As a leader, its important to keep watchful of how we manage our time. I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for ways to manage my time better.
I just read a great post on Michael Hyatt's blog about how to shave 10 hours off your work week. I discovered his blog through the world of twitter. He writes some great articles.
If you've been by Session 4 of Gifted to Lead or you just want to learn to grow as a leader, I recommend you read this. He has 7 steps. I can't say as I have accomplished all seven, or even absorbed all of them. But I have attempted to tackle step #2. It says:
Touch email messages once and only once.
This is much more difficult than I had imagined. I have decided I am going to make a conscious effort to follow this principle. I must say that I see a slight improvement already and feel like I'm up for the challenge.
Why don't you try it to?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
A Volunteer's Language of Love by Nancy Beach
Nancy Beach recently wrote a fantastic article on the Cultivate site.
Here it is for your enjoyment.
Most of us are familiar with the concept that our friends, children, or spouses all have preferred languages of love. My husband & I joke that we model a complete miss – his preferred language of love would be a terrific homemade meal, & I’m quite a mediocre cook. My preferred language is words – and he tends to be fairly nonverbal. What a great match!
For those of us who recruit, develop, & lead volunteers, we need to pay attention to their languages of love. How can we continue to inspire our volunteers to stay faithful in their service? In addition to hoping they are leaning into the presence of God & feeling His smile & blessing, how do we contribute to their joy and fulfillment as servants in the church? In what ways can we inspire them to go the distance & see how they matter to the kingdom? I suggest that as we get to know our volunteers, we will discover that some respond best to Words, others to Pictures, & many to Experiences.
Words
In my desk at home, there is a little drawer where I tuck away notes I have received over the years from people expressing their appreciation for my ministry to them. These words of affirmation are treasures to me. I save the ones that have most significance to me, especially those that highlight a story or specific way in which God may have used me to mark them. For me & for many others, words are an enormous source of encouragement. I have attempted over the years to turn around & give words to those I lead – sometimes in person, & more often, in writing.
Here’s a challenge – being specific with our words. Often I grow lazy, & simply say to a volunteer, “Great job on Sunday…” I think that means something, but is truly limited in its encouragement power. If I take the time to call out a specific contribution of that individual, the meaning is multiplied. Here are a few examples, all based on paying attention & then choosing to focus on a detail:
“I appreciated the color choices you made with lighting that fabric this weekend. It was a beautiful combination that set a warm atmosphere for our worship.”
“Wow, you really nailed that guitar solo! Thanks for playing with such abandon and joy & skill. You took the song to a different place & helped us soar.”
“That script was masterfully written. Your word choices were so true to life, & I felt as though you were connecting with so many of us in the congregation. Thank you for taking the time to write with such care – my favorite line was ____________________________.”
Artists thrive when they can see that someone noticed & appreciated the nuance of their contribution. This requires us to pay attention, & then take the extra few minutes of time to move away from our general expressions to more thoughtful words.
Pictures
Volunteers often struggle to understand how the part they play is making a real difference for God. When a person sets up microphones every weekend, or edits a video, or plays the drums, it can be difficult to know whether any fruit is being born. The leader who paints a picture for these individuals to get a glimpse of how their contribution matters can inspire the volunteers to look beyond the task to the eternal impact. So how do we provide these pictures?
The primary tool for the leader is storytelling – actual testimonies from people in the church who have been marked by the ministry. For artists in particular, it means the world to them if they discover that someone has come to faith partly because of the Sunday morning experiences, or if someone has learned how to worship God with greater engagement & passion. These stories could be circulated among the volunteers through an e-mail format, or better yet, occasionally we can invite someone to share a story of life change right before a rehearsal or set-up time at church. There’s nothing quite like looking into the eyes of someone who has undergone spiritual transformation, & knowing that God used you to play a small part in that miracle.
At one of our volunteer gatherings, I invited a new drummer at our church to tell his story. He told the group that on a Saturday night, he met a young woman from our church at a pub. He wanted to take her out, & she invited him to join her instead for church the next morning. When he walked into our church, he saw a drum set on stage, just like the ones he used in his band. He reacted very positively to the quality of music at our church, & after a process over several weeks; he ended up coming to faith. When he shared with the volunteers how God used the services, & particularly the music, to lead him to Christ, I watched the faces of those volunteers closely. They were ennobled. They saw this freshly redeemed artist as evidence of why their servanthood matters. They received a picture that inspired them.
I always encourage volunteers to never miss a baptism service. We call those services “Pay Day” at our church – it’s when the entire congregation gets a picture of how God has been at work through us, of how we are together bringing light to this dark world. Turn baptism celebrations into volunteer parties, & leverage them in any way you can.
Experiences
A third way to breathe love & life into volunteers involves giving them a stretching experience. This might include taking them to a concert, play, or movie. Experiencing great art together inspires artists & helps them connect with one another. We love to talk afterwards about what we liked, what worked & what didn’t, & what we can take away from those artistic experiences.
I would also encourage you to provide training opportunities for your volunteers whenever possible. When you can include volunteers in a webinar, give them a resource like a valuable book on ministry or the arts or leadership, or take them to a workshop, conference, or training day, you are totally affirming your belief in them & their potential for growth. Staff members at churches should not hoard all the training experiences for those who are paid. Consider sharing your training budget, whatever size it may be, with others on your team who give of their time week after week. I love to see the shining eyes of volunteers who have been included in a time of training – they so deeply appreciate being stretched and challenged & developed. For many, it is their primary language of love.
To find more great articles by Nancy, join the Cultivate site by Willow Creek Association.
Here it is for your enjoyment.
Most of us are familiar with the concept that our friends, children, or spouses all have preferred languages of love. My husband & I joke that we model a complete miss – his preferred language of love would be a terrific homemade meal, & I’m quite a mediocre cook. My preferred language is words – and he tends to be fairly nonverbal. What a great match!
For those of us who recruit, develop, & lead volunteers, we need to pay attention to their languages of love. How can we continue to inspire our volunteers to stay faithful in their service? In addition to hoping they are leaning into the presence of God & feeling His smile & blessing, how do we contribute to their joy and fulfillment as servants in the church? In what ways can we inspire them to go the distance & see how they matter to the kingdom? I suggest that as we get to know our volunteers, we will discover that some respond best to Words, others to Pictures, & many to Experiences.
Words
In my desk at home, there is a little drawer where I tuck away notes I have received over the years from people expressing their appreciation for my ministry to them. These words of affirmation are treasures to me. I save the ones that have most significance to me, especially those that highlight a story or specific way in which God may have used me to mark them. For me & for many others, words are an enormous source of encouragement. I have attempted over the years to turn around & give words to those I lead – sometimes in person, & more often, in writing.
Here’s a challenge – being specific with our words. Often I grow lazy, & simply say to a volunteer, “Great job on Sunday…” I think that means something, but is truly limited in its encouragement power. If I take the time to call out a specific contribution of that individual, the meaning is multiplied. Here are a few examples, all based on paying attention & then choosing to focus on a detail:
“I appreciated the color choices you made with lighting that fabric this weekend. It was a beautiful combination that set a warm atmosphere for our worship.”
“Wow, you really nailed that guitar solo! Thanks for playing with such abandon and joy & skill. You took the song to a different place & helped us soar.”
“That script was masterfully written. Your word choices were so true to life, & I felt as though you were connecting with so many of us in the congregation. Thank you for taking the time to write with such care – my favorite line was ____________________________.”
Artists thrive when they can see that someone noticed & appreciated the nuance of their contribution. This requires us to pay attention, & then take the extra few minutes of time to move away from our general expressions to more thoughtful words.
Pictures
Volunteers often struggle to understand how the part they play is making a real difference for God. When a person sets up microphones every weekend, or edits a video, or plays the drums, it can be difficult to know whether any fruit is being born. The leader who paints a picture for these individuals to get a glimpse of how their contribution matters can inspire the volunteers to look beyond the task to the eternal impact. So how do we provide these pictures?
The primary tool for the leader is storytelling – actual testimonies from people in the church who have been marked by the ministry. For artists in particular, it means the world to them if they discover that someone has come to faith partly because of the Sunday morning experiences, or if someone has learned how to worship God with greater engagement & passion. These stories could be circulated among the volunteers through an e-mail format, or better yet, occasionally we can invite someone to share a story of life change right before a rehearsal or set-up time at church. There’s nothing quite like looking into the eyes of someone who has undergone spiritual transformation, & knowing that God used you to play a small part in that miracle.
At one of our volunteer gatherings, I invited a new drummer at our church to tell his story. He told the group that on a Saturday night, he met a young woman from our church at a pub. He wanted to take her out, & she invited him to join her instead for church the next morning. When he walked into our church, he saw a drum set on stage, just like the ones he used in his band. He reacted very positively to the quality of music at our church, & after a process over several weeks; he ended up coming to faith. When he shared with the volunteers how God used the services, & particularly the music, to lead him to Christ, I watched the faces of those volunteers closely. They were ennobled. They saw this freshly redeemed artist as evidence of why their servanthood matters. They received a picture that inspired them.
I always encourage volunteers to never miss a baptism service. We call those services “Pay Day” at our church – it’s when the entire congregation gets a picture of how God has been at work through us, of how we are together bringing light to this dark world. Turn baptism celebrations into volunteer parties, & leverage them in any way you can.
Experiences
A third way to breathe love & life into volunteers involves giving them a stretching experience. This might include taking them to a concert, play, or movie. Experiencing great art together inspires artists & helps them connect with one another. We love to talk afterwards about what we liked, what worked & what didn’t, & what we can take away from those artistic experiences.
I would also encourage you to provide training opportunities for your volunteers whenever possible. When you can include volunteers in a webinar, give them a resource like a valuable book on ministry or the arts or leadership, or take them to a workshop, conference, or training day, you are totally affirming your belief in them & their potential for growth. Staff members at churches should not hoard all the training experiences for those who are paid. Consider sharing your training budget, whatever size it may be, with others on your team who give of their time week after week. I love to see the shining eyes of volunteers who have been included in a time of training – they so deeply appreciate being stretched and challenged & developed. For many, it is their primary language of love.
To find more great articles by Nancy, join the Cultivate site by Willow Creek Association.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Gifted to Lead in Kelowna
November 4th was a wonderful day for over 200 BC women who attended Gifted to Lead in Kelowna.
Nancy Beach is a wonderful presenter and her insight and years of women brought alot of comfort and inspiration to a room full of brilliant women leaders.
It was an extra special blessing for the TLCWCC team as our office is located in Kelowna. This allowed staff members the priviledge of serving and discovering the guest experience first hand.
Not only that, but I was able to have a tribe of 17 women from my local church attend. Here are a few of their comments :
Nancy Beach is a wonderful presenter and her insight and years of women brought alot of comfort and inspiration to a room full of brilliant women leaders.
It was an extra special blessing for the TLCWCC team as our office is located in Kelowna. This allowed staff members the priviledge of serving and discovering the guest experience first hand.
Not only that, but I was able to have a tribe of 17 women from my local church attend. Here are a few of their comments :
- It was a very good day, lots of aha moments and yes lots to digest. Yes I'm up for coffee also. Makes me think when I was most of NLC women on the extrovert side. What can we come up with next.
- What a great day! Fantastic!
- Maybe it would be a good idea for us to get together over coffee and see how we can help each other move forward in our areas with the tools we were given. Be accountable to one another.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Take some time out
I've had the privilege of having Nancy Beach in Kelowna this week. I've been able to work with her and to help facilitate Gifted to Lead events in 4 different provinces in Canada this year During this time I have come to really appreciated and admire her ability to communicate and I have been overwhelmed with the wealth of wisdom that she possesses from years of experience as a Arts Director at Willow Creek Association.
Last night she went above and beyond and shared at a special arts gathering. During this evening we drilled her with all sorts of questions that are on the mind of arts leaders in the church.
One of he things she talked about was making sure you take time apart as a worship/arts team. It can be a day or two, at a home of a friend, or at a retreat center, but is so important to just do it.
Here is what she says are the key elements of a retreat for your team. I think these elements are not important for any team, and even a family gathering.
Take time out to:
Last night she went above and beyond and shared at a special arts gathering. During this evening we drilled her with all sorts of questions that are on the mind of arts leaders in the church.
One of he things she talked about was making sure you take time apart as a worship/arts team. It can be a day or two, at a home of a friend, or at a retreat center, but is so important to just do it.
Here is what she says are the key elements of a retreat for your team. I think these elements are not important for any team, and even a family gathering.
Take time out to:
- Celebrate (where you've come from and the things you've accomplished)
- Honor (one another and the processes you have been in)
- Have Fun (what can I say? Laughter is good medicine!)
Online Streaming with Nancy Beach
Tonight is going to be a great night. Nancy Beach is in Kelowna and speaking at Gifted to Lead.
But first....... she will be sharing on line at a brand new streaming site called Worship Cafe.net
You've heard for a while now that Nancy will be doing an Arts Gathering here in Kelowna as well.
You've got to go online and watch with us!! We would love it.
Just go here and have fun watching.
It starts at 6:30 pm Pacific Time, AND we have newly Covenant Award winning artist Corey Doak with us as well. You won't be disappointed
But first....... she will be sharing on line at a brand new streaming site called Worship Cafe.net
You've heard for a while now that Nancy will be doing an Arts Gathering here in Kelowna as well.
You've got to go online and watch with us!! We would love it.
Just go here and have fun watching.
It starts at 6:30 pm Pacific Time, AND we have newly Covenant Award winning artist Corey Doak with us as well. You won't be disappointed
Monday, November 2, 2009
Nancy is coming to Kelowna tomorrow!
I have been blessed to be able to be at 4 Gifted to Lead events in Canada this year. I get to MC at these events and help with the months of planning that goes into these days. The response has been overwhelming.There is a huge amount of women in Canada who are looking for mentoring and training about leadership.
Nancy is now coming to my home town of Kelowna. We are excited to have her, and apparently she is looking forward to it as well. Check out her most recent blog post.
Along with this, Nancy agreed to do a special Arts Gathering on a live web streaming cafe tomorrow night on Tuesday, Nov. 4. If you know of Arts Leaders in your area that would like to log on and watch it live, check out the event here.
Watch for more great testimonies coming soon!
Nancy is now coming to my home town of Kelowna. We are excited to have her, and apparently she is looking forward to it as well. Check out her most recent blog post.
Along with this, Nancy agreed to do a special Arts Gathering on a live web streaming cafe tomorrow night on Tuesday, Nov. 4. If you know of Arts Leaders in your area that would like to log on and watch it live, check out the event here.
Watch for more great testimonies coming soon!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
More great feedback from Gifted to Lead in Moncton
One of the things I always ask our guests at the end of the Gifted to Lead event, is to consider filling out our feedback forms that we send by email.
This feedback is so important for many reasons:
Here are some more that have come in:
This whole day was a refreshing gift that I needed to be recharged and energized.Nancy has such a gift in her work and calling. I learned so much I want to share with my girlfriends who could not come.
Nancy is an awesome speaker and motivator. I am so thankful that I encouraged 5 ladies from our Church to attend the session. We all came away realizing our potential as women leaders in our church.
It was great to be with so many women and Nancy was fabulous! There were many times that I felt not so alone anymore in experiences. It was refreshing to have Nancy talk about so many 'myths' and 'ideals' that we strive for as women - like balance in life - but rarely ever achieve. It was good to know that I'm not alone in this - it was such a relief to hear her say, many times throughout the conference, that we need to have grace for ourselves; sometimes we will fail and that is not the end of the world.
I think its a great day to share with other women, to come together and share, laugh and learn! I think everyone needs to do a workshop like this, just as a reminder that WE are the ones who need to further the Kingdom! God gave each of us the unique tools and sometimes we need to remember to use them fully!
This event led me to make a significant decision in my life. Sometimes being a leader and having a voice is a scary thing. I find that I second guess myself a lot for fear of saying the wrong thing or being told that my idea/ thoughts are worthless. I've decided that I need to own my voice and that God gave me one to use it and not sit back and be complacent or scared. Great stuff!
We as women and moms struggle with the challenge of creating a life that works. However, no matter what season of life we are in, we do indeed need to flourish. I loved it! And I absolutely loved and admired Nancy's candor and genuineness. Boy do we need it. I am challenged to live my life and fulfill my ministry with character, grace, humility and integrity. THANK YOU NANCY!!!!! As a PS, I seldom respond to online feedbacks such as this due to time priorities, but I would be doing myself and women in ministry a disservice if I did not offer my positive feedback.
Our prayer is that you would be inspired to greatness for His kingdom's sake.
This feedback is so important for many reasons:
- We get to hear your story and how you were impacted by the event.
- We get to learn how to serve leaders better.
- We get to hear other ideas from you as to what you would like to learn in the future.
Here are some more that have come in:
This whole day was a refreshing gift that I needed to be recharged and energized.Nancy has such a gift in her work and calling. I learned so much I want to share with my girlfriends who could not come.
Nancy is an awesome speaker and motivator. I am so thankful that I encouraged 5 ladies from our Church to attend the session. We all came away realizing our potential as women leaders in our church.
It was great to be with so many women and Nancy was fabulous! There were many times that I felt not so alone anymore in experiences. It was refreshing to have Nancy talk about so many 'myths' and 'ideals' that we strive for as women - like balance in life - but rarely ever achieve. It was good to know that I'm not alone in this - it was such a relief to hear her say, many times throughout the conference, that we need to have grace for ourselves; sometimes we will fail and that is not the end of the world.
I think its a great day to share with other women, to come together and share, laugh and learn! I think everyone needs to do a workshop like this, just as a reminder that WE are the ones who need to further the Kingdom! God gave each of us the unique tools and sometimes we need to remember to use them fully!
This event led me to make a significant decision in my life. Sometimes being a leader and having a voice is a scary thing. I find that I second guess myself a lot for fear of saying the wrong thing or being told that my idea/ thoughts are worthless. I've decided that I need to own my voice and that God gave me one to use it and not sit back and be complacent or scared. Great stuff!
We as women and moms struggle with the challenge of creating a life that works. However, no matter what season of life we are in, we do indeed need to flourish. I loved it! And I absolutely loved and admired Nancy's candor and genuineness. Boy do we need it. I am challenged to live my life and fulfill my ministry with character, grace, humility and integrity. THANK YOU NANCY!!!!! As a PS, I seldom respond to online feedbacks such as this due to time priorities, but I would be doing myself and women in ministry a disservice if I did not offer my positive feedback.
Our prayer is that you would be inspired to greatness for His kingdom's sake.
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