Change the World Conference, Ginghamsburg Church UMC

As usual, it was a world-class event all the way around. Mike Slaughter and his team always help me get out of my box. And they call the Church to the same. GUM has really honed in on the most kingdom impactful trend, turning your church inside out and “going missional,” living for those beyond the walls more so than within them. It can take years of discipleship, mission experiences, preaching, and teaching to get your people there, but there is no more meaningful an expression to living the life of Christ. It becomes so much more than just the mere survival of church your. Folk are brought to the point of being willing to lose themselves, which is at the heartbeat of Jesus’ call. Several exciting initiatives are coming into being that attack poverty like never before. What if all of us in the Miami Valley got behind that? Many are already doing some really great work.

Church Visit, “No Substitute for Passion,” Verona UMC

I got to see Leo Cunningham and the fine folks at Verona UMC last Sunday. It took over an hour for me to get there. Had to try three different routes for all the detours. Worth every bit of effort. While one might say, to a nonresident, “It’s out all by itself, what’s going on there?” The answer is everything. Leo gave a great message, vision-casting for their future. Getting ready to organize themselves accordingly. Mobilizing ministry to meet the needs of those around them. There is no substitute for passion. When you might think you have an excuse, even in the most rural areas, people are waiting to be reached. Laity are ready to get at it for Christ. Everybody is hungry for a pastor to light fire.

Church Visit, “Getting It All Going in the Right Direction,” Bellbrook UMC

Had the privilege of helping dedicate Bellbrook’s new addition last Sunday. Nice in all respects. One of the best looking add-ons I’ve ever seen. Matches their context well. A community room anchors their effort with new nursery and childcare facility. Will be a great resource for community and church alike. Bellbrook has one of the most potent social justice programs for its size. They make it an integral part of their DNA, identity, and culture, not just a program. Have some of the most creative worship and musicians. Size doesn’t have to equal quality. They do several things well that uniquely fit their cultural context. Synergy for growth then really gains momentum for something special. Best wishes as you continue on your journey.

Church Visit, "Spirited Tradition," Yellow Springs UMC

I don’t have time for worship wars. Within our district we have both contemporary and traditional congregations that are thriving. Visited Yellow Springs last weekend which happen to be of the latter. One of the best traditional services was led by Rev. Charles Hill who has been one of our best leaders in his long and storied career. It was fun watching him in action: personable yet strong, on a mission. Had to follow him back to his office to get “miked-up” and talk through the service. I could hardly keep up. His pace was amazing. The worship service itself moved along as well. It was energetic. Prayer requests were shared but didn’t drag or get too personal. The music was thematic and singable. Liturgical elements were written fresh, not out of somebody else’s book, and engaging. Everything was well done, not just covered. A sense of community pervaded. I’d go there if I lived in town. Great job.

Cabinet Reflection: "Things I Wish I Knew Years Ago"

Been serving on the Cabinet for three months now. Have learned a lot already that I wish I had known for years. Figured that there could be some things you might be interested in too. Feel free to comment back with your topic ideas that I could share a little more on.

Building Momentum, "In Life," part 2

A continuation of the series…

Readiness for life-long learning…I hope this is something I’m good at, but I can’t let myself think that. If it was up to me, somewhere along the line I would have probably thought, “OK, this is enough now.” “I’ve learned enough.” I can’t do that. The world is changing ever so rapidly. What was once good enough to get by ten years ago is no longer. What was once good enough two years ago isn’t either. But way more enjoyable and interestingly to me is that there is just so much fun stuff out there to learn.

The older I get the more I give myself permission to read and learn outside of my own professional disciplines. When I was in D.C. two months ago, I was reminded how the early leaders of our country always did that. They were “multi-disciplinary,” renaissance men and women. It seems like that used to be a much more highly valued idea back then. Of course, not as much had been written in any of the disciplines back then. I get some of my best, most creative thoughts when I get out of my field. It keeps me fresh.

Some days I will go to the library and browse, i.e. feast, picking up anything and everything that looks interesting.

I do try to read particularly in the fields of leadership (business, church, political, technology, and others), ministry, spiritual formation, and then for pure fun. And I’m big on experiences too: mission trips, field trips to business where friends or contacts work, interviewing people who are successful and finding out what worked best for them, holy land pilgrimages, etc. The older I get the more I also realize the importance of questions and the power of a good one. Not that good at it yet, but at least am making a better effort.

I have also discovered the ultimate power in doing something brand, spanking new. It feels like I’m on the biggest learning curve of my life right now. I pastored a church for twenty years. Some of the D.S. work is similar, but much is different. I’m learning more about myself and myself as a leader than ever before too. Still, not that good at it yet, but am trying.

Maybe I needed to shake things up in a much bigger way long ago…