tailoring religion to fit their needs

This is the new reality of church in America. But it doesn't have to be church leaders don't have to be pressured to make their churches like a buffet for people's spiritual journey. My prayer is that church leaders in America would be empowered to be the shepherds that God has called them to be - to lead with both clarity and humility.

That last thing we would want is for our church to look like this:

The most practical book I've read...and more

2011-09-05T00:41:00.000-05:00

Over the past 7 years, my passion for reading has grown, and I would like to say that a huge part of my personal growth comes from mu commitment to always be a learner.

So of all the books that sit on my shelf in my office, I always refer to the following on as one of the most practical books I have ever read. It's The Fiener Points of Leadership.

http://phillipsantillan.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-review-feiner-points-of-leadership.html

Other than the Bible, I have not found a more practical book on leadership within a work environment. I wish this book was given to me before I even started college, but who knows if any of it would have made sense. There are a few books that I read at least once a year and this is one of them.

For those who are curious, here is a list of the ones I re-read yearly for work-related enrichment:

What are the most practical books you've read that have positively impacted your work-related personal growth?

How to deal with the insults

2011-08-29T22:40:00.002-05:00

Ran across this tonight. I know...it's not an "official christian video" but I can make a very strong case that the way he responded can be backed by biblical wisdom and truth. ok...maybe not all of it, but none the less, leaders....take note.

What we wish road signs would say

2011-08-19T14:18:00.000-05:00

Don't be so quick to judge...

2011-08-14T18:39:00.000-05:00

Yes. This is a nasty picture of a softball wound as large as my iphone case. If for some reason you want a closer look, just click the pic.

So after church today I had an opportunity to play softball. I was pumped. I hadn't played a good game of softball since I lived in Florida. So I pulled out my Wilson A2000 and headed over the ball field. When I got there I lightly jogged onto the field and got that feeling that it was going to be a great game. The weather was just warm enough to feel like summer but not so hot that it was uncomfortable.

As I was warming up on the field I yelled over to a guy wearing long pants and said, "Hey, I can't believe you're wearing long pants in this weather." To which he replied, "Yeah...I wear it because I can't help but slide." To which I said, "Oh...makes sense."

I didn't think much of it other than remembering saying to myself, "I would rather wear shorts and just not slide!" Then it was my time at bat. I ripped one across the first base line and rounded 2 bases. The guys were yelling, "Keep going!" so I hustled to third...ecstatic that I was about to have a triple. Then I saw the third baseman catch the ball and I knew that getting tagged out was inevitable.

So what did I do? I did what I knew to do when you're trying not to get tagged out. I slid for third. AND I WAS SAFE!!! Safe, but jacked up.

Yeah. So the lesson of the day? Don't judge the guy with long pants. He's actually a lot smarter than you ;)

A Soccer Story: I'm Official

2011-08-13T12:18:00.002-05:00

You can now call me "Coach." (why does it look like I've got lazy eye)

http://instagr.am/p/KCJsQ/?ref=nf

Willow Creek Leadership Summit: Steven Furtick

2011-08-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

Evening Session: Steven Furtick

Advantage of being young is that you are ignorant enough to know that some things cannot be done ;)

AUDACIOUS FAITH: Believing God to do the impossible.

pg.23 Fresh wind, fresh faith (I despair the thought that my life would mean nothing)

2 Kings 3:9-20

These Kings did everything they could to win the war, but they couldn’t get water.
We can get great training and great teaching, but only God could make it rain.
Only God can send favor, mercy, salvation, ONLY GOD CAN MAKE IT RAIN!

Proverbs 3:5-6

I can expect God’s blessing on “my work” unless God leads it.

Vs15
“These troops are dying of thirst and this dude wants mood music!”

======
“If all you have is good ideas, you’re not a visionary. You’re just a daydreamer. A visionary requires audacious faith to do what God is leading you to do.”
======

Vs18

Nothing is difficult for God. If the vision and mission that God is giving to you isn’t intimidating to you, it’s probably insulting to God.
Elisha’s first command was not to collect water, but to dig ditches
If you want to see the land filled with water, dig some ditches.
Faith believes “it” before it sees “it”

“One of the reasons we struggle with insecurities is that we compare our “behind the scenes” with everyone else’s “highlight reels”.”

IF YOU WILL DIG THE DITCHES, GOD WILL SEND THE RAIN!

If you do what you can do, then God will do what God could only do!

Willow Creek Leadership Summit: Session 3

2011-08-11T12:38:00.000-05:00

Session 3: Corey Booker

You will always face in this life enormous adversaries, but you must be one - regardless of the storm - must be willing to stand.

You are born as a grand conspiracy of love...love that was meant to be made manifest in action.

Everyone is born an original, but sadly most die a copy.

We are a result of people who did not see the world in the way that it was, but what it could be and stand up to do something about getting there.

Your attitude about the world speaks nothing about the world, but speaks about your character.

The only way to make change in the world is to start with one’s self

“If it is to be, it is to start with me”

Show me how you live and give because who you are speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you are saying.

“Right now in this moment, you can change the world!”

We have two choices in any circumstance - we can accept things for how they are, or you can infuse your reality into it.

==========================
NOTE: Corey was such an engaging speaker that I found myself listening more than writing. Also, there were too many engaging stories that I could not capture while trying to write...so I apologize for the brevity of this.

You may be able to find supplemental notes from the WCAGLS Blog.

Willow Creek Leadership Summit: Session 2

2011-08-11T11:51:00.000-05:00

Session 2: Len Schlesinger

“Here” is unacceptable. Education, standard of living, income and logistics problems are unacceptable.

“Believe in the future by creating it first”

When we look at successful entrepreneurs, what we have believed makes an entrepreneurs isn’t what we really think they are.
Vast numbers of successful entrepreneurs often start without a vision.
Vast numbers of successful entrepreneurs don’t necessarily make something “NEW!” Many times they see something and find a way to make it better.
Everything you have learned in life is predicated on a world of cause and effect and predictability. It assumes that everything in the future can be predicted based on the past.
In a world where you can’t predict the future, you must create it - this is the believe successful entrepreneurs carry with them.

How to take action in uncertainability:
In the face of uncertain ability, what is the first step you should take?
You cannot THINK your way out, so you must:

Take small steps with what you’ve got at hand
Limit the risk for each step
Make sure that when you step it is on solid ground
Build on the step you take
Have friends and resources to support you through this process

How do you find out where to start with your first steps?
Start with things you care about

Entrepreneurs are always doing what they want to do, or what they feel they need to do to get what they want.

What keeps people from doing this?

They get caught up and worry about they they are going to do!

STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO DO NEXT!

People are afraid of failure
The failure rate is 60% for most venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.
Failure does not mean “game over” it means “try again with experience”
When you fail it means that quite likely, you’ve learned something no body else knows!

Know what you want, engage in systematic exercises to find out
Stop obsessing about means and start with what you have
Be alert to what it is you are getting
take stapes based on your means and what you can afford to play
Bring other people with you and be flexible with how you get things done

This is not a guarantee for success, but it gets more people involved in tryin, more people involved in failing, and more people involved in trying.

In other words, it’s getting more people times “at bat”

Willow Creek Leadership Summit: Session 1

2011-08-11T11:12:00.002-05:00

Session 1: Bill Hybels

---- Dangerously overly challenged
|
|
---- Appropriately challenged
|
|
---- Under challenged

You do your best work somewhere between “appropriately challenged” and “over challenged”.
Have everyone in your leadership circle take the test of describing where they are in the “Challenge Spectrum”.
If a great person is under-challenged for long, they will leave and go somewhere else
It is possible to “over challenge” and organization as well as it is possible to “under challenge” an organization.

Q: What is your plan for dealing with challenging people in your organization?

Who would the challenging people in your organization be?

“The Line Exercise”

What if we had a 50% revenue drop and we would have to say goodbye to 50% of the people, who would you get rid of?

Place people in the order of who who you would get rid of (the one you would get rid of first).

Who you would keep -------------------> Who you would get rid of
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Are the people at “the end of the line” truly carrying their weight? Are they off mission? Are they under challenged? Do they have issues that I am avoiding or do not see?

“Fantastic Fred”
Bad attitude guy

How long will you let Fred walk around with a bad attitude? how long will you let him spread his “poison” around the organization?

Hybels says a “Bad Attitude” is only allowed for 30 days without consequence.

How long do you live with under-performance or are no longer carrying their weight?

Under-performers need to be recognized quickly and given 3 months for them to resolve their unproductiveness

What do you do when the church grows beyond the current state of a person’s “talent elasticity”?

We give 6-12 months for someone who fits this description and either find another place for them or break the bank on a severance package.
=======
Fantastic people do not want to be dragged down by whiners, but want to be around positive
90% of Challenging people are not happy people

Q: Are you naming, facing, and resolving the problems that exists in your organization?

Acts 2-4 a problem arose - a problem in the distribution of food.
Acts 6 - the leaders addressed and resolved the problem
Acs 6:7 -after that the church grew rapidly and even unlikely people joined the church

Problems are solved by Staff Lead/Cross Departmental involved teams.

Q: When was the last time you re-evaluated what is the “core” of what your organization is about?

In five words, describe the Gospel (no hyphenated words or word that being with “God”)

Bill’s 5 words:
Love - John 3:16
Evil - There is the reality of Evil that Love must overwhelm
Rescue - There is a redemption from Evil
Choice -
Restoration - God begins to restore us and our broken world

Q: Have you had your leadership bell rung recently?
Leaders rarely learn anything new without having their “leadership bell” rung.

I Will Love You for the Rest of My Life

2011-08-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

This I promise you.

I LOVE YOU BABE!

YouTube Tuesday

2011-08-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

What is Google+ and do I need it?

The Big Santillan Announcement

2011-07-30T13:55:00.000-05:00

YouTube Tuesday

2011-07-26T07:00:00.001-05:00

Funniest thing I've seen in a while =)

A Soccer Story: The Beginning

2011-07-25T21:45:00.002-05:00

Not many people who have known me over the past ten years may know this, but among the many loves in my life, I have a deep love of the game of soccer. Truth be told, as a short guy whose only physical strength was the ability to run fast and play aggressive, soccer was an obvious sport for me to get engaged in. Not to mention, it was a sport my dad loved to play. (ok...there wasn't a sport my dad didn't love, but that's another story.)

So, this year I have been able to dive back into a sport I loved and grew up playing by assisting in coaching a couple of teams this summer with a good friend of mine who has a HUGE resume of coaching competitive soccer. I helped with coaching a Maple Grove park and rec team as well as assisting as much as I could with a MapleBrook Soccer team. I learned so much this summer about the coaching side of soccer and I am really excited with a new opportunity to coach Armostrong High School's freshman girls soccer.

In more ways than one, this is really meaningful to me.

First off, it's going to be great to be back in the the neighborhood I started my "real world" life in. When I graduated from college, Robbinsdale was the first place I called "home".

Second, I am loving the opportunity to serve in the community in this way. Even though it isn't Maple Grove, Robbinsdale is literally like the next city over - and there's something about getting involved in the community that excites me! Don't get me wrong...I LOVE and am so grateful for the call of God on my life to minister in a local expression of God's Church in Maple Grove.

But being involved in a world that is different from the one that I usually live - a world where I wake up to a Christian home, leave to go to work with Christian co-workers, primarily have lunch and meetings with other followers of Christ, and then go home to my Christian wife to get ready for our Christian baby-sitter to watch our kids while we go to our Christian Bible study with Christian friends - the public school environment reminds me of why I got involved in ministry.

I love the opportunity to be a follower of Christ who sees that his greatest calling in not to be removed from the world, but to live in the world. To tangibly be a light. To not forget to do the work of an evangelist even though I am called to the work of ministry.

I am so grateful for this opportunity - and it kinda reminds me of my days in student ministry, which is another reason I am really excited.

So stay close and hopefully you'll enjoy bearing the journey with me. Tryouts start August 15th, so look for blog updates and keep me in your prayers =)

The History of Rap via Timberlake and Fallon

2011-07-20T14:04:00.002-05:00

Epic.

Enough said!

YouTube Tuesday

2011-07-19T05:57:00.000-05:00

This is for all my AngryBird Lovers out there

HT: Troy Pesola

Google+ and rethinking Facebook

2011-07-16T17:57:00.000-05:00

I've had less than a week of experience with google+ and I am really impressed with it. From the initial introduction to it, I thought is was just another kind of Facebook. In a way it kind of is - but they are also very different from each other.

Needless to say, after spending some time with it and seeing it's potential, I began rethinking my facebook strategy. This article (http://michaelhyatt.com/re-thinking-my-facebook-strategy.html) has got me rethinking how I use facebook. Let me make it clear,

I AM NOT GETTING RID OF MY FACEBOOK

Because there are still a large number of people still utilizing facebook, I would never think of removing myself from the platform. Basically, I will most likely choose to utilize facebook as a place I engage others by communicating, and google+ as a place I share more personal life moments.

Not sure how this will all work, but I am still waiting for Google+ to come out of it's beta stage. No changes really soon, but don't be surprised when they come =)

Happy Birthday Brennan

2011-07-10T10:05:00.003-05:00

I love you son!

Everyday I think about how wonderful these first days were, and look forward to the days I have with you in the future!

Vacation and Casey Anthony

2011-07-09T23:13:00.002-05:00

Well...it's finally over. My vacation that is. As I type this I am reluctant to turn back the email on my phone. It's been nice to not hear that iphone "ding" that sounds every time I get a new email. I am also going to have to change my voice mail from, "I'm on vacation - I may not get back to you" to "Sorry I missed you're call, I'll call you back."

It's been a great week. I am so glad my in-laws live in the middle of nowhere. I get absolutely no signal in their house, the internet is just a tid bit faster than dial-up, and the nearest Target is in the next town.

It was great.

I read a lot. Played and cuddled with the kids a lot. Oh...there was the whole Casey Anthony thing that my wife was absolutely trying to follow all week. I have to be honest...I only put her name in there cause I knew there would be some who would read this just to see what "it was all about".

"What's the picture at the top?"

Good question. It was kind of an ironic picture that represented the whole trip to the in-laws. I have to give credit to Leona. She spotted this perfect picture opportunity. Basically, it's a smart car parked right besides "Buggy Parking". If you don't know what that it is, check this out:

WHAT IS A BUGGY?

So I had a whole bunch of stuff that I was going to write...you know...really DEEP stuff. I thought about putting some thoughts from the books I read over the week, or some great inspirational words about the importance of "disconnecting". But as I sit and write this, I can only think of how awesome a time I have with my family. So I'll just end this great week of vacation with these pictures.


The Kids

The Human Oreo (aka the "outlaws", aka the guys who married the Beron sisters)

At Grandma's House

How's your summer been?

Book Review: Switch by Chip and Dan Heath

2011-07-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

Point #1. You need to buy/read this book

The subtitle of Chip and Dan Heath's book, Switch, is "How to change things when change is hard." I first heard this book at the willow creek leadership summit I was at last year. And after hearing a keynote address regarding this book, I knew I had to have it. It wasn't until borders went out of business did I get the book since it's $26 price tag was not that all appealing.

SO what do I think about this book? Well, first of all - this book would have been worth the $26 if I hadn't got it 75% off at the Borders going out of business sale. Why?

There isn't quite anything that motivates me than the idea of change.

Don't ask me why. I thought this was something that has developed over time as I grew as a leader and grew as a reader. But after finding a grade school soliloquy I wrote entitled "Why is Change Hard?" I realized very quickly that I have always been a person open to change. And why is that? Because the belief that things can change - that things can be better than they are right now in the near future - is what motivates me to live.

Because I live life from this paradigm I often see myself at the helm of movements for change, and my experience has been that...well...it's hard to change things when change is hard. This book has been not only VERY insightful, but very practical. Micheal Hyatt does a good job giving you the bullet points of the book here, so I'm not going to waste my time to repeat them. Instead, I'll give you some of my favorite quotes.

3 Surprising things about change

What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem
What looks like laziness is often exhaustion
What looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity

SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Timely) presume the emotion. In looking for a goal that reaches the Elephant - that hits people in the gut - you can't bank on SMART goals.
When you think about the people whose behavior needs to change, ask whether they would agree with this statement: "I aspire to be the kind of person who would make this change."
Everything looks like a failure in the middle [of change]
Fundamental Attribution Error...our inclination to attribute people's behaviors to the way they are rather than to the situation they are in.

Seriously...there is so much good stuff in this book. I highly recommend this book no matter who you are or what you do for a living. If you desire to make any difference in the world, that means change. And if you want to navigate change effectively, I believe the principals in this book are irrerplaceable.

Sunday Morning Set List//June 19 & 26

2011-06-29T14:11:00.001-05:00

Sorry I've missed posting this the last few weeks. So to catch up, here are the past few set lists.

This past week I was teaching so I did not lead at either of our service. Don't ask me why, but I just kind of get creeped out by the "I'm a preacher and I sing too" deal. Because of that I never like to lead worship when I preach. It was also communion Sunday, which tends to be a little less "energized" as is the custom here at MGEFC and the songs reflect that. Also, we had one of our other worship leaders that I am mentoring lead. Carlton did a great job with that service. By the way, when I have other worship leaders lead, I usually let them choose the songs they want to lead.

There are a lot of times people ask about the songs we do at each of our different services, and since we offer two distinct services at MGEFC, I thought it would be great for those (or the few) that read this blog to get a picture of what our Sunday morning set lists are like.

JUNE 19th

The Current
For All You've Done/ Hillsong
Indescribable/Tomlin
Take My Life/Tomlin
Enough/Tomlin

The Current:Remix
Our God is Love/Hillsong
You'll Come/Hillsong
Remain/Starfield
How He Loves/McMillan

JUNE 26th
The Current
You Never Let Go/Redman
Beauty of the Lord/Anderson
Knowing You/Kendrick
I Will Love/Hillsong

The Current:Remix
Our God/Tomlin
High and Lifted Up/Hillsong
Lead me to the Cross/Hillsong
Here I am to Worship/Tomlin

Everything is a Remix: Short Film

2011-06-23T10:02:00.003-05:00

"Beatles. Star Wars. Led Zeppelin. All remixes...There is nothing new. No one is really making anything new."

I have been waiting for this since I saw this and then this.

Everything is a Remix Part 3 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Do you agree?

Book Review: How to Start a New Service by Charles Arn

2011-06-16T06:09:00.000-05:00

This book found itself on my desk today because of changes that are happening in the fall at Maple Grove Free Church. Because of the growth that we are seeing in our church we are running out of room and are in need of implementing a new service. So this fall we are planning to start an 8:15am service.

A staff person who had this book, How to Start a New Service (though had never read it) thought it might be a helpful resource. I will say that after reading it I thought it was a helpful book, but not helpful towards giving us information regarding the direction we are moving this fall. Actually, within the first few chapters of the book, the writer actually says that this book is not for churches that are looking to implement a new service - meaning an additional service identical to one that is already existing - as much as it is for churches that are looking to add a new service that is quite different for the type of services they are doing now.

It was very interesting to read this book, seeing that last fall we actually implemented this type of change. We used to be a church with only one style of worship service, but now we are a service of two styles. Here are some notes I took during my reading of the book:

pg 15 Do not add a church service if community it the highest priority of your church
If your leaders and/or members...are primarily committed to preserving "one happy family," an attempt to begin a new service will be frustrating and probably fail.
churches in the 60-80 percent range of sanctuary capacity-the point at which a new service is most likely to negatively affect the growth of the existing services
Members must ask, Who is the new service for? Why are we starting a new service? How are these new people going to be reached?
Pg 28 regarding new visitors....Are we a church that has a culture of inviting people? Are we a culture that embraces the visitor?
Pg 31. A mistake some churches make in an effort to broaden the generational and/or spiritual range of people attracted to their existing service(s) is to diversify the music or liturgical style. In so doing, however, most churches actualy diminish the effectiveness of their present service(s) among every people group including their predominant one
PG 67 The visionaries go to more progressive churches and the stalwarts to more traditional ones. The question is: Who would you rather keep?
pg 92 research says that 96% of all church services in america focus on either baby boomer christians (1946-64) or Senior christians (pre 1946)
pg 135 about going from 2 services to 3

Adding a 3rd service at 8:30am ... places two burdens on your new service - it will tend to start small because it is new and it will tend to remain small because it is early.

PG 142-143 Among researchers and church growth authorities, there is almost universal consensus that planting a new church is the best means of reaching new people with the Good News.
pg 153-154 The keys to designing services

The service is not the message, the service is the message
Well attended services are well prepared services

Overall this was a pretty good book, and by the metrics found here, you could say that our church has successfully navigated what could have potentially been a change with negative ramifications. I will admit that there were many points at which the books information or suggestions sounded very outdated. It was obvious that the information was when I finally looked at the front of the book and found it was published in 1997.

So while this was a good and enjoyable read, I don't really recommend it. There are tons of other resources that have more relevancy for ministry in the year 2011.

Sunday Morning Set List//June 12

2011-06-15T06:00:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday we found ourselves with a "Tribute to Paul Baloche" day (unintentionally) at one of our services. =) His music style really fits our First Service format. We also introduced a new song at our Remix service by OneSonicSociety, Forever Reign. Here is our set lists from this past Sunday including the list from our Remix service:

The Current
Our God Saves/Paul Baloche
All the Earth Will Sing Your Praises/Paul Baloche
Hosanna/Paul Baloche
Beauty of the Lord/Jared Anderson

Remix
Forever Reign/OneSonicSociety
All Because of Jesus/Fee
Reign in Us/Starfield
From the Inside Out/Hillsong

There are a lot of times people ask about the songs we do at each of our different services, and since we offer two distinct services at MGEFC, I thought it would be great for those (or the few) that read this blog to get a picture of what our Sunday morning set lists are like.

Someteimes POLICIES just get in the way

2011-06-09T15:47:00.000-05:00

Don't believe me...just watch this guy.

If you are a leader, be careful that the policies you make are not just representations of mistakes you have made in the past. Make sure that they function to actually help and promote the results you actually want. Otherwise, get rid of them.

HT: Tom deBruyn

Book Review: How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins

2011-06-07T09:30:00.000-05:00

When I read Jim Collin's book, Good to Great I felt it was a game changer for anyone interested in leading their organization from Good to Great. I personally learned so much about how to build healthy and productive teams from that book that I was very interested to hear what Jim Collin's had to say about how some of the greatest companies in America we knew or know fall, and also how to "Never Give In."

If you want to read my review of that book from several years ago you can visit it here: Phil's Book Review of Jim Collin's Good to Great

A first look at the title of this book can give you the impression that this is a book totally committed to criticizing how great companies have fallen over the years. What you'll be surprised about is Jim Collin's great care to communicate to the reader that he is writing this book so that good companies be wary of the things that cause good companies to fall as well as offer up opinions based on hundreds of years of data that suggests how (even if you are already in decline) you can see positive movement.

When I read books like these (meaning leadership, management, or organizational leadership books from a non-religious perspective) I am always asking, "What can I learn from this book that can help me lead well as a Pastor?"

Here are some interesting quotes in Jim Collin's book that stood out to me (my thoughts in RED):

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in it's own way." - Anna Karenina
I've concluded that there are more ways to fall than to become great.
Luck and chance play a role in many successful outcomes and those who fail to acknowledge the role luck may have played in their success-and thereby overestimate their own merit and capabilities-have succumbed to hubris. As a follower of Christ, I see it less as luck and chance and more of God's providence, which still should keep me from thinking that any success I accomplish is less about me and more about God's sovereignty.
Hubris is defined as excessive pride that brings down a hero, or...outrageous arrogance that inflicts suffering upon the innocent.
The real lesson is that Circuit City left itself exposed by not revitalizing its electronic superstores with as much passion and intensity as when it first began building that business two decades earlier. Reminds me what was written to the church in Ephesus in Revalation 2.
No company can consistently grow revenues faster than its ability to get enough of the right people to implement that growth and still become a great company. Reminds me of my study through a book called Deliberate Simplicity (click to read my review).
When bureaucratic rules erode an ethic freedom and responsibility within a framework of core values and demanding standards, you've become infected with the disease of mediocrity.
Every person in a key seat should be able to respond to the question, " What do you do?" not with a job title, but with a statement of personal responsibility.
Our research across multiple studies (Good to Great, Built to Last, How the Mighty Fall, and our ongoing research into what it takes to prevail in turbulent environments) shows a distinct negative correlation between building great companies and going outside for a CEO.

I could go on and on. This was a really insightful book. MUCH shorter that his last book Good to Great. If you're involved in organizational leadership at any level I highly recommend this book for your consideration.

Sunday Morning Set List//June 5

2011-06-06T12:27:00.002-05:00

This Past Sunday we had really two distinct services. At our first service we recognized graduates, and Pastor Paul taught about living a passionate life. Because of the nature of the service, we went with a "celebration theme" at 1st and Pastor Paul's passage in Luke 19 begged that we do Hosanna at our Remix service.

There are a lot of times people ask about the songs we do at each of our different services, and since we offer two distinct services at MGEFC, I thought it would be great for those (or the few) that read this blog to get a picture of what our Sunday morning set lists are like.

The Current
Friend of God/Gungor
Blessed Be Your Name/Redman
Wonderful Maker/Redman & Tomlin
Great is Thy Faithfulness

The Current:Remix
Run/Hillsong
Let God Arise/Chris Tomlin
The Saving One/Starfield
Hosanna/Hillsong

I am NOT the most creative guy

2011-05-31T06:47:00.000-05:00

...but I sure do get to work with some of the most creative people I personally know.

It's been two years in the making, but the post-production team of MGEFC has recently been assembed this past week we put together a great video to recap our recent "all church campaign" where we dedicated a whole Sunday to going out into our community.

Seriously...we have some wicked talented people on this team. I've got creative writers who can tell stories like no one's business and have fresh ideas coming out of places I didn't know you could have creative ideas come from. I've got talented photographers, experienced videographers, post-production video and audio engineers - really great people! I thank the Lord everyday for what he's doing at MGEFC and who he's bringing.

So where's the video? Here it is...in HD!!

The Church Has Left The Building Highlights from Maple Grove EFC on Vimeo.

Team members on this project:
Phil Ladisa(Videographer/Producer/Editor), Eric England(Videographer), Nolan Wike(Videographer), John Anderson (Videographer)

Footage was taken on varios equipment, but primarily on a Canon 60D and a Canon 7D.
Edited in Adobe Premier Pro CS5

Music: I Refuse by Josh Wilson

Real Heros

2011-05-30T09:15:00.002-05:00

This says enough.

As a filipino living in america, I have a lot of heros to be thankful for. Can't make the connection. Remember this?

Everything? Really?

2011-05-28T05:34:00.012-05:00

I want to be known as a man after God's own heart. It's the highest goal of my life. I also want to be known as the man who "will do everything [God wants] him to do" or as another translation puts it, a man "who will do all my will."

While that is understandably noble of me, my interpretation of how that looks in reality and how it is actualized in scripture often times gets off track. Let me explain.

Whenever I read the scriptures I am inspired to move from where I am to where I know God wants me to be. The problem is that often times, like a little kid eager to put together his new model kit, I assume the process (the instructions) of how I am to reach my goal (making the model car) and passionately try to work towards the finished product of my desire.

My problem is that I too often assume the HOW before completely understanding the WHY.

I don't know about you, but often times I confuse the phrase "who did everything God wanted him to do" with "EVERYTHING he did was what God wanted him to do." And what happens when I find that my life choices are inconsistent with what God's Word defines as Godly behaviors? I start to find myself discouraged and begin to feel there is no hope for me being a man after God's own heart.

But fortunately God's Word is there to put me in my place.

When I read Acts 13:22 - understanding the context of David's life - I realize that even despite David's sins and imperfections, God had a way of accomplishing all his will through David. Not only that, David was still considered a man after God's own heart.

But why?

Because "everything" doesn't mean "EVERYTHING" when our perspectives are not right.

Today I am encouraged that the HOW (works) is not as important as the WHY (love for God).

(Don't misunderstand me...I fully believe and affirm the theological implications of James 2)

When you find a continuous, committed, and passionate love for God - even when you're caught with your hand in the cookie jar - you will be remembered as a person after God's own heart and you will be positioned so all of God's will is accomplished through you.

All you accomplish may not be God's will, but that's where God's nature takes over.

Psalm 103:8-18
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-

18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

Book Review: Visioneering by Andy Stanley

2011-05-26T08:40:00.001-05:00

I absolutely LOVE reading books regarding leadership, vision, etc. A couple of weeks ago I finished reading Andy Stanley's book, Visioneering "God's blueprint for developing and maintaining vision." While this book could be already considered "old" I found myself totally captured by the relevancy of it's content for today.

I've ready many books regarding vision and leadership. The ones by Christian Authors usually do a great job of connecting principles of leadership and vision with scriptural truth. What I fell in love with from the beginning of Visioneering was that Andy connect scripture with leadership and vision truths. In other words, instead of making his book about principles of leadership and vision with supporting scriptures, he takes scripture and from scripture helps you understand the obvious principles of leadership and vision that God has already established in the examples of His word.

Good stuff!

I don't want to give the whole book away, so you're going to have to read it yourself, but here are some of my favorite highlights from the book.

When hopes become realities it is easy to shift our faith onto the thing we have dreamed of and off the One who was the source of our provision.
A vision does not necessarily require immediate action. But it will probably require some in-depth investigation.
Vision requires courage and confidence. It requires launching out as if you were absolutely assured of the outcome.
The people who make a difference in this world commit to what could be before they know where the money is coming from...Money usually follows vision. It rarely happens the other way around.
...be careful not to allow the pursuit of your vision to be replaced with crisis management
Visionaries must be influencers if they are going to see their visions through from start to finish. You must be able to move people from where they are to where you believe they could and should be.
Moral authority is the credibility you earn by walking your talk. It is the relationship other people see between what you say and what you do.
Moral authority is what makes you a leader worth following.
Moral authority is NOT a method...genuine moral authority is not something a leaders sets out to develop in order to become a better leader or to gain influence with people.
More often than not, it is good things that have the greatest potential to distract you from the best things, the vision things.

This book, in my opinion, is a must read for every leader. I almost loved this book more than Andy Stanley's Next Generation Leader, thought I would recommend both.

Hugging your neighbor's wife

2011-05-24T10:36:00.008-05:00

Yesterday i found myself both uncomfortable and embarrassed. Have you ever felt that way?

Yesterday I found myself hugging my neighbor's wife.

Maybe I should give you some background. As I was working on my yard, my next door neighbor's wife came out to work on hers. She's a really nice lady- ~~a little~~ very shy - but friendly none the less.

On a side note, my wife and I had noticed that we haven't seen her husband around in a while. Don't get us wrong, we are good neighbors, but we're definitely not "nosey nieghbors." We assumed a couple of different scenarios, but never really asked. We figured we would find that answer out someday, so no need to create a potentially awkward situation.

Well...the awkward situation found me.

The gap in between kindly saying hi to my neighbor's wife and me getting back to heading towards trimming my yard is filled with boring descriptions of me describing in detail the proper use of weed and feed and all that jazz short. What happened next totally caught me off guard.

As I walked away to go back to trimming my yard, in a timid, yet slightly raised voice she said,

"Thanks...you know it's been tough since my husband died"

DIED? Her husband died? I turned around and all I could say was I am sorry. I asked when it happened and she told me how he passed last summer. He had gone in for shoulder pain and the doctor originally thought it was some type of arthritis. But when the treatment he prescribed wasn't working, they went back. This time they took some x-rays, and things didn't look right. When they took a CT scan they found out why.

Cancer had overtaken the bone marrow in his arm - and was actually spreading all throughout his body. From the day they heard that news, until his death was only 4 months.

I was embarrassed because I didn't ask what happened to him when we noticed he was gone. Being that they were about the same age as our parents (and also have a son old enough to be my brother), I kind of naturally assumed a number of different situations: they were separated or he had moved back to California for work.

Then I became uncomfortable. I didn't know what to say, so I simply asked if I could pray with her. She said yes. And as I extended my hand to pray, this short little Chinese lady reached up, hugged my neck, and began to cry on my shoulder. As I prayed with her the embarrassment and uncomfortablity that once clouded my emotions was overcome by compassion and love.

My family and I have been feeling the Lord challenging us towards living our lives with a more missional mindset/paradigm, I am beginning to see how God begins to ordain open doors towards living a "great commission" life and I believe he is opening these doors because we are asking for it.

And that was my day.

How was yours?

We have a dysfunctional relationship with hard work

2011-05-20T08:02:00.000-05:00

I stole this video post from a facebook post my good friend Brent Ashley, owner of Maid Pro Maple Grove, placed on his wall.

I know the video is 8.5 minutes, but it is a very insightful and possibly controversial topic.

What do you think?

The small group you've always wanted!

2011-05-18T22:19:00.001-05:00

ok...maybe not, but this is super funny!

Glad to be part of a small group that I can live REAL LIFE with. How about you, fellow follower of Christ?

How are you connected in community and accountability?

Sunday Morning Set List//May 15

2011-05-17T22:38:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of times people ask about the songs we do at each of our different services, and since we offer two distinct services at MGEFC, I thought it would be great for those (or the few) that read this blog to get a picture of what our Sunday morning set lists are like.

The Current
You Said/Shane & Shane Arr.
Blessed Be Your Name/Matt Redman
Here I am to Worship/Chris Tomlin

The Current: Remix
Let God Arise/Chris Tomlin
Run/Hillsong
Desert Song/Hillsong
Remain/Starfield

What to do when "Who You Are" is not "Who You Were"

2011-05-14T06:57:00.003-05:00

I knew a guy who had a problem. He had really turned his life around - really. The problem was, no one believed that who he now was could be possible because he had built such a long history of himself based on who he was.

Check his story out here.

Can you relate?

If you are a follower of Christ, you have the awesome opportunity to be a person who the Lord is continually "transforming" (Romans 12). The problem is - that even those close to you - will sometimes see you in the light of who you were instead of who you now are.

My Advice?

Be patient with those who may not see the changes for good that God has done in your life. Yes, you may be different and God sees you for who you are, but people are people. They do not have the benefit of seeing as the Lord sees. And for some, they will never have the capacity of forgiveness that the Lord has and will always see you for who you were.

1 Thessalonians 2:4
On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

Serve Him/Give Your Heart to Jesus

2011-05-13T19:36:00.002-05:00

I like to appear...

2011-05-11T07:08:00.008-05:00

I like to look in shape. So I wear the clothes that are tight in just the right spots and aren't tight in the spots that...well...would not be right. I talk about how much I can bench press and how many push-ups on an incline I can do. I like to show off how quick I am by demonstrating my agility in short little pick up games of basketball or football. I even eat a healthy meal in front of others and drink only diet soda.

But the problem is not that I WANT to look in shape. The problem is that I want to be in shape by constantly trying to LOOK in shape. My focus is on how I look and not what I'm dedicated to. To be in shape means that you'll see the habits of your life in a fundamentally different way.

You won't change the way you dress.

You'll change the way you live.

And if you are someone like me, that means you have to change from the inside out.

It doesn't help that I sometimes succeed in tricking people into thinking I've lost HUGE amounts of weight or have been working out a lot because it just makes me think that I'm reaching my goal of being in shape. The problem is that I just APPEAR to be GETTING in shape - but in reality not actually!

I know of a guy who had a similar problem.

He loved being Christian. Funny thing is that he always wasn't like that. In fact he was probably the most "Un-Christian" person you would know.

The truth is that everyone in his hometown knew about him. And it wasn't that he was a criminal. It was because he was popular! It didn't matter how rich, or how poor your were, if you were from this guy's hometown, you knew about him and you wanted to hang with this guy! He was the coolest...but he was not a Christian.

Then something amazing happened in the guy's life. All of a sudden there came a moment in time where he realized that life wasn't all about him and eventually found out about the truth of Christ. And when he believed in Christ and became baptized, we was constantly amazed by all the wonderful things he began to experience and the miracles he witnessed. The thing that captured him the most was seeing these guys, who were totally sold out for God, ministering to people and seeing God's Holy Spirit enter their lives. He decided right then and there that's what he wanted to do. He wanted to be a minister just like them.

Doesn't sound like he's got a problem, right? Well there is! Don't believe me? Check out what Luke the apostle has to say about this guy

* (Acts 8:9-24)

Simon's problem was that he enjoyed being Christian without actually embracing the change that defines what a Christian is. While his behaviors and beliefs were different, he wasn't a new creation.

Being different does not mean you're a new creation, but being a new creation will mean that things will be different.

Are you a new creation?

YouTube Tuesday

2011-05-10T05:54:00.003-05:00

This month is Asian/Pacific Islander awareness month. I know...you've been waiting for it forever! While a lot of my friends would say I am the whitest filipino they know, I am still a first generation filipino and proud to be one (mostly because I never really have to pay to go tanning!)

So here's a video showing what it means to speak with a filipino accent.

It feels like I'm living in the bay area again!

So what are you reading?

2011-05-09T06:00:00.016-05:00

Last night I just finished reading Andy Stanley's book, Visioneering. A review on this book isn't what this post is about. I'll save it for later this week.

What I really want to do is publicly reflect on what finishing a book did for me. Granted, reading books like Visioneering doesn't replace the overwhelming meaning and significance of having regular times of study and reflection from the bible. But if the saying "Leaders are Readers" is true, then as a leader of my family - I owe it to my wife and my children to be the best leader I can be.

SO...all you leaders out there...

What are you reading?

The DIY Custom Ear Bud Project

2011-05-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

The beautiful and sad future of our churches

2011-04-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

For today we would like to present yet another stunning conversion of a 1850′ s Church into a modern residence.

http://freshome.com/2011/04/28/1850s-church-transformed-into-stunning-bluestone-residence/

That is, only if our churches are buildings and not people.

1 Corinthians 3:17

My Thoughts on the "Royal Wedding"

2011-04-29T09:33:00.002-05:00

The G.O.S.P.E.L

2011-04-27T19:33:00.002-05:00

This is absolutely sick! A must watch...

Tweets from the N. Central Districe EFCA Conference

2011-04-11T16:38:00.005-05:00

Here are the tweets updated live from the conference I am at.

Social Network: The tools I use

2011-04-09T07:41:00.000-05:00

I am not the best at blogging, nor am I the most effect user of twitter, but I wanted to share the tools I have learned to use to help me stay connected via social media.

1. Schedule your posts
This is how I am able to post as many blog posts as I can on a regular basis. The truth is that I do not have time everyday to write on my blog, and sometimes there are weeks or months that I am so busy that I don't have time to write any posts.

But this doesn't mean I can't still be making posts.

For instance, I didn't write this post you're reading and automatically post it. I wrote this on a day off when I had some extra time to sit down and write several posts. In the past I used to have things that I wanted to share on my blog and just automatically post them. This resulted in a blog that would have anywhere between 2-5 posts on one day, and then 2-5 weeks of no posts. This is a big no-no for proper blog etiquette.

2. Automate your tweets
Utilizing twitter is a great tool, but it can also be a big distraction. So there are a couple of tools I use to stay engaged in social media, but still stay engaged in the everyday face to face social interactions (family, friends, etc.)

twitterfeed

If you make a blog post, the only people who know that you do it are your blog subscribers. If you're like me, that's not that many people. So how do make sure you communicate it? Broadcast it! I use twitterfeed to automatically post info about my blog post to twitter and also to facebook.

socialoomph

This is how you "tweet without tweeting". Now I have to admit this is somewhat against the whole idea of what twitter is, but as a person who not only uses twitter to connect but communicate, there are somethings that I don't have to say RIGHT NOW, so I use socialoomph to schedule things I want to tweet. This is especially helpful when I want to tweet when I know that I really can't tweet.

selective tweets

Some people don't like twitter because they say it's like facebook status update on steriods. It's true. There are some people who utilize their status updates on facebook like a twitter update, and I don't want to be "that guy". But there are times I want to say something to both facebook and twitter, but I don't want to write the same thing in two different places. So how do I do this? I use the facebook app called selective tweets. LOVE IT! All I have to do us tweet with" #fb" and it will post to facebook as my status update.

Social media isn't for everyone, but just because it isn't for everyone doesn't mean that it is wrong for everyone. You can make it work for you if you want it to.

How to make social media part of your life, not become your life

2011-04-07T07:23:00.019-05:00

There are a lot of people who misunderstand the amount of time it takes to engage in social media. It is true, that engaging in social media can overcome your life. But this is true only if social media is part of the "entertainment" of your life.

There are are probably two types of people who are reading this blog. Ok, maybe three, but basically there are three types of people who make social media part of their world. I'll categorize them as this:

The Consumer: People who read this, follow me on facebook, or follow my tweets are basically doing so because they simply just get a kick out of viewing this information. They will most likely never comment on any blog post I make. They won't leave a note on my wall. They won't engage in any dialogue via twitter. If anything, they occasionally hit that "like" button on facebook. Their primary use of social media is to see if it's interesting and to see if it will be interesting long term.
The Promoter: These are the type of people who run into either my blog or twitter because they were searching for a way to make "network connections" or they found me on facebook because we had mutual friends. These are the people who are less likely to ever read more than the initial blog post or tweet they first were introduced to me by, and for sure will never interact with me on facebook. The Promoter's main goal is to tell you what they are up to and how you can get connected to their life. These usually are singer/songwriters who want you to come to their show, Multi-Level Marketers looking for ways to help you "make money while doing less" (you won't), or people who want to tell you they just got a new chicken in farmville(yes, there is a guidebook for that game!).
The Philanthropist: These are people who - even before social media - loved people and approached initiated relationships with an interpersonal mindset. In other words, these are people who love people. Even more so, they love to not only share life with others, but also love to learn about life from others. They not only see that their life experience is something worth sharing, but also believe that gaining knowledge about other people made their life better. These are the people that move beyond "liking" your posts or just retweeting (RT) everything you tweet. These are the people who utilize social networking as the way to "stoke the fire" of a healthy relationship already established, or one in the making.

The honest truth is that you can be all three depending on who you are connecting with. While I don't have as many "facebook friends" as I know some have, or "twitter followers" as others - the reality is that there are people I am connected to via social networking that are to me just consumers or promoters. And vice versa is true.

Funny thing is that I'll often go through facebook or twitter and "unfriend" people who I've never had an online or personal interaction with. Then a few months later, this person will send a friend request again. So to one person I am just a promoter, while at the same time to me they are the consumer.

But the best usage of social media (and the main reason I utilize it) is to connect interpersonally with people. In the best case scenario, engaging in social media isn't a new form of entertainment. It is a tool for making the connections to want to make with people because....well...you love people!

What say you? How do you feel social networking helps or hurts the relationships you make/cultivate?

Or are you just in it because, in another life, could be stalker and social media helps you do it....legally? ;)

Creatives are like ninjas...

2011-04-06T07:52:00.001-05:00

Hey Creatives....what are your secret ninja weapons?

Everyone's got them. They are the tools that helps them in their everyday. Sometimes they are simple and obvious (like your kung-fu powered tiger grips!) and sometimes they are state of the art and highly sophisticated (like your multiple alloyed ninja sword forged in the fires of volcanoes!)

Ok that's all a little silly, but seriously - we all have tools that we rely on on to accomplish the things we do. For some it's a pen and a stack of 3x5 cards. Some it's having one of every state of the art piece of equipment that starts with the letter "i" (and not an uppercase "I"...only a lower case "i")

So here is what I rely on to get done what I need to get done.

TOOL BOXES

15″ MacBook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3
iPhone 3GS
Targus Groove Notebook Backpack

TOOLS (online)

Google (Mail, Docs, Calendar)
Google Voice (it deserves it’s own line item!)
Dropbox
Planning Center Online
Song Select

TOOLS (mac)

Things (the single best task management software. Without it I would probably never get anything done....seriously!)
Evernote (Seriously use this almost everyday. Syncs to the web and to my Mac. Every creative should be using this. Makes life easier)
Adobe CS3 Suite
After Effects
Final Cut Studio
Pro Tools 9
Tweetdeck ( I hated on this app for a while and spent some time with Nambu, but I'm back to tweetdeck)
Skype (It's how I connect with the fam during the workday. It's not a distraction. It's a necessity!)
Handbrake (gets rid of the use of DVD's, cutting down a need for a DVD player at our services.)
Pro Presenter

TOOLS (iphone)

Evernote
PCO (I can communicate with the production team from backstage with this app. Also, they made awesome improvements that literally gives me the same control of PCO that I have accessing it via my laptop.)
Remote (Honestly, I just use this to mess with the sound guy during preservice music by changing the music. Also use it to change the song if the preservice song that is playing happens to be the first song in our worship set.)

So....I hope this helps you guys find something useful.
These are the tools that help me
Let’s make the comment section of this post our "digital Home Depot."

What are your secret ninja weapons?

Easter 2010 Time Lapse

2011-04-05T07:51:00.001-05:00

I'm getting excited about Easter this year! Thought I'd toss a simple time lapse video of the set strike from last year's stage set up. Enjoy!

Stage take down: Time lapse from Phillip Santillan on Vimeo.

Why the iPad is dead to me

2011-04-04T08:25:00.005-05:00

I know...for those of you who know me, this kind of seems like an oxymoron. Why would I not like the ipad or any product mac likes?

Don't get me wrong, I like the iPad (or the iPad 2) but until I can really be productive with it, it is dead to me.

Michael Hyatt, on his blog, describes what he calls 3 types of computer users:

Media Consumer: These are users who mostly consume media. The iPad is a fantastic device for this kind of user. You can consume media of all types: movies, books, web surfing, etc. If this describes you, the iPad may be the perfect device.
Digital Contributor: These are users who are more than consumers. They also contribute and collaborate via the web. They read and respond to email, blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. The iPad is a decent device for this. The software keyboard is more clumsy than a physical one, and it doesn’t have all the features I have grown accustomed to. I especially miss my keyboard shortcuts and special typographic characters.
Content Creator: These are users who create content. In addition to consuming media and collaborating via the web, they also create content. This includes serious bloggers, book authors, graphic artists, videographers, etc. Yes, there are applications to do all these things. (Heck, you can do most of these things on your iPhone.) But, in my experience, it requires way more work.

To put is simply, on an everyday basis, I am a content creator. My current stage in life finds me needing to spend more time working on the Adobe Creative Suite, ProTools, or Final Cut Studio, than playing Angry Birds. Plus, almost everything I can do with an iPad I can do with my iPhone.

So why even write about this? Well a lot of people see me as a real big mac enthusiast, and recently, I've been asked quite a bit, "Should I get an iPad?"

And I find myself answering their question with a question. "What do you want to do?"

For now, I'll play games on my iPhone and be happy with my MacBook Pro.

Sunday Morning Set List

2011-04-03T11:30:00.004-05:00

Here was our worship set list for this morning's services:

The Current:

The Current: Remix

Recap from The Elephant Room Conference

2011-04-02T11:03:00.003-05:00

I was really excited when I heard about The Elephant Room Conference. The idea of pastors of churches that are very different from each other joining to engage in "Conversations we thought we'd never hear" was very intriguing to me.

Walking away from the conference, I felt like they sort of accomplished this goal, but as one pastor in the room commented at the break,

"The scope of what they are addressing is very small, and there is still a lot of 'Elephant in the Room-like Conversations' that could and should be addressed."

I'm not going to try to write all my notes from the conference. Most of my notes were posted on twitter which you can see here:

Phil's Tweets from Elephant Room Conference

I appreciated the event and took away a lot from it, but I honestly probably took a lot more away from following the event with my tweetdeck open and engaging other tweeters in discussion about the topics they addressed.

There are many blogs you can get recaps of this event. Here are just a few (besides my own)

Here are just a few of my personal notes and questions I had after leaving the event:

I am not making it a racial thing, but I would have loved to seen someone who wasn't Caucasian, and more of a balance of people with successful churches that don't multi-site. I am not against it personally, but I think there are a lot of people who are against multi-site only because the fear what that would mean to the impact of their church.
David Platt did seem a lot different than the other pastors - not in a negative way - but just different. I think what I first saw as "getting it handed to him" was evidently a situation where very strong personalities overwhelmed a person with a more reserved personality. Don't be mistaken...YOUR PERSONALITY DOESN'T TELL ME ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR STATE OF HUMILITY! I am kind of tired of hearing from both sides that either being more reserved is a sign of humility, or being outgoing is a sign of pride. Those are totally unbiblical assumptions.
I would have love to hear more from David Platt about his biblical view of money, possessions, materialism, etc. Unfortunately, he kept on getting interrupted. Reminded me of what i seem to notice News Network anchors do to many of their guests on their show. I'll probably hve to pick up his book.
I've had a general respect for James MacDonald, but I am still deciding whether or not what I interpret as subtle hints of pride is just an outset of the personality God has given him. I think I felt him get really defensive when it came to the money part. While I do agree with him on many points, conversation with other staff members who went made me second guess his intent behind his words. The jury is still out.
As a former Calvary Chapel pastor, I would have loved to hear more from Greg Laurie.
I've followed Steven Furtick's ministry since it he and his staff hit the scene and had many questions about him. Those were mostly answered. Still a big fan of not only what God is doing at Elevation church, but loving how God is leading their leadership in what I can observe all the way here in MN.
I wonder if there were other pastors who were invited to be a part, but declined

If so, I wonder who they were and why they decided not to be a part

I would have loved to hear about topics such as

Pastoral Succession
Church Polity Models

I hope this isn't the last of Elephant Room Conferences.

If you could have spiritual leaders you respect gather around to talk about "Elephant in the Room-like" discussions, what are the questions you would have?

Final Last Words

2011-01-30T14:55:00.000-06:00

ok...Leona is looking over my shoulder while I write this and just saw the title and said,

"That isn't your FINAL last words..."

She's right

Again.

So I guess I'll just post something that I'm borrowing from my facebook page and let that speak for itself.

I will do more than belong - I will participate.
I will do more than care - I will help.
I will do more than believe - I will practice.
I will do more than be fair - I will be kind.
I will do more than forgive - I will forget.
I will do more than dream - I will work.
I will do more than teach - I will inspire.
I will do more than give - I will serve.
I will do more than live - I will grow.
I will do more than suffer - I will triumph.
-William Arthur Ward

Dear 30's...here I come! =)

A Birthday Request

2011-01-29T14:05:00.000-06:00

(via my wife...)

Yes...it's a broom.

Plug your ears

2011-01-23T14:52:00.000-06:00

Funniest tweet of the day!

Another subtle (& ridiculously priced) birthday hint ;)

2011-01-22T13:04:00.001-06:00

The Canon 5D Mark II

Caption please...

2011-01-20T14:09:00.000-06:00

Yes... this really exists. Make sure you read the comments. Hilarious!

Subtle Birthday Hints ;)

2011-01-17T16:14:00.000-06:00

The Mesa Boogie Lone Star Special

The Tithe

2011-01-14T04:35:00.000-06:00

I ran across a person's website who I never really got to know, but from what I know is a passionate follower of Christ. Gray and I went to church together for a time and is a very intelligent man who is asking some really great questions on his blog.

On this blog post I left a comment about tithing

I know tithing is a sensitive subject, but I thought I'd open up the conversation to see if we can learn from one another. I'd love to hear about your perspectives that you came to out of your personal study of God's word.

So what say you?

(* Note: I usually don't monitor my comments, but because of the nature of this post I will. So play nice!)

The Road to 30

2011-01-13T18:41:00.000-06:00

I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm really excited about what turning 30 in a few weeks means to me.

I'd would also be lying if I didn't admit that it scares me like crazy. There's no logic to why, but it still makes sense to me. I feel like my life is both culminating into something great while at the same time it feels like I am starting off into a new chapter of my life that's waiting for me to lead it into insignificance. I look at my life and sometimes am excited at where I am and where God has brought me, but also simultaneously wondering with hopeful expectation that God is not done with me. I know he's not, but those are my insecurities none the less.

~~Sometimes I miss...~~

ok...here's the truth. I just spent the last 30 minutes writing, then deleting, then re-writing, then deleting some things that I feel are on my heart. Then I realized some things.

I need to go to bed...it's getting late!

If I continue to talk about the things I miss I'll be one of "those people" who are defined by the things that were, instead of living in contentment of what is and having a hopeful expectation for what will be.

I am taking this "turning 30" this too seriously!

SO...with that said, good night!

How can I pray with you?

2011-01-12T17:33:00.000-06:00

What's on your heart?

Ready?

Set?

Share...

Journal with me

2011-01-10T06:21:00.000-06:00

Started an online journal as I go through the bible again this year.

Journey with me at inojournal.tumblr.com

Worship: The Beauty and Tension

2011-01-09T19:52:00.001-06:00

There is a beauty and tension (in my opinion) when it comes to the use of music in worship within the congregational setting. For every instance of music being an integral part of a revival setting, it has also been part of some of the most heated debates in the church. Let me explain.

Have you heard this phrase about a worship song?

That song is unfit for church services because of its lack of musical taste and "total absence of the spirit of religion."

So did believers in the 1800's. This was said about the beloved "O Holy Night", not a song written by a modern worship song writer from 2011.

What worship song writer was accused sounding too much like secular music?

That's right...you guessed it! Fanny Crosby, writer of hymns such as "Blessed assurance" or "To God be the Glory". One biography of Fanny Crosby (ISBN 1-55748-731-6) adds this tidbit:

"By the early 1870s, she was well on her way to becoming the queen of hymn writers. Fanny often matched her poems to familiar tunes. An example is "We Thank Thee, Our Father," written to the melody of the famous "Adeste Fidelis." She set poems to Scottish and Welsh airs and used tunes by Stephen Foster."

In the biography, "William and Catherine Booth: Founders of the Salvation Army," by Helen K. Hosier, it states the following:

"Satan would have to be battled within his own strongholds, and any means was justifiable, William decided, if it would attract sinners to listen to the message of salvation ... Thus it was that as the work grew, the music and street parades attracted increasing crowds of people who scorned the regular churches. 'Why should the devil have all the best tunes?' William replied when chided for appropriating music of popular tunes for his hymns ... "

And so the history of music in the church as one that not only been a tool that God has used to inspire and encourage worship in the church but has also been at the center of many of it's discords.

From the battles of Gregorian chant to polyphonic congregational songs of worship....

From the divide between metrical psalms and hymns which caused so much controversy in the Anglican church in the 18th and 19th Centuries...

From the vernacular hymns to the Weslyan hymns which both John and Charles insisted that hymns (both words and music) should be written to stir the congregation, re-inforce its religious emotions and play on the "feel good" factor. (In fact, many were attracted away from the established church into Methodism because the connection they felt to this new form of worship.)...

And even dating back to the Council of Trent in the 1500's the use of music in church was debated! Even today, as I came out of worship services I found that 2 people of similar demographic in age and maturity in their faith had totally different opinions about how they perceived the use of music in church.

So what am I writing all this for? A few nights ago I listened to a podcast message about the difference between "problems to solve" and "tensions to embrace" as it relates to church ministry. What I am finding is that worship always will seem like a tension to embrace and never a problem that can be solved. We are all so different. There are so many different styles and paradigms by which someone comes to God in worship. It almost seems that the beauty of worship music within the congregational setting is the tension of it.

For the longest time it would bother me when I couldn't make everyone happy. That's because I thought that it was a problem to resolve. I'm starting to believe that the subject of music in worship will never really be resolved. In fact, if I am in a place where it is "resolved" I'm probably at a place that has placed "uniformity" as it's creed instead of unity. That is a place I never hope to be.

What say you?

How do you handle the diversity of our preferences when it comes to worship?

Or do you really believe there is only one way, or one style, or a certain set of songs only worthy of worship to God?

My Little Ballerina

2011-01-07T16:10:00.000-06:00

Worship is a Performance?

2011-01-07T08:28:00.000-06:00

Leading worship is a performance. Dispel the taboo

This was a retweet by my friend Mark Zubert that I saw on my TweetDeck that caught my eye immediately. I followed the link and came upon this article found on Worship Leader Magazine's website.

If you have any opinion about worship and the role worship leaders play you need to check this article out. For instance, the author of this article writes,

In fact, the tendencies of our flesh are at times used as the basis of objection to an ethic/theology of musical excellence in our worship. Often, in our desire for a pure worship experience devoid of anything unspiritual, one blatantly obvious reality is obscured: a performance of some kind must take place. In order for anything musical to occur at all in a worship service a hand must be lifted, a mind engaged, and we then proceed to ply the craft we have taken years to perfect. We are, in fact, performing regardless of our motives, understanding of anointing or our philosophical objections.

What say you?

Then at the end of the article the author compiles a list of the The top five myths and taboos of the worship service.

Go check it out then come back and tell me what you think.

Turning 30

2011-01-03T19:25:00.000-06:00

Thirty.

This month I turn thirty.

Wow.

Being one of the youngest among my peers, I have watched how each of them has handled this chapter of their life over the past couple of years. And now it is my turn. In less than 27 days I too will join the ranks of the "thirty-somethings."

Having somewhat successfully navigated through the potential for a quarter-life crisis that I saw many people of my generation go through, I look back at the past 30 years of my life and I am amazed. I am amazed at the vast experiences I've been through and can only wonder what life for me in these next years will look like.

I will admit that there are some things about turning 30 that are a little depressing. Just a short search on google about the special "age of thirty" can suck the life out of you! For instance, did you know that at age 30, you're older than 42 percent of Americans. Crazy! But then again, it has seemed that all my life I have been looking forward to the day I could say that "I'm thirty." I don't know why? Maybe because of what the age "30" has represented to me in different ways.

David became king at the age of 30.

Jesus began his earthly ministry at around 30.

Bill Gates made $234 million at age 30.

Random info - I know - but info that has been stuck in my head as I approached turning 30. I guess if I was being completely honest, the thing that scares me the most is not that I am getting older. It's more of the fact that I am now living in the beginning of some of the most important years of my life. This is about more than my career and calling as a pastor.

It's about a relationship with my wife that has moved out of the era of what some call "the honeymoon stage" and how I continue to nurture and care for that relationship. It's about the two new lives I brought into this world in my 20's and am now partnering with my wife to lead and guide. Turning 30, to me, represents so much opportunity. It's taking all the lessons I learned in my 20's and putting them into use, and I am so excited to get "there."

For those of you who have navigated your 30's, what advice would you have for me?

January Snow

2011-01-03T08:27:00.000-06:00

And so it continues...

The Anti-Resolutions: 2010 in Review

2011-01-01T16:29:00.000-06:00

About this time last year I made this post.

While I didn't quite reach my goals, I am very proud of some of things I accomplished because I set some goals. I started the 53in52 blog with my friend Justin Carlson. We didn't end up finding ourselves reviewing 53 books this year, so in the end I failed "The Challenge" that I had "Accepted."

While I did not find myself meeting with a mentor once a month, I did make some new mentoring relationships with various people from ministry and non ministry backgrounds - a goal that I do not regret not making because of the journey it took to fail at it.

I made a goal to get healthy. Well, I have stayed healthy, but I have not gotten that six-pack I wanted. P90x kicked my tail. So in my goal to get healthy, I failed only because I am still in the same health as I was last year.

I did not go ice fishing or hunting. Probably a good thing, but I'd still like to go. In fact, I had some really good conversation with the guys in my connect group about ice fishing and hunting - despite the fact that I was the only one who hadn't done either. The fact is that I failed on that goal, but my interest in it has really help me connect in relationship with other guys who not only love fishing and hunting, but love God and others.

Sure...I look at the fact that I didn't "make it" with some of my goals and see how it may look like failure. But to me, the journey is as much of the measure of success as the goal. So here's to more Anti-Resolutions. A year older and a year (hopefully) wiser, these are the goals for this year as I approach living life for the first time in my 30's (My 30th birthday is this month).

Here are some goals:

Continue the 1-2 book a month reading habit I've been in

I feel really challenged that this year is a year God will be teaching me more about the spiritual discipline of prayer. So, it's my goal to take at least one trip to a Hermitage this year.

Choose to cheat on my work more proactively instead of cheating on my family.

What are your goals for 2011?

You don't do goals or resolutions?

Then what are the life paths you have determined to take to reach the destinations you want or you feel God calling you towards?

"A Whole New World"

2010-12-31T16:30:00.000-06:00

Dancing in the New Year with my favorite little princess!

Blessings to everyone and have a safe and happy new year.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T08:16:00.000-06:00

I guess this means I gotta learn to cook oriental food!

Love is Powerful

2010-12-14T18:22:00.000-06:00

This is simply amazing.

"Lord, move me to love without agenda. To bring hope to the hopeless. Amen."

A Hockey-mentary

2010-12-11T01:47:00.000-06:00

Book Review: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John Maxwell

2010-12-10T20:05:00.001-06:00

I received this book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect for free a while ago and have been so excited to dive into it. This is probably one of the books I received this year that I was most interested in getting into, simply because I know that I personally have a lot of room for growth in this area of connecting.

Communication is a part of my everyday job. Connecting is essential for me to get the job done. When I can do both well, I find success. When I don't...well...let's just say that it ain't pretty!

What I loved immediately about this book is that John Maxwell took a different approach to writing this book than I have noticed in the past. In this book, more than his others, I noticed that the wisdom he was trying to share concerning connecting well with others was an outflow of the input he received from others via his blog, twitter or other social media

What motivates people?

2010-12-03T03:13:00.000-06:00

Saw this video:

And thought about the question this video asks at 6:00 minutes

Of course this is a cooler version of this discussion:

Then I thought to myself...what if what we consider "church leadership structure" ran like the internal workings of Facebook?

Would it be a good idea?

Would it be a terrible idea?

What say you?

2010-09-29T08:15:00.000-05:00

Ran across an interesting quote today that I'm still digesting. What do you have to say?

"Perhaps it is in this awareness of the 'needs of the other' that we, as an increasingly crabby church, can reconnect with the Jesus of the Whole Gospel, our Savior and lover of our souls; forgetting our own petty inconveniences and embracing the true pain and suffering that is going on around us. Teaching, showing, and demonstrating the compassion of the Good Samaritan could be the ounce of cure that is needed to prevent the spiritual burden of navel gazing upon our own boring and meaning deprived lives."

Why Church Marketing is Important

2010-09-14T02:50:00.000-05:00

Because it's not only about what you want to say, but about what you may be unintentionally be saying.

Make sure you send some love on whoever at your church works hard behind the scenes to make sure that you're communicating clearly!

For more on church marketing, go to :
http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/

Anonymous notes

2010-09-13T06:57:00.000-05:00

Dear anonymous,

One of the best pieces of advice I have received in ministry regarding notes that you get on a weekly basis is:

"If you can't sign it, I can't read it."

On a practical note, I can't follow up with what I can't follow up with. While I love your little smiley face, I can't connect with you about what you wanted to tell me, AND you never filled out the other side that the piece of paper was intended for?!

Anonymous, I'm sure I'd love you if I knew who you were, but it's so hard when I don't even know your name =(

Sincerely,

Phil

Today I remember...

2010-09-10T19:00:00.000-05:00

my college room mate Casey bursting into the room and turning on the TV. Nothing much was said while we watched. Nothing much was said that while day.

Today we remember 9/11.

The WM Audition Jam

2010-08-24T10:26:00.000-05:00

I know...what was I thinking?!?!

For more info visit our Worship Ministries page at mgefc.org/worship

A Random Sunday Video

2010-08-18T02:41:00.000-05:00

I'm biased, but I still think my kids are the cutest! Take a look at what I mean...

The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

2010-08-17T06:49:00.000-05:00

Could possibly be the most mentally stimulating piece of information you view today...

The End

2010-08-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

And so it's over.

No more ignoring emails and phone calls (as much as I could...)

No more sleeping in

No more passing Amish cyclists on the left

It's been a great week with family, and even a better week recharging my batteries. I've been able to pray and play a little more, and I got to catch up on some reading that has been way overdue.

If it's true what they say - that every moment in life is a moment of learning - then what was it that I had learned this week? Here are just a few things:

My wife loves where she came from though she would probably never choose to live in a small town.

My children love me so much more than I know

Being genuinely interested in others is so much more fun than trying to be interesting to others

Nothing is better than sweet corn that just was picked from its stalk

Tons of memories were made this week, and as much as I hate to admit that the end is near, I am excited to see what more memories "life in real time" will bring!

Soli Deo Gloria

Indiana...we're all for you//pt2

2010-08-09T17:01:00.000-05:00

Our trip had a lot of memorable moments so far. Most of them being centered around the phrase, "I have to use the bathroom." I guess that's what happens when you travel with 6 kids. Ok...I'll be honest, it was MY kids with the weak bladders.

On the way to Indiana, my kids were introduced to a classic Chicago icon.

Most of our day was just driving. The fun part was the next morning!

So the reason behind the whole coordination of bringing all the kids and grandkids together was to surprise grandpa for his 60th birthday which is this week. So after cramming 13 kids into great-grandma Law's two bedroom home, we woke up and headed off to Cracker barrel to hopefully beat the unsuspecting grandparents of the impromptu family reunion.

And here is the classic group shot with kids and their silly faces!

Today we had fun in Wakarusa's play park and splash pad. Here are a few pics

(Very cool, old building by the park. I know, most of these are of Brennan. That's because he's the only one I could get to stand still long enough for me to snap a good pic with my phone.)

And so far this vacation has been great!

Stay tuned....

Indiana...we're all for you!

2010-08-06T15:53:00.000-05:00

This weekend we embark on both an overdue vacation, and what I predict will be a great adventure. It should be a great time and I want to take you with us!

So follow along and see what it's like to hang with the Amish through corn fields and 2-lane country roads.

WCA Global Leadership Summit: Session 3.2

2010-08-05T08:29:00.000-05:00

#wcagls

Session 3.2
Adam Hamilton
"When Leaders Fall"

Opens with a story about how two of his staff members were having an affair with each other

Francis Schaeffer Institute (2005) 30% of ministers admit to sexual impropriety

Choices they had to respond to the 2 people who were committing adultery:

We could say nothing and hope no one found out

Be Evasive

The Scarlet Letter approach. (Call out the Sin and then condemn)

Approach the crisis with the congregation with transparency, honesty and compassion

What Adam Hamilton's church does to protect his staff from sexual misconduct:

Staff covenant

Policies about where you can go with people of the opposite sex who are on staff or are a parishioner who is not your spouse.

Twice a year he has a talk about misconduct. (His staff affectionately call it "The Sex Talk"
- "The Sex Talk"
  - We are wired for reproducing
  - We are wired for a deep desire for intimacy and companionship
  - We have a "sin drive"
  - Because we give so much as ministers, we find ourselves empty at times and then therefore are vulnerable

5 "R's" of Resisting Temptation

Remember who you are (a child of God, a follower of Christ, someone's spouse, someone's parent...)

Recognize the consequences of your actions (imagine and fantasize about the worst possible outcome)

Remember to Pray

Reveal your struggle to a trusted friend (James 5:16)

Remove Yourself from the situation (If your eye causes you to sin....cut it out!)

WCA Global Leadership Summit: Session 2.2

2010-08-05T06:32:00.000-05:00

#wcagls

Session 2.2
Christine Caine
"Leading on the Edge of Hope"

All I have to say about this session is that if you have theological doubts of whether or not it is right for a woman to be a preacher, then I just sat in a session where I felt theologically wrong. This wasn't a typical leadership talk. It was a message. She brought The Word.

Her simple message?

Leading in the face of anything is accomplished by clinging to our identity in Christ...

Christ is our Hope

"Whatever our calling as leaders, we have had to learn to defy the odds by listening to the right voices, fixing our eyes on Jesus, as He is our ultimate source of hope, and holding fast to the confession of our hope without wavering. God requires us to take the church into places we have never imagined by paths we are not even aware exist. To do this then we must lead like Abraham who "contrary to hope, in hope believed" (Romans 4:18) - excerpt from 2010 Global Leadership Summit workbook

Funny quote:

Wal-Mart - to an Australian - is like a tourist attraction. Where else can you get a refrigerator, cereal, and underwear in the same place at 3am?

WCA Global Leadership Summit: Session 2.1

2010-08-05T05:57:00.000-05:00

#wcagls

Session 2.1
Speaker: Jim Collins
"Never, Ever, Give Up"

[caption id="attachment_794" align="aligncenter" width="403" caption="The Five Stages of Decline"][/caption]

In utilizing the analogy of sickness to describe decline, the analogy breaks down when you realize that organizational decline is self-inflicted.

"Bad decisions with good intentions are still bad decisions"

Good leaders share this in common:

It is not about them

They Never Ever Give Up

They are "Level Five Leaders"

The Greatest signature of "Level 5 leaders" is their humility
- They had a burning passion to to whatever it takes.
- It is a combination of will and humility

Admiral Stockdale Paradox: "You must lead with faith and facts."

Greatness is never a single event or break through. It is a cumulative event.

Discipline engaged in disciplined thought together in disciplined action that causes change. It is a leadership flywheel!

The Antithesis of Stage 5

Great enterprises endured because they had a reason to endure.

They had an answer to the question, "What would be lost if we were to disappear?"

Chronic inconsistency is the definition of mediocrity

Preserving the Core AND Stimulating the Core is the key. They are not opposite, they are intertwined.
- Hold the values but change the practices

10 Things to do:

Do Your Diagnostics

Count Your Blessings (literally...in a spreadsheet, and do not stop until you have at least a hundred!)

What is your questions to statements ration and can you double it in a year?

How many key seats do you have on your bus? Who are you going to fill those seats..... (from "Good to Great")

Do your How the Mighty Fall Diagnostic

With the right people...in your next meeting, create an inventory of the brutal facts

Make a "Stop Doing" List

How can you demonstrate clicks on the flywheel

Reach younger people by changing your practices without changing your values

Establish a Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal

WCA Global Leadership Summit: Session 1

2010-08-05T04:36:00.000-05:00

#wcagls

Session 1
Speaker: Bill Hybels

From "Here to There"

It may be obvious, but leader simply move people from "here" to "there."

What do you do when people don't want to go "there" and just want to stay "here?"
- The first play is not to describe how wonderful "there" is, but to explain how awful to stay "here" is.
- List all the reasons why staying "here" is a bad idea - and unacceptable

Case Study: Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech about "there" was so compelling because the case of why we could not stay in the prejudice of "here" was strongly made.

Leader, your job is NOT to preserve, but to find out what is the heart of God and move people from "here" to "there."

Fantastic People

One of the great joys of leadership is building teams of Fantastic People!

Great teams have 3 C's
- Character
- Competence
- Chemistry

The New "C"
- Culture
  - What kind of person feels at home on this team while at the same time feel a little on the outside to bring a depth to our staff.

If a staff remember resigned you have one of 3 reactions
1. "Whooooh...This is a blessing from heaven" not because you don't like the person, but because the person wasn't "fitting."
2. "Ugghhh" Simple disappointment of losing a good person.
3. Extremely disheartened...a "jump out into the hall and vomit" because they were a fantastic person who fit fantastically in our culture.

Case Study: WC leadership combed through the whole staff and asked the question, "Can we say that this person would make us want to VOMIT?!" Those they felt were fantastic and has personal conversations to tell them that they made them vomit - that they were integral part of the team that they could see a great future and hope to never lose

Challenge:

Are there people you need to talk to who are fantastic?

Are there people you need to have the "hard conversation" to let them know you are looking for fantastic people and that they may find their fit elsewhere?

Mile Markers and Celebrations

Refill their vision bucket
- Ever person's vision buckets leak!
- If you feel things getting soft, you must refill the vision bucket
- You must make mile markers and celebrate them
  - This helps people realize the reality of progress that is happening - the progress that most people don't notice because they are busy with their own jobs, their own families, etc...

There is a 40% differential between an inspired team mate and a non-inspired team mate in their productivity.

Whispers from God

I don't think you ever get from "here" to "there" in a straight line. I don't think you get where you need to get with fantastic people, mile markers, or celebrations without whispers from God.
- Every leader must be a regular, relentless, reader of God's Word
- We must also be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's promptings

Questions:

Do you think God speaks?

Will you do everything in your power to do what it takes to follow through on the Holy Spirit's leading?

Whispers of God (can these be words God is whispering to you? If so...LISTEN and then OBEY!)

Don't Quit

Step Up

Take the Risk

Apologize Now

Make the Tough Decision

Get Help

Stop Running From God

Slow Down

Show Your Heart

Let Others Lead

Feed Your Soul

Bless the Team

Make the "Ask" (I need your help...courageous leaders make courageous "asks")

Do something more impactful

Come Clean

Embody the Vision

Celebrate the Victories

Speak the Truth

Pay the Price

End the Secret

Check Your Motives

Set the Pace

Give God Your Best

Bet Physically Fit

Serve Your Spouse and Kids

Pray

Humble Yourself