Mobile Access Strategy

According to a Pew Internet and American Life Project report "62% of all Americans are part of a wireless, mobile population that participates in digital activities away from home and work." With Hispanics leading this usage trend, joined by teenagers and Afro-Americans, the move toward anywhere connectivity is quickly becoming an important point of connection.
As commercial applications of this connectivity are further deployed (following Japanese commercial applications), the consumerism channels that are developed for hand-held access will open up additional avenues for the American church to access a population in search of information and inspiration.

Look for tech oriented church strategies to reformat web sites to include formats suitable for mobile access as well as daily content for education and inspiration. As PDAs and phones develop more user friendly screens, watch for sermon text to be download-able prior to and after the sermon to be followed during the delivery or contemplated after-wards. Links to supporting material and scripture links should be provided.

Connecting church memberships digitally will be more common as churches adopt intra-net technology to provide real time texting and contact information among members via phone or PDA. This technology will allow contact groups to be formed and dialog to continue 24/7 via these intra-net contact folders increasing the connectivity of cell groups within the church and providing a higher level of Monday through Friday interaction.

Weekday interactions between pastoral staff and members will also be greatly enhanced as hand-held devices become the mainstay of communication. Pastors should adopt texting methodologies now to begin use of this real time digital connection with their membership.

Courtesy of Trend Ping

Checkers vs. Chess

I prefer checkers to chess. I know chess is considered by many to be the more mature game of the two, but checkers doesn’t require as much thought or strategy. Sure, there is some strategy involved with checkers, but you could easily play checkers without having to think nearly as hard. Also, with checkers you can be more reactive if you were feeling particularly lazy.

However, one day I was driving and I was thinking about how I was leading my life, family, and ministry. That is when the metaphor of checkers vs. chess first popped up in my mind regarding life and leadership. I had been leading my life with a reaction-driven mentality, and often was moving forward impulsively hoping for the best and not thinking about how my current ‘moves’ would be impacting the future. I was viewing my life like a person who was playing checkers.

I’m not very good at chess, and perhaps this is one of the reasons why I do not prefer it to checkers. However, I know people who are great at chess and often think many moves ahead. They are responsive, strategic, and are aware how one move will effect another opportunity. When I realized this it hit me, “I need to begin viewing life and leadership like a chess player!”

As ministers, leaders, spouses, parents, and teammates we can learn a lot from this metaphor. Most of us lead our lives and all that is involved as lazy checker players. We have tons of opportunities and options on our plate and rather than slowly considering the long-term goals and visions we are serving, we usually react to the most appealing options and ‘fires’ that pop up. Of course, we all have seasons of life when this is inevitable, however, this tends to be the norm rather than the exception for many.

It is not easy to change how we view life, especially if we have forced ourselves into a place where disorganization rules our lives. I know first hand how crippling disorganization can be, so the first step to transition from checker-style living to living like a chess player is to get organized, which I recently did. Also, it will take some time to sit and consider how your current decisions are going to effect long-term impact on you, your family, your church, or your organization. However, this is imperative in order to shift your thinking and outlook.

Those of us who are in any leadership position have a lot that is required of us. The stress builds up quickly and we are forced to make a lot of decisions. However, it is possible to be more strategic in our approach and this is why I hope you will commit to shifting your thinking away from reacting like a checker player and learn to be responsive and strategic like a chess player. You will find that the more you demonstrate this shift, the more your people (family, church members, etc.) will trust you and follow your lead, and the lower stress you will experience in the long-run. Leading like a chess player requires that we keep the end in mind (capturing the King) while being intentional about the steps in getting there.

3 Types of Supporters

By God’s grace I have been leading a non-profit organization for over seven years. For the last few years people have asked me questions about the in’s and out’s of leading a non-profit organization. From questions like, “How do I file paperwork with the government?” to “What should I do first?” I have grown to enjoy helping people see God’s calling on their lives come to fruition.

One favorite question often asked has to do with gathering ‘supporters’ for the organization. I, along with most whom I talk with typically begin by equaling support with dollar amounts. However, looking solely for people to give money to your cause is extremely short-sighted. While I do not know of one leader of an organization who would turn away funds, I would say that an organization whose primary goal is to get money from individuals or organizations are missing out on the fullness of support that one needs in order to grow a healthy, thriving non-profit entity.

Over the years I have come to realize that there are several key support roles needed to effectively fulfill the mission of your organization.

The three primary types of supporters are Contributors, Connectors, and Expanders.

A Contributor is anyone who invests in the ministry either with their resources, their time, or their expertise. Without contributors the organization could not function or flourish. These contributors are invested in the vision and this is observed by their contributions to the mission. This is an obvious type of supporter, but not always easy to find at the onset of the ministry.

The Connector is an individual who believes in the vision of the ministry and is intentional about letting others know about it. They are driven to connect the leadership with those who would interested in becoming a supporter of the ministry. Without people who are willing to connect your vision with others who would A) be interested in participating or B) willing to support, then the effectiveness of the ministry will be greatly hampered.

Lastly, the Expander is similar to the connector, but this type of supporter is intentional about finding other like-minded individuals and ministries for yours to partner with. These people are gifted visionaries who are able to grab hold of the vision of your organization, accurately convey it to others, and effectively pursue new opportunities for the ministry. These individuals are unique in that they have a larger Kingdom perspective and are strategic in how they forge relationships.

With this brief overview, one can quickly understand that limiting ‘support’ to a financial contribution is short-sighted at best, but ultimately damaging to the organization in the long run. In order to effectively lead a ministry organization that flourishes the leader must understand the importance of enlisting each type of supporter. There may be some supporters who possess all of these qualities, which would be ideal. However, to dismiss someone because of their inability to ‘contribute’ financially is faulty as that individual may be a key connector or expander. To have a solid support base each of these support types should be pursued and nurtured.

Should vs. Could

It’s like watching a wave roll across the ocean to see seemingly great ideas make their way through the church circuit. Tends to be a great deal of “me-too” going on these days when it comes to good ideas. Some ideas, though, are not so great.

Church #1 thinks it would be very unique and oh-so “post-something-or-other” for the pastor to read poetry barefoot in a hemp robe and before you know it, the local doctor has pastors from Church # 2-5 lined up to get medication for the hemp-robe-rash going around town. It’s a viral reaction when we see a great idea and feel compelled to call it our own. We just can't help it.

Yet, great ideas can range from distractive to destructive when we fail to consider the difference between “should” and “could” decisions. A great idea is only great if it fit’s the urgent and specific purpose to which our church is called, organized and inclined to pursue. A great idea that doesn’t fit the specific purpose to which you are directing your strategic focus-- is not a great idea.

During the course of your planning, thinking, showering, driving -- you will generate thousands of potentially great ideas, but you must carefully remind yourself that you “could” certainly implement that creative aha (because after all, you are the pastor, no out of touch deacon could withstand the awesome power of this Wow of an effort) -- but, “should” you implement the masterpiece is the big question.

Ideas that do not fit your purpose are counter-productive and time consuming. They often require additional expenditure to overcome their ill-fitting impact and momentum devouring force. As a leader your greatest contribution to your organization hinges on your judgment. Think it through. Don’t fall prey to the victimization of a great idea that is a “could” but not a “should.”