03.13.09
Small Groups Are A Dying Breed?
A couple of days ago, I came across a blogger Kathy Guy (Granger Community Church) who made a comment in one of her post about small groups not just aging, but dying. She said something that I am still contemplating…”small groups as we’ve known them are dying and will continue to do so.” Kathy Guy had some thought-provoking comments. Among other things she said this:
“I mean no disrespect to all those who are strongly convinced that small groups are the way. I do think that small groups as we’ve known them are dying and will continue to do so. I believe that if we focus on ways for people to enter into relationship with one another, we have a broader net to meet people where they’re at.”
So what are your thoughts? Do you believe the idea of small groups is dying? If yes, what are you doing differently to promote community? What do you think will be the next great idea?
10.27.08
Monday Morning Drive
Is your Monday getting off to a bad start? Take a break and think about what your Monday Morning Drive looks like. I hadn’t really thought about the drive that I take to and from Central everyday until I read Tony Morgan’s blog this morning. Here is a little of what my Monday Morning Drive involves:
· Sunshine almost every day
· Streets lined with desert Palms
· View of the Vegas Mountain Range and valley
· View of the Vegas Strip
I have to say the night scene gets even better…
· Add a beautiful western sunset
· And turn on the lights of Vegas
Check out what others are saying is the best commute at http://tonymorganlive.com/2008/10/27/the-best-commute/.
10.21.08
“That Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
Our Senior Pastor’s wife Lori Wilhite has a great blog called “Leading and Loving It.” Lori is currently highlighting “Marriage” on her blog and is using Jud’s book “That Crazy Little Thing Called Love” as a launching point. Here is one excerpt from her recent blog telling about how she and Jud met:
“Here is the fifty cent version of how our history together began. The first time Jud saw me, he was speaking and I was in the audience. I thought he was looking at me … then decided that I was crazy. But he was. He figured out who I was and called me with what might be one of the worst pick up lines in history: “I just, uh, wanted to see if I could take you to coffee and encourage you.” Maybe not the smoothest line, but it worked. And I was crazy about him from our first lunch. Five months later we were engaged. Four months after that we were married. That was 12 years ago. I love him more now than then. I’m the luckiest girl ever!”
Lori and Jud are wonderful people and I know we will enjoy learning from their marriage and from the marriages of those who post comments. Check it out at http://leadingandlovingit.wordpress.com/
Can You Do Small Groups Online?
Today, I was browsing some of the blogs that I read and I landed on Pete Wilson’s blog(http://withoutwax.tv
). Pete is a friend of mine and he is Lead Pastor at Crosspoint Community Church in Nashville. This topic caught my attention because it asked the question, “Can you do church online?” Pete had attended three or four online campuses this past weekend and one online church he visited was Central. There were many comments and several people listed the pros and cons of attending an online church. It was great comments on both sides of the question.
Many of you know that Central has an online campus and I am really pumped to see what God is doing through that ministry. Last weekend, the Small Group Ministry Team held a Leadership Gathering for all of our Small Group Leaders and the topic was “Techno Small Groups.” In January 2009, we are actually launching several online Small Groups equipped with online Small Group Leaders.
Here is the question, “Can you do online Small Groups?” I would love to know what you think! If you say “No”, then please tell us why, and if you answer “yes”, then please explain how you would do it! Thanks for your input! (This is one of the reasons why I love the internet…So I can network with several smart people who are in ministry.) If you are interested in learning more or just curious to try it out go to www.centralonlinecampus.com
09.16.08
Leader Man vrs. Servant Leader
I came across this blog the other day from a fellow leader and he had some huge thoughts about the difference between “Leader Man” and “Servant Leader.” It could challenge the way that you lead today! After you read it, please let me know your thoughts.
You can find the original Blog Spot here: http://branthansen.typepad.com/
Leader Man verses Servant Leader:
LeaderMan: Wants a platform on which to say something
Servant Leader: Has something to say
———–
LeaderMan: You almost feel you know his family, because he’s your Leader
Servant Leader: You allow him to influence you, because you know his family
———–
LeaderMan: Wants you to know he’s a Leader
Servant Leader: You’re not sure he knows he’s a leader
———–
LeaderMan: Loves the idea of the Gospel, and the idea of The Church
Servant Leader: Loves God and the actual individual people God brings across his path
———–
LeaderMan: A great speaker, but self-described as, “Not really a people person.”
Servant Leader: Makes himself a people person
———–
LeaderMan: Helps you find where God is leading you in his organization
Servant Leader: Helps you find where God is leading you
———–
LeaderMan: Gets together with you to talk about his vision
Servant Leader: Just gets together with you
———–
LeaderMan: Resents “sheep stealing”
Servant Leader: Doesn’t get the “stealing” part, since he doesn’t own anyone to begin with
———–
LeaderMan: Wants the right people on the bus
Servant Leader: Wants to find the right bus for you, and sit next to you on it
———–
LeaderMan: Shows you a flow chart
Servant Leader: Shows you his whole heart
———–
LeaderMan: A visionary who knows what the future looks like
Servant Leader: Knows what your kitchen looks like
———–
LeaderMan: If it’s worth doing, it worth doing with excellence
Servant Leader: Not exactly sure how to even calculate “worth doing”
———–
LeaderMan: Talks about confronting one another in love
Servant Leader: Actually confronts you in love
———–
LeaderMan: Impressed by success and successful people
Servant Leader: Impressed by faithfulness
———–
LeaderMan: Invests time in you, if you are “key people”
Servant Leader: Wastes time with you
———–
LeaderMan: Reveals sins of his past
Servant Leader: Reveals sins of his present
———-
LeaderMan: Gives you things to do
Servant Leader: Gives you freedom
———–
LeaderMan: Leads because of official position
Servant Leader: Leads in spite of position
———–
LeaderMan: Deep down, threatened by other Leaders
Servant Leader: Has nothing to lose
centralcouples
