Terry Linhart's Blog, page 18

When did nature become unimportant in our lives?

Deer outside my window.

I know that nature shows on TV are popular today and many of us enjoy watching them.  That’s not my question.  When was the last time we paid attention to nature?  Do we stop to marvel at flowers anymore or be fascinated with how a spider makes a web outside our front door?  Does sunrise and sunset still cause us to pause? What does a sunrise suggest to you of who God is?

If nature doesn’t fascinate us, the problem isn’t nature’s. 

“It is impressive to see how prayer opens one’s eyes to nature. Prayer makes men [and women] contemplative and attentive. In place of manipulating, the man who prays stands receptive before the world.  He no longer grabs but caresses, he no longer bites, but kisses, he no longer examines but admires.  To this man, as for Merton, nature can show itself completely renewed.  Instead of an obstacle, it becomes a way; instead of a vulnerable shield, it becomes a veil which gives a preview of unknown horizons.”          - from Thomas Merton: Contemplative Critic

The man or woman who prays is receptive before the world. Now, of course, the world can meet many things in this paragraph, but the posture is worth noting:  The one who thinks and recognizes God is the one who is open to what is around him or her.  Our heads are down (mine is now) typing or playing away while a spider creates a one-of-kind web just outside the window to the left. Ten meters beyond that, two humming birds battle for position at a flowering bush, which borders an Asiatic Lilly with red flowers that shout beauty.

One of the disappointing thing that technology has done is create a disposable world on top of one that screams for us to slow down, to reflect deeply, to consider God’s power and care, and to learn … if we’re receptive … if we make time … if we look.

 

 

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The Leader’s Guide to Twitter

This article is a 15-minute guide that introduces the essential tools and insights for leaders to maximize their use of Twitter.

Since 2009, Twitter has been the hot spot for social media activity.  Even though late adopters have finally joined and then wondered why it took them so long, I still discover leaders who are Twitter-adverse. Well, it’s not that they don’t want to join Twitter, they just can’t see how it helps their work and are fearful it will take too much of their time. I’m not a social media expert, nor do I usually write about social media. However, I’ve found Twitter to be immensely helpful and not as time-demanding as it seems.  Social media is just a tool for me, not the end goal. For some, it SEEMS to be the end goal and I think that contributes to other leaders’ apprehensions about its usefulness in the “real world.”

I woke up one morning recently (always a good thing to do) to find that I had been named among the Top 50 Professors on Twitter for leadership, innovation, and strategy. I am not sure how a youth work leader makes such a list, but it’s nice to be listed among so many great leaders who work to connect their teaching and research to leadership, innovation and strategy through social media. It’s also been nice to receive a few free books in the mail!

So, this event has prompted folks who know me to ask how I manage Twitter while leading so many different initiatives.  I tell them that Twitter really doesn’t take much time if you use the right tools.  (This adage is true about so many things in work and leadership)  If you spend the equivalent of one lunch meeting a week with Twitter, you can have hundreds of mini-lunches with other leaders, connect at a new level with your constituencies, and learn and grow (even spiritually!) in ways you can’t imagine.

Five ‘Fast and Easy’ Steps to Becoming a Twitter Pro

So, here are my two cents on how leaders can take advantage of Twitter and then see if they like it. Surprisingly I couldn’t many Internet articles designed to help leaders get started with Twitter, though I think this popular post on Twitter basics by Michael Hyatt has helpful tips that show the Twitter posting essentials. (If you are new to social media and have time, you may want to jump over and read that first before continuing). 

1.  Be clear on why.  Twitter will take a lot of your time if you’re not clear on how you’re going to use it.  If you’re planning to just promote yourself or your product, you may want reconsider.  Your goal should be to engage people, listen, learn from them, and then help them.  Your goal isn’t just visibility, the goal for Twitter is engagement with others.  We in leadership often mistake “connecting” with the notion “they got to meet us.” (Click to Tweet)  That’s pretty self-focused (though common).  No, the goal is to engage with others.  Twitter brings us together like virtual campfires of people talking about various topics, causes, and organizations.

You also need to stay committed to it for a full year. If after that you don’t like it (and you’ve given it a fair chance), then you can quit.  You have my permission (I am sure you’re grateful for that).  The early months may seem slow to get started, but a good year will allow you to see your community connections grow as you spend time learning and engaging others.

2. Sign in and use your real name as your ID, not your organization’s name. Since the goal isn’t promotion, but engagement, your work, personality, life, interests, and YOU are what we will connect with.  Twitter at its foundation is a “behind the curtain” experience for those who follow you. And again, your learning from them will make them stay connected.  So, use your real name.  Many of us Twitter users rarely follow organizations or businesses.

Starting on Twitter is super easy, so I don’t think you’ll have any problems. For your profile (the description of who you are), use short words/phrases, and be sure to include your URL for your website. 

When you Tweet, you have just 140 characters. Just share what you’re learning, seeing, thinking, or doing. I have a leader friend who shares his latest kitchen creation since he likes to cook when not out of town. People love that and feel a personal connection to the person, not just the “role” we have when leading.

3. Join and use HootSuite or TweetDeck to manage your reading of your Twitter.  These two programs are the primary programs for using Twitter effectively. Both do about the same thing, but HootSuite is browser-based (and can engage more social media outlets than just Twitter, a feature I don’t use) while TweetDeck is a downloaded program.  HootSuite allows you to schedule Tweets, which is good, and you can access it from any computer.  I primarily use TweetDeck since I mostly work from my laptop.  I can just click the Icon and see what’s going on in a quick glance.  You can learn more about two program and the comparisons here, here, or here.

The thing I like about these is that you can set up a List on Twitter.com to help you focus on certain groups.  Don’t be one of those leaders who only follows 50-80 people while 1000+ are following you.  I know that’s my personal opinion, but it looks bad to many folks who may want to follow you as if you don’t really want to connect with others and you’re a one-way conversation (if you’re lucky) about to happen. The general rule of thumb is to follow back people who have followed you and seem interesting/helpful to you.

Here’s how to manage this and stay focused:  Use Twitter.com to create a core list of people you follow.  Make it private (not public). THIS can be the list of 50-200 people you want to focus on in Twitter.  You can have HootSuite or TweetDeck make a column just for that list. Then, when you go to look at your Twitter feed, that’s the column you focus on.  Saves time and maximizes usefulness. You may want to add pre-established columns for “Mentions” (shows Tweets by others that mention you) and “Interactions” (this one is only available on TweetDeck I believe. It shows when people follow you) and Direct Messages (private messages sent to you only).  

I know it may sound overwhelming, but it’s not too bad really. The startup into Twitter will take 10-15 minutes and the setup of HootSuite or TweetDeck will take you less than 10 minutes.  Then, going forward, you can just have a 5-minute check-in to Twitter (or programs) to stay focused, productive, and yet connected.

4. Join Buffer and use it to manage your Tweets going out.  Buffer allows you to save time by scheduling tweets from your smartphone (yes, there’s an app for that) or from your browser (Chrome works best for me). HootSuite offers this feature as well (and has some advantages), but Buffer is more user-friendly, quicker, and you can buffer from a wide range of places. You can pre-set a schedule of times to go out each day or you can schedule each Tweet’s time.

As I read something helpful or interesting to others, which often happens early in the morning or late at night (not times people check Twitter), I load it into buffer and it’s set to go out on the schedule that I set.  

A good rule of thumb is not to Tweet more than 6 times a day. I break it sometimes, yes, but you may push people away if you bombard folks with something every hour.  Some motivational-types post every 15-3o minutes and that’s what they do for their followers.  What I’ve done is preset 4-5 times a weekday (none on weekends usually) where Buffer will fire off a tweet. VETERAN TIP:  The free version of Buffer only lets you load a certain amount of tweets (roughly 10) ahead of time, but enough to keep you active on Twitter each week without having to spend much time. Set up Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with 3 Tweets per day, ranging from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. 

Buffer allows you to post regularly to Twitter without having to be on Twitter and interrupt your work.  Posting every two hours for 3-5 times a day seems to be a good rhythm for leaders.  I’m writing this on a Saturday and my Monday tweets are already set from this morning of reading blogs (more on that in a follow-up article.  You can find help from here or here).  Sometimes, I’ll have one of these post to Twitter while I’m teaching a class.  This scares my students in class (“Is Dr. Terry tweeting during class?” Uh, no.) AND it lets me know who’s checking their phones during my class (very helpful in enforcing class policies).  

Now, here’s a veteran trick:  Don’t worry about Tweeting much on Friday’s, though you may want to have a few go out on the weekend.  If you only Tweet on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays each week, you’ll be fine.  Friday is one of the least active days on Twitter, though it’s Facebook’s most active weekday.  I also think for those in the northern hemisphere, it’s not imperative to tweet or blog much in July or August.  Take a break!  Most others are on vacation anyway. Same for Christmas break.  It’s good to have a social media fast when possible.

Remember: YOU are in charge of social media. Social media is not in charge of you.

5. Participate in your growing online community.  Twitter does happen in real time, so it’s good to jump on once or twice a day and read through the Tweets.  The most important thing to do on Twitter as a leader is to listen.  If you’ve set up your “core” list of favorite and helpful Twitter friends, that will keep this time manageable and focused. If you see an interesting hashtag, you can click on it and see what’s going on in a new column. You’ll soon find out that news hits Twitter first in big events. Reply to a few Tweets as you want to and enjoy the conversations.

Oh, and connect with me @TerryLinhart when you jump into Twitter and let me know how it’s going for you. I’ll even help you with any questions you may have too!

If I missed anything here or you reach a step and can’t figure it out, let me know and I’ll add the information. (There are also many helpful YouTube videos for much of what I mention here)

Terry Linhart, Ph.D. teaches at Bethel College in South Bend, Indiana. You can sign up for Email delivery of his online articles from TerryLinhart.com.

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Getting involved with youth ministry (again): The need to be involved at the “frontlines”

A few months ago I served as the director for a video shoot at a large printing company. We were shooting a promotional and the video company was short-handed, so I filled in for the day.  Working with a great videographer (he drove a BMW) and the company owner, I (who drove a rusted-out conversion van) interviewed various people and set up a range of video “B-roll” shots. I was very impressed with the company, but was  most impressed by how competent the owner was at every front-line job at the plant. He knew the in’s and out’s of how each worked, while still recognizing that those who ran the machines knew them even better. They were the ones who dealt with the breakdowns and the particularities of each machine.

That moment challenged me in my own life. How do I stay fresh in my teaching?  How do we who lead have “working knowledge” of what’s happening on our frontlines? In fact, that day reminded me that I just miss being involved in youth work.

There is a subtle snare to leadership and expertise.  If we don’t take corrective steps, it can promote growing entitlement in our lives.  We can easily think the goal of leadership is fame, a TED talk, or a published book when it’s actually leading and working with others. Our stage-driven culture has often confused leadership with celebrity. A visit to a well-run printing company reminded me of that.

Just as an aside:  In church ministry, one troubling trend has been pastors choosing to give up doing hospital visits.  If you’ve ever been in for a hospital stay, you know it’s perhaps the most “perfect” moment for pastors to extend pastoral care to others, to those in their “flock.”  And I think it’s an example of where a different paradigm that has crept into leadership discussions, rather than rich biblical theology, has informed how we lead in the church. But, that’s for later discussions…….

Well, not to say I’m doing things right, but I’m pretty excited today. After a three year hiatus from being involved in a local youth ministry, I’m heading back. I’ve missed it. Can’t stay away.  Tonight I join the high school ministry at my local church. We’re blessed to have a tremendous youth ministry with a great pastoral staff and superb set of veteran volunteers, most of who have been volunteering for 10+ years (this standard makes training go quickly  each year).

You Gotta’ Serve Somewhere

I have an adage that I share with leaders:  You need to serve on the front lines of what you lead.  When I go to a youth ministry seminar or listen to a podcast, I prefer to listen and learn from those who have been there before.  They just teach differently, out of their own passion and experience. The examples are many, rich, and recent. Yet, the rush is on among youth workers to reach the experts’ platform and in that process move away from being involved in day-to-day involvement with teens.

That can be problematic for Christians.  The disciples got caught in that trap and Jesus had to remind them of the childlike faith they needed, that the youngest in a culture can sit on his lap.  Even in the last days of Jesus’ life, He had to teach about and model service while the Twelve spent time arguing who would be greatest.

Bob Goff recently wrote about this on Twitter:

RT @bobgoff: Jesus spent most of His life with people we spend most of ours trying to avoid. @LoveDoes #quote

— Terry Linhart (@TerryLinhart) August 14, 2013

The leadership paradigm today promotes the desire to climb a ladder that pulls us away from service, to stand on a platform and the hope to not have to serve on the “front lines” for the rest of our lives.  That’s the target it seems.  THEN you’ve arrived.

The problem for those of us on platforms is that, over time, to stay current we often have to A) borrow material from others, B) develop practices that may not work in the real world, C) do fresh research, or D) recycle the stuff that work in the 1990s or 1980s. This is the challenge for college professors each year who are tempted to just tweak a syllabus that was in use two decades ago. I could feel it in my own teaching of youth work.

May this year be your freshest yet!  And, may the image of the printing company owner stick with you as you learn from others, seeing the world and their work through their eyes.

 

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Be Careful What You Say You’ll Never Do

With apologies, this post is a bit autobiographical and about my vocation.  Maybe I’m prompted by the start of another school year or that our middle “child” is now away to college. Whatever the reason, I had a moment this summer where I just realized how different life my vocation is from what I thought it’d be when I went off to college.  And I’m happy that it is!

I sometimes call parts of my life “God’s grand laugh.”  He’s heard me say things throughout my life that have had to cause Him to chuckle. I’m sure you’ve probably experienced the same – clearly we reacted in ignorance, not knowing what we were saying. Like Jesus’ disciple, Nathaniel (in John 1:46), my sarcasm toward a particular place, job, or activity became the very thing that happened later in life (or in his case, the Person he chose to commit his life to serving).

Based on our personality types, we see things differently.  Some of us see everything as possible, with no existing boundaries. Others of us hesitate at change or new adventures, careful to make sure we’re not overextending.  Some of us live by rules and guidelines while others of us think we’re the  guardians of the guidelines.  Based on our predispositions, we sometimes make statements, unaware of what’s possible, disinterested in God’s perspective, or even discounting the possibility that our interests may change.

Here are a few of the sarcastic responses I said that I later did.  Some of these must have seemed too far-fetched at the time or my response mirrored Sarah’s in Genesis 18:12-15 .  In my mind, I either couldn’t conceive of these as possible 0r I saw them as something I’d never want to do.

Going into vocational ministry. Even at a young age people would ask me if I was going to go to Taylor University and be in ministry like my dad (a pastor) did. I’d always deny or deflect it (in good Old Testament fashion).  I did end up going to Taylor and studying music (for ministry) and then went into youth ministry.  Happily so.  I see students at Bethel do the same thing, denying a tug toward vocational ministry (surprisingly, Christian parents help with the denials, instead pushing their children toward better-paying jobs) and then realizing that God has gifted and called them toward ministry.
Serving as a Campus Life staff person in YFC.  In high school, I couldn’t get plugged in to the Campus Life ministry. I LOVED the leaders, though, and hung out with them as much as I could.  I just couldn’t get excited to go to a meeting. In fact, I made fun of the ministry since so many of the students didn’t live very God-honoring lives.  Terry, it is an outreach ministry.  Funny that the summer I graduated from college YFC called me to offer me a job and I took it. And loved it.  Even funnier is that 5 years later, then YFC/USA vice president Lynn Ziegenfuss, asked me to spend a week each summer as one of the trainers at the national institute. There I taught people from all over North America how to lead a Campus Life ministry. The irony of that was not lost on me that first day.
Living in Michiana.  The area of southwestern Michigan and northwestern Indiana is called “Michiana.”  My dad is a pastor and we moved up here between my sophomore and junior year in high school.  That was a rough move for me for a while and I remember that as I went off to college, I declared, “I’ll never live in Michiana again.”  15 years later, when Bethel College wanted a director for their new youth ministry degree program, I hesitated since it was located in South Bend, the middle of Michiana.  Kelly reminded me that we were committed to walking through every open door and so I went for an initial interview.  I was overwhelmed by how wonderful the college was, their vision for youth ministry and more, and Kelly and I have been here for 13 years now and plan on staying (I hope this last statement isn’t another “be careful what you say” moments).
Building a house.  Where we used to live it seemed like many folks built new homes. One of our childless neighbors had a lovely 3 bedroom home and yet were moving elsewhere to build. I asked why and they replied, “You know, something a little bigger and better.”  Kel and I used to say we’d never build a new home and we’d be satisfied with what we had.  When we moved to Michiana, we discovered a more competitive (read: costly) housing market and the ranch homes with basements all had water problems that would have cost more (I guess you pay more for the “pool” in the basement) .  There weren’t any homes in the school district we wanted within 30 minutes’ drive that where move-in ready.  So, the cheapest option was to buy a field of weeds and corn stalks and build a small 2 story house.  And we love it. But, we feel like we need to apologize to people for building because we remember what we used to think.
Becoming a consultant.  A few years back it seemed like everyone wanted to be a consultant. I used to make all sorts of jokes about it because it seemed that so many wanted to leave the difficult realm of everyday vocational ministry and be a speaker or consultant.  And, quite a few seemed to have little experience in the fields they wanted to speak to or advise.  Few seemed to have had held a position of leadership for more than 5 years in one organization or church.  But, I’ve inadvertently become one. In spite of my sarcastic thoughts  on the role, I’ve been asked to serve in various consulting roles over the past 7 years.

Be careful of what you say.  I live somewhere I never thought I’d live, realizing that I don’t know as much as I think I do.  God can do amazing things in our lives if we’re open to Him, if we say, “Thy will be done” versus stomping our foot about how it all must go. I am sure your life path also took some twists and turns along the way.  In fact, this reality makes it difficult sometimes in talking with youth about God’s will.  (more on that in a later post)

I’d love to hear about your journey. To what did you say, “I will never” and then it ended up happening?

 

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“Type A” – Is it all that bad?

McLeod, S. A. (2011). Type A Personality – Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/perso...

Most of us in leadership have had to “wrestle” a bit with our personality in one way or another and most in leadership positions possess personality traits commonly referred to as “Type A.”  Type A folks are driven – for success, for accomplishment, for recognition, for significance, or for some other goal. There is a strong level of competitiveness (how else does one get to “the top”?), a sense of urgency, and thus a strong work ethic which results in time involvement and placing work before people.

For Christian leaders, this combativeness element presents a problem. Jesus’ disciples, perhaps more Type A than Scripture presents them to be, were no different. At the last supper table they’re discussing who among them would be the greatest (Luke 22:24).

Type A personality, also known as the Type A Behavior Pattern, is a set of characteristics that includes being impatient, excessively time-conscious, insecure about one’s status, highly competitive, hostile and aggressive, and incapable of relaxation. Sound close?  You can take a test (the questions are helpful and you receive some results, but you’ll have to purchase results for full summary, which I did not do) to see if you’re type A or not. There may be other (and better) ones.

What is Type A?

Type A individuals are often high-achieving and tend to be workaholics when on a project.  They often multi-task, drive themselves with deadlines, and can be very unhappy about the smallest of delays. They have been described as stress junkies, though this I think this is not a motivation for most. The Type B personality, in contrast, is patient, relaxed, and easy-going. There is also a Type AB mixed profile for people who cannot be clearly categorized (which most of us hope for “not easily categorized” since we’re so unique).

According to Friedman (1996), Type A behavior is expressed in three major symptoms, one hidden, as well as two additional factors that are more obvious:

An intrinsic (hidden) insecurity or insufficient level of self-esteem, which is considered to be the root cause of the syndrome.
Time urgency and impatience, which causes irritation and exasperation.
Free floating hostility, which can be triggered even over little incidents.

Type A and People

Gordon MacDonald wrote his first edition of Ordering Your Private World while I was in college. In fact, he was finishing it during a visit to speak for a week at my college.  In it, MacDonald describes a driven person (Type A) as one who likes accomplishment, the symbols of it, is generally concerned for one’s own notoriety is caught in an uncontrolled pursuit of expansion, and tends to have a limited regard for integrity.

He also adds that those who are driven tend to have underdeveloped people skills. Just don’t tell any of us that.  Most of us are in the “people business.”  And, ironically, MacDonald came to my campus to speak, but said he wouldn’t have time to meet with students because he had to finish his manuscript.  Not a big deal (though ironic given the book’s focus), but it reveals the irony chronic nature of drivenness.

I chuckle when I hear leaders my age or older speak at conferences to tell the younger folks not to be so driven.  They tell the audience that it’s not the right way to lead, or that they’ve personally learned and changed.  These are easy matters to teach after two decades of drivenness to accomplish early vocational and ministerial goals.  My suspicion is that they/we would do most of it all the same if we did it over again.

I think drivenness (and the Type A personality) gets a bum rap sometimes. I don’t think it’s all bad, an easy thing to say when you are Type A of course.  It’s not the Type A we’re critical of, it’s the impersonal and inappropriate by-products that come with it that we cite as problematic.  The Luke 22 verse has me curious about the 12 disciples of Jesus too. We often paint them as intellectually or spiritually clumsy due to their lack of understanding, and wonder why Jesus picked them. Perhaps they had more drive to accomplish things than we know.  Thus, empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), they were ready and capable to lead the spreading of the Gospel across the world.

Since Type A can be painted as bad, it provides people an excuse to not work hard or take risks. The easier thing to say is “I don’t want to be driven so I won’t work hard.” It’s easier to bury time, talents, & potential in the sands of self-protection & entertainment than risk climbing up to new possibilities. (click to tweet)

Type A and Youth Work

In my field of youth work, Type A folks abound.  Full-time work is one of the most demanding occupations, requiring (for long-term success) a wide set of skills and a persevering personality.   Yet, it’s not a field that gets a lot of societal recognition so the Type A folks often pop up from the field looking for other ways to be known beyond the bounds of youth work or youth ministry.

MacDonald also says that driven people also possess and underdeveloped set of people skills.  That one stings for those of us ministry, but only because it’s close to the target and can often be true (though not always. Here is a nice summary of MacDonald’s thoughts). It causes a reaction from those of us in ministry because we’re in a people-oriented work and to suffer from this would seem counterproductive or immature. Yet many of us do suffer in this area. 

I remember my early years in full-time ministry, gleefully involved in  youth work, the training of volunteers, and even teaching for the national office for my organization.  I was largely unaware of my drive or its accompanying irritation with others.  My times of feeling down I misinterpreted for depression-like issues when they in fact came from my drive and it feeling boxed in … like a racehorse in a stall that would never swing open for the race.

Unchecked, it kept growing and being fed until I came to a junction where I had to address some issues or I’d fizzle out to the side.  Kel and I went through a job change and an accompanying year and a half of letting God fire up his “butane torch” to burn off some dross in our lives.

If you’ve made it this far in the article, let me suggest three things:’

You may have a type-A personality.  And that might not be a bad thing.
You may want to look at how you interact with others, or at least keep that on the radar. Do you know what your tendencies are with others?  Just this week I noticed two familiar patterns emerge and, because I’ve learned about them, my awareness is helping me address what causes those.
You may want to read more about this too, just read things that will help you.  I may suggest books by people who are Type-A and lead in fields similar to you. Most authors write out of their own issues and not all of them are Type-A folks.

I want to be an encouragement to you today.  God has wired you and your personality for a reason, and your social interactions since childhood has given it shape, not all of it bad.  Not all of it good.  Find that God-centered ability to get things done, but with a joyfulness and grace that doesn’t repel others.

 

 

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Add “attention management” to leadership essentials

I sat in a meeting a few weeks ago with two other leaders as we laid out the framework for an online course in church management and administration.  Jon Swanson (author of 300 Words a Day, who once called the issue the “Tyranny of the Distracting“) was talking about accountability, time management, and then he mentioned “attention management” and I was intrigued.

I’ve done some research on the idea since then and have become convinced that it needs to be a part of our leadership training strategies, maybe yours too.

In our noisy world, leaders need to learn how to manage their attention.

Later that week, my weekly devotional book had a prayer in it that prayed, “Deliver me from coldness of heart, a wandering mind, and wrongful desire.” Seems like an appropriate prayer for today’s multi-tasking world, eh?

I think we have more of an attention problem than we want to admit.

How many adults have you heard say they were “A.D.D.?”  It’s part of our culture to multi-task.  And it’s not helping, nor is it good for us or our productivity. We read about leadership, yet rarely discuss to what we’re leading others.  We read about blogging to almost the exclusion of what is important to blog about – and all of our leading bloggers are blogging about blogging (and making money doing so).  Sounds a bit like the life that a gerbil leads (except for the money-making part).

I’ve worked to practice a “90-minute exercise” where I focus in and work diligently on something for 90 minutes, focus uninterrupted. Yet, I’m surprised how often I AM interrupted. I watch my own children and my college students try to work on something for a sustained period of time without changing their attention …. and they can’t!   I sit in meetings with older adults and find the same thing.

We have learned over the last 20 years, just from behaviorally-developed habits, how to not be able to give sustained attention to one thing for a significant period of time.  And (here’s where I will get some pushback) we aren’t able to think as deeply.

Look at what gets most of our attention:  The “how”, the logistical, and the functioning.  We love to read about home improvement, travel, leadership, ministry, and any “doing” activities.

But why DO what you do?
What’s the reason for your course of action?
What personal philosophy or theory drives your decisions?
What theology informs your ministry?
How do you choose to lead, with whatever works best or is there some developed framework you follow?

The rude awakening for many of us in leadership is that perhaps we’re so busy we aren’t paying attention.  If the people we spend time with and the books we read are the two most influential factors in growing our leadership, maybe we need to look at our discipline of reading and who’s mentoring us.

How do you manage your attention?  What lessons have you learned over time to help you combat the culture’s call for frantic living that pays attention only to what’s in front of us?

Thanks for reading.  I’ve started an Email list to make it easier for you to catch the latest articles (about 2 a week) from the website. Hey, that’s free shipping!  You’re invited to sign up.  No spam and no advertising either.

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Youth Work: A hub for Leadership, Innovation, and Strategic Thinking

Last week was a bit crazy for me.  I woke up one day to a flood of new followers on Twitter and my name placed by the folks at LDRLB.co  among the “Top 50 Professors on Twitter in 2013” who Tweet on leadership, innovation and strategic thinking. I was shocked.  The LDRLB folks comprised the list on Klout scores, allowing for niche (like youth work!) leaders to have a chance among the more “name” folks.

My first honest reaction was, “Is it a good thing to for professors to be so active on Twitter?”  I mean, these are the people who are to spend their time researching and writing in a messy office or laboratory. I’m still not sure I have that question answered yet. However, if one is concerned about leadership and strategy, then being involved in the conversations is an important element.  AND,  Twitter has been invaluable for connecting with various networks of leaders, youth workers, pastors, and other authors.

My second response came after the influx of new followers, “Well, they’re going to be really disappointed when they see a bunch of Tweets about youth work and Christian ministry.”  And then I thought, “Is there another field, other than youth work, that is so demanding of people to possess a strong mix of leadership, innovation, and strategic thinking?“  I can’t think of many.

Sustainable effectiveness in youth work requires mature leadership, innovation to keep pace with culture’s changing demands and creative possibilities, and strategic thinking to oversee a wide range of events, teaching, volunteers, finances, and counseling.  It is an intense and yet very rewarding vocation.  So, perhaps youth work does belong in the discussion on leadership, innovation, and strategic thinking with the Harvard elite.

The LDRLB list is curated by David Burkus and is tied to a very effective promotional strategy for his forthcoming debut book, The Myths of Creativity: The Truth About How Innovative Companies and People Generate Great Ideas (Jossey-Bass).  I thanked David for the recognition and told him that I liked his promotion strategy.  (It never hurts to compliment people to get them to pre-order a book.  And it worked. I ordered one.)  I am looking forward to reading this book.  We need great ideas (we’re in a rut right now) in so many fields.  Books like David’s can help us develop our creative leadership skills.

To continue the advocating of youth work, I also got to read an advanced copy of Mark Cannister’s forthcoming book, Teenagers Matter: Making Student Ministry a Priority in the Church (Youth, Family, and Culture).  Mark has been a leading thinker and professor (Gordon College) in youth ministry for years and has served as the general editor of the Journal of Youth Ministry since its inception.  I think this book will be one of the most widely-referenced books in the coming years.  In it, Mark summarizes champions youth ministry as an important and necessary part of a church’s ministry.  In an age where leaders are chasing the ever-swinging pendulum (in Christian ministry circles, we love to do this) away from youth ministry, we need to say, “What a minute” and think a bit about the larger picture of what’s going on with young people.

Which brings me to me conversations this past week with global youth workers.  These folks work in areas of the world where the youth population is expanding rapidly amidst economies where there is no hope for employment and threatening health issues persist.  These matters have spilled over into European countries where economies have become shaky, unemployment is rising, and the future looks very different from the past. And, have you been paying attention to the USA’s immigration discussion?  It directly relates to employment issues in your local town/community.

What will the church do in light of these underlying and emerging issues?  What role should youth work play in a culture that’s changing dramatically? These are some of the questions that David Livermore and I helped youth workers think through in our book, What Can We Do?: Practical Ways Your Youth Ministry Can Have a Global Conscience. And they’re questions that we in the youth work in the USA are largely ignoring for now. We won’t have that luxury for long.

It’ll take more than the latest download to address what’s developing in our communities and families as it relates to the economy, immigration, technology, sexuality, education (don’t get me started here), and the cost of college. It will take knowledge, sustainable leadership and innovative and strategic thinking to help lead youth and families in the coming years.  But, THAT is what makes youth work both challenging and yet so rewarding.  Youth workers are at the forefront of a society’s coming waves and I’m excited to be a part of that tribe.

So, grab your surfboards and let’s ride the coming waves with effectiveness in our leadership, innovation, and strategies!  And I think that gives us a voice among the business and global leaders who give shape to online and other discussions.  So, don’t shrink when the going gets tough. Dig in, learn, have courage, and be faithful to what you’re called to do in the way God’s gifted you to do it. Teenagers matter.

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Supporting Pastors are Not ‘Chairs’, but Equals [guest post]

In the world of youth ministers, education pastors, and other associate pastors, there is a misconception that these supporting ministers are likened to ‘second chairs’ to their senior pastors. In an orchestra, second chairs play to the lead of the first chair. This analogy of associate pastors to second chairs is an inherently incomplete comparison rife with misguided assumptions about the role of the associate pastor in relation to a senior pastor.

Working on a church staff under a senior pastor can be a rewarding experience but also a ministry killer. After interviewing dozens of associate pastors and youth ministers, one clear indicator of longevity of church staff is how much of a micromanger the senior pastor is. Many senior pastors feel that since they are the “one in charge” that seniors must direct every decision of their staff. The years of experience that the senior pastor has accrued leads many seniors to think that they know everything about ministry.

The role of the associate pastor/minister is not primarily found in hierarchical relationship to the senior pastor. Many associate job descriptions contain some vague reference to the effect of “complete duties assigned by the senior pastor”. Sometimes that phrase is used to cover an array of anything and everything under the sun that the senior pastor wants. Associates need clear guidelines of their duties.

When a church and its leadership see associates pastors and youth ministries as playing second fiddle to the senior pastor it leads a congregation to view the role of supporting minister as role primarily centered on hierarchy. Associate pastor ministry is a calling, not a step on the vocational latter of ministry. Accepting a ministry position as an associate pastor should come out of a sense that God desires to use your gifts in a particular way. Ministers on staff should be seen equally but with different callings to support the mission of the church. One senior pastor that I interviewed refuses to introduce his youth pastor as, “This is my youth pastor….” but introduces the youth minister as “This is one of our church pastors…” This minor difference signals to the church that staff ministers are highly valued as equals.

Using the imagery of first and second chair pastors is wrongly focused on power dynamic instead of the God given calling that God has given to the ministers of the Gospel. In one of the final addresses of Jesus to his disciples, our Lord said: “I don’t call you servants now. A servant does not know what his master is doing. But now I call you friends because I have told you everything I heard from my Father. You did not choose me; I chose you. And I gave you this work: to go and make fruit. I want this fruit to continue…” (John 15:15-16 – ESV)

Clearly, Jesus sought to go beyond a relationship with his disciples that was found in a first-second relationship. Jesus communicated to the world that his disciples were equal in calling. In order for the fruit to continue in church ministry, associate pastors, youth ministers, and other staff ministers must be viewed equal in calling to their senior pastors. Though there is a supervisory role that will always exist, church leadership must empower their associates by affirming their calling in this equal calling dynamic.

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Rev. Alan Rudnick is the senior pastor of The First Baptist Church of Ballston in Spa, NY and is the author of “The Work of the Associate Pastor” from Judson Press. You can connect with him on Twitter: @alanrud, Facebook: http://facebook.com/alanrudnick and through his website http://alanrudnick.org.

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Being Impressive: A Subtle Snare for Christian Leaders

One of the joys in my life now is getting to work with various organizations around the country and meet the amazing people who lead them.  There are thousands of gifted and God-shaped people leading churches, nonprofits, campus organizations, and businesses in communities all over the world.  Most of these leadership veterans earned their stripes “in the trenches” and are among the most effective leaders you would ever meet …  and yet few will ever know who they are outside of their group.

When I encounter young leaders who are discouraged, one of the consistent reasons I discover for their discouragement is that no one is noticing their leadership.  They unknowingly seek some validation and notoriety for their work.  And, truthfully, it may be because no supervisor or committee is commending them.  Ministry is naturally discouraging, so encouragement is necessary!

One of the not-so-subtle snares of leadership is the desire to be impressive.  You can see where this emerges too since leadership involves treating others well, communicating well, and measuring effectiveness (the “how well am I doing? factor) by people’s responses.  As people respond favorably, we feel like we’re leading well, but we sometimes aren’t satisfied there and want MORE people to respond favorably.  

It’s a tricky turn since the goal of the Christian leader really isn’t to make people like us.  Our goal is to help people follow and model Jesus more closely in their lives and work.  And that’s difficult to measure.  It’s easier to look at our position and title and take satisfaction in our reputation or authority.

Young leaders have to wrestle with this. I did too. After serving as a national trainer for a campus-focused ministry organization, I became a youth pastor in a fantastic church in a small town while attending graduate school.  I had no large position or fancy title and in that process I had to answer, “Can I go and serve Hope Church even if no one ever knows?”  And I could. And did for 7 fantastic years.  When the faculty position opened at Bethel College, Kel and I prayed about it and asked, “Can I go and serve Bethel College and teach the students who come there and that be enough?”  And I could. And have for 12+ amazing years.

The fundamental question as you follow Christ in life is to ask this leadership question, “Can I serve (insert your organziation here) and do so without any notoriety?“  If you can answer that affirmatively, then you can throw your all into your work and find a blessed simplicity and freedom from having to impress others for job satisfaction.

But, it’s tough to do, isn’t it?  After all, I just shared how well I am now doing at this, right?  Not so fast.  I recently spoke at a conference for a handful of minutes not too long ago and came away so very irritated at how it went.  Driving home, I called Kelly and had to process with her (she has a background in psychology and counseling) why it was generating such emotions.  It was an informative presentation, nothing that needed to be special, but it bugged me to an extreme and I couldn’t shake those feelings.  As we talked, we agreed that the issue was that I wanted it to be impressive and it hadn’t been. Really, I wanted to be impressive (read: perfect) and it wasn’t.

And that’s one of the subtle snares of leadership: As we learn to communicate better, we push our pride and reputation as part of the goal for communicating and make it less about the communication and all about people’s impression of us.

I want to be an encouragement to you that what you’re leading is important. You are part of a large group of Christian leaders who wake up each day to serve in their leadership positions with fanfare. What you and I do today no one will clap or notice except those whom we touch – and no one will see the behind-the-scenes work you do for your organization. But, you’re doing well.  You do not need validation from the outside. Your leadership matters.

As you lead in the coming weeks, be alert to moments where pride may pop its head up and want to make it all about you being impressive.  Be real instead. Be faithful. Don’t give up.  That will mean more in the end – and be longer lasting too!

 

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What’s your motive for reading the Bible?

“The Bible is boring. I try to read it, but it’s just a bunch of words.  I can’t get into it.  I read it, but it doesn’t make a difference.”

For those of us who work with youth in the church, do any of these comments sound familiar?  Maybe we’ve even said them at one point in our lives.  Bible study and spiritual practices are crucial elements to our Christian faith.  And, while the church (and particularly youth ministry) is good at creating spiritual experiences, we haven’t been so good at teaching God’s Word. We’ve been even worse at showing others how to do it.  And the words above are concerning when we hear it from our students. It was even more disheartening when these came from one of my own teenagers at home.

This month I’ve been getting to know the good work and impressive leadership of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.  One of IVCF’s many impressive leaders is Lindsay Olesberg, Inductive Bible Study Teacher and Trainer for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and Senior Associate for Scripture Engagement with The Lausanne Movement. If you haven’t heard of Lindsay before, you will in the coming years. For years, she has been at the forefront of teaching and helping people to study the Bible and is now coaching multiple ministries and global organizations.

Lindsay recently authored a book, The Bible Study Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to an Essential Practice (2012, IVP), that has been helpful to many college campus leaders.  These leaders have helped hundreds of college students, many of whom have no Christian background, to engage Scripture in meaningful ways and grow.

Here’s the deal:  Lindsay’s book is an incredible tool to help youth workers teach their students how to study the Bible.  Lindsay told me that she’s been getting notes from youth pastors now who had discovered her book and found it helpful with their youth work.

I recommend this handbook to every youth worker who wants to grow in his or her own study of Scripture and wants to lead their students in doing the same.  It’s super practical, very well written, you will grow in your own ability to study the Bible, and you’ll find ways you can immediately implement in your youth ministry on the next Wednesday night!

One of the issues that keeps people from effect study of Scripture is that they approach it with the wrong motives.  Lindsay notes a few of the common motives that block effective engagement of Scripture:

We read the Bible solely to gain knowledge. Bible study is boring unless we see something new.
We treat the Bible like a “Magic 8″ ball, expecting a mystical verse to tell us our fortune.
We see the Bible like a government manual, full of rules and requirements that evaluate and critique our lives.
We call the Bible a “love letter to us,” and thus reading the Bible is all about us and not about God (see interpretations of Jeremiah 29:11).  [taken from pages 23-24]

The Word of God is a shaping force that God uses to renovate our lives and hearts. Do we gain knowledge? Sure.  Can God speak to us through the Scripture? I hope so or it’s pretty inert.  Are there parts where God calls us to obedience?  Yep. And does God express his love for us in the Bible? Often.  But, it’s the motive for reading Scripture that often inhibits our study.

Given the recent Orange, Sticky Faith, and You Lost Me projects, one of the concerns has been the growing biblical illiteracy among church-going people. Perhaps it’s as simple as that A) we don’t know how to teach people to study the Bible and B) so we’re not spending time reading the Bible and C) letting it shape our lives.

In the coming weeks, I’m going to post a few highlights from the book. However, don’t wait for those posts, buy this handbook, read it, and then schedule in a few times to teaching your teens how to study the Bible.  If you can overcome some of the common barriers that students have, students who want to understand the Bible, you’ll be providing a foundation for a lifetime of spiritual growth and wisdom.

 

 

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