Category: Ideas
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Not in it for the money
Here’s a nice piece of wisdom Seth Godin wrote a while back: Seth’s Blog: Doing it for free: “Woz wasn’t looking to make a lot of money when he invented the Apple computer, and Nolan Bushnell certainly didn’t imagine he was creating the video game industry when he invented Pong. Cory and the rest of…
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Punch the clock or change the world. You decide.
You’re probably already reading him, but Seth Godin talks about loving what you do and taking real risks in your work (instead of just “working hard” and punching the clock) in a recent post. It’s some powerful stuff. Today, working hard is about taking apparent risk. Not a crazy risk like betting the entire company…
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If you’re leading, these three things matter
A few months ago I wrote about the relationship for leaders personally between vision, action, and relationship. The more I think about it … the more I move through areas of ministry and leadership … the more I see how the balance of these three pieces matters in many areas. Just two examples… I’ve found…
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Productivity and the power of small
This interview from Jason Fried of 37 signals has some interesting info in it. First, he talks about how productivity for his team really means leaving each other alone. They take time to collaborate, but then work alone to get things done. His team is distributed across the United States (and world), and he finds…
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A power trifecta of amazing posts!
Every once in a while you need an over-the-top title, don’t you? But seriously, there are three bloggers who have has some amazing posts recently. And in my goodness, I’m going to point you right to them. First, recording artist extraordinarre Shaun Groves tells a story in three parts (one, two, and three) you’ve got…
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The Forgotten Ways – Day one, part one
Here’s a quick list of a few things that stood out to me from the first day of class. Before you read, know this: I can’t include everything, so you’re getting a limited context. Read the books! Also, Alan is great at helping a group understand a problem so they see the need for a…
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Small group ideas – the year ahead
It’s official – another quarter of classes is done. Finished. Gone. And for once, I can say THANK GOODNESS! It’s been a crazy week. Between a couple of big events for our small groups and finals, I’m due for a let down! I finished up my last paper at 4:45 p.m. on Friday, and our…
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Communal dining is catching on
A fascinating article from the San Francisco Chronicle: From trendy neighborhood restaurants in San Francisco to casual breakfast spots in the East Bay, communal tables are cropping up everywhere. Designers are putting the big family-style tables into places such as Salt House in San Francisco, West County Grill in Sebastopol and A Cote in Oakland.…
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What really matters in church
There’s a lot of talk in the church world about doing everything with excellence. That’s important. Many leaders have focused on it because for many years it was totally neglected in the church (still is in some places). It just didn’t matter. While culture improved how it communicated, the church stayed stuck in the same…
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Untested ideas
Sometimes I run into a challenge with blogging. I care deeply about how we as a church and as individuals can spread God’s message and serve the world. I feel called to work within the local church – and it’s something I’m doing right now. But I also feel called to church planting. I’m not…
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Say “no” to conferences
Conferences provide a lot of information with little context. Jordan Fowler has an excellent take on how to really learn over at Worship Trench: There is a better way to learn that is customized to your context … watch-and-ask-over-dinner learning. If you go to a big conference, you are getting good stuff in a shotgun…
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Building momentum with balance (part one)
A = Lots of work’s getting done, but you’re not connecting with others, so there’s no real progress. B = You have dreams. You sit and talk about them. You share them with others. But no one’s moving toward them, so what’s the point? C = You’re working hard, you’re sharing the work. You’re busy…
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Starbucks challenges and church life
I like chain stores. I know that’s not really “cool.” But if I have a choice, a lot of times I’ll choose Target, On The Border, or Starbucks over the local, untested option. They’ve gotten big because they do what they do well. So small stores must not be doing something right … right? Well,…
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Why I … blog
I’m a practical person. Sometimes too practical. Things have to live up to the “so what?” measure. What’s the point? Why are we doing it? What are we saying? Why? So, why blog? Here are a few of my reasons. I’m honestly still learning. to put thoughts into words – clarity to connect with others…
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20-somethings and church
One of my passions right now is 20-something ministry. The church I work at has some great things happening for a lot of age groups, but those people who are post-college but pre-kid seem to disappear. I don’t think they need another program to be a part of, but they (we) do need a place…
Jon Sampson 