Archive for June, 2006
Dearest Kris
I knew it was probably going to happen – but not to this extent.
I forgot Kris.
Kris was (and still is) the worship leader at Legacy Church where I started this crazy ride of ministry as an intern. While I was scrubbing toilets, changing ceiling tile, and mopping floors – she sat in an air-conditioned office and picked out songs. It was witnessing this when I knew that I wanted to do ministry all my life.
Technically, we were on staff together – never worked together. I was ears-deep in youth ministry, she was ears-deep in worship. I was little people.
[Moment of silence here.]
Kris Koenigsberg
- Pros: Lots could be listed here….but I’ll hit the highlights….husband will show up in random places and unexpectedly and unknowingly buy your lunch/dinner – no matter how large the party, she’s got one drop-dead gorgeous daughter (which wierd for me to say seeing that she was like 8 when I last saw her), her story of her son needs to be made into a movie…or at least a Simpson episode, we need a top shelf worship leader on this staff – doesn’t get any better than Kris. Creative, fun, blah, blah, blah – you get the picture.
- Cons: She’s so dang good at so many things, it’s hard to pick out cons. But….I’ll try! Blonde. And there’s nothing wrong with that except all church staffs should be careful of the blonde load they are carrying. She also has 14 sisters who all look like they’ve walked out of a Scandinavian Super Model catalog. Minnesotan…or Minnesotean or however you spell it…which means she has moments when she talks funny. Imagine a Texan/Minnesotan accent – that’s Kris.
[tags]people I’d like to work with, building a church staff[/tags]
Women I’d Like to Work With
Linda had a great comment here. So I’d thought I’d give it a whirl.
First – I have to admit that I had a traumatic experience with women bosses right out of college. That’s right -plural. Not one, not two, but three. I was working for an economic development district and somehow, someway I reported to all 3. A couple of things I learned during that time.
- 1. Just because she’s smiling, doesn’t mean she’s happy.
2. If she says “You might want to rethink…” what that really means is “You idiot, change this by the end of business.”
3. Unless she is talking to the other woman. Then it means…”I think.”
4. The 30 minutes of “great job” is a set up for the 30 minutes of “You might want to rethink…”
5. When all 3 agree on something, act immediately.
6. If 2 out of the 3 agree, keep your trap shut and let them figure it out.
7. If none of them agree, call in sick and go play golf.
8. If there are some interpersonal conflicts going on between any combination of the 3, see #7.
Now it would be incredibly immature and shortsighted to say that these insights apply to all women in all places. Just for the ones I know. On top of this, God (him being the owner of one heck of a sense of humor) gifted me with two daughters – currently 6 and 3. Early observations are that I am in for one heck of ride when middle school starts.
Seriously, women I’d love to work with…
Renee’ Sanders
- Pros: I’m breaking one of my rules – I’m already working with her. BUT having her as my right hand for the last 3 years has been wonderful. She’s the best admin assistant I’ve ever had, great friend, cool husband, incredible discipler of young women, vision for the lost, creative, honest…I could go on and it could get long. Instead…let’s make fun of her…
- Cons: She’s blonde…and she’s had her blonde moments. She doesn’t blog, she’s a lurker (reader not commenter). She once left a fry cooker full of oil on her back porch for a month.
Cathy Terrell
- Pros: Again, I’m breaking the “already worked with” rule but I’m her “brother from another mother.” We’d tell people we were related and they’d just go completely blank in the face. (She’s black “and proud!” ha ha ha). She’s an absolute cut-up, will say anything that comes in her mind, her husband will kill anybody in dominoes.
- Cons: She can cook. Yeah – she CAN cook soul food which tastes like heaven but instantly clogs your arteries. Fried fish, chicken, pork chops – good night the woman can cook. If you ate it, you would die a fat, happy person at the age of 38. She hates the snow and doesn’t know how to walk in it. (long story…)
Cindy Rhudy
- Pros: If I had Renee, Cathy, and Cindy on the same Youth team – I’d assault the gates of Hell with a water gun with them. Cindy is the ultimate Mom – in a good way. No one has ever felt uncomfortable around her, gracious, loving, fun, and giving.
- Cons: Her and Cathy don’t enjoy the snow all that much, she’s very short – like 4′ 9″- and can get lost in snow drifts.
Actually – now that I think about it – I’ve absolutely had some of the best women volunteers on the planet work with me – Kacy Ellis, Kim Gimple, Lora DeWald, Telisa Purdy, Amy Galli, Beth Boehm, Ann Plunkett, Karen Wenneker – I know I’m forgetting somebody so forgive me in advance.
Which is good because that balances out the worst nightmare parents that were moms I’ve had to deal with in student ministry.
Did I say that out loud? I guess I did. Moving on….
The Blonde MC at the Rocky Mountain Getaway, from Minnesota…
- Pros: She’s very energetic and we’d have a lot of fun making fun of her.
- Cons: Very, very, very blonde. One of our students was giving a talk and said he was from Kansas. She interrupted him to say – “That’s in the middle of the country.” The longest pause in program history followed. Quite funny.
Actually, I don’t think I’d like to work with her as much as tease her.
Cathy “Catbird” Martin
- Pros: I’d never send out a poorly punctuated piece of communication ever again, highly relational, fun
- Cons: Which would crack first – my abstract randomness or her concrete sequential? Auburn, Auburn, Auburn….on second thought, there’s just no way.
Then of course, there is Linda.
- Pros: The great unknown – her comments are funny, pointed, and insightful, she’s got a daughter who wants to be a student pastor, she’s from the Midwest…BUT…
- Cons: She likes chick flicks and country western music. That alone would drive me crazy. She’s also a dairy farmer – of which I know absolutely nothing other than I need those people due to the amount of milk that is consumed in my house. It’s a toss up.
Special considerations:
No pansy women. They’ve got to like eating BBQ, trying new things, staying up late, and understand that rules exist to serve us. When they quit serving the mission, they need to quit being rules.
Alright…I think I’ve created enough hot water for me to stand in.
[tags]people I’d like to work with, building a church team[/tags]
Empire at River Market
Zack, Arron, and I rode down to River Market last night to watch Empire Strikes Back in the ampitheatre. It was fun and all but around 10.45 – I was done. Tired, hot, and hungry. The triple threat.
We saw a couple of rows of guys get kicked out for bringing alcohol. My only complaint was they showed the flick in Pan and Scan, not widescreen. What the heck is up with that????
Here some pics…
[tags]River Market, Empire Strikes Back[/tags]
Guilty Pleasure
I love Aerosmith.
I got a $25 gift card for iTunes from Jlo and Cindy-Lou last week. I spent it on Aerosmith but here’s my beef with iTunes – they didn’t have the full Chronicles album. So I had to piecemill my Aerosmith collection.
Which isn’t an all horrible thing – got some live versions and studio versions – but the biggest rip was this: On iTunes there isn’t a studio version of Walk This Way or Sweet Emotion.
What the heck is up with that????
Favorite Aerosmith tune……..
Tough call….here’s my top 5 in no particular order.
Love In An Elevator
Dude
Sweet Emotion
Rag Doll
Dream On
Walk This Way
Okay – that was 6 and I could rattle off 5 more with no problem.
[tags]Aerosmith, iTunes, Walk This Way, Sweet Emotion, Rag Doll, Dude, Dream On, Love In An Elevator[/tags]
Planting a Church
Ever met someone and go “Dude….I’d love to work with him.” Now for me, it’s always a him. Why? Because if I said – “I’d like to work with her” I’d have some serious explaining to do. Plus, I’m a male chauvinist. (That was for Linda and Cathy! ha ha!)
Seriously, I’ve got a list of people I’d love to work with and have no idea how it would work. Two disclaimers. #1 – if I’ve already worked with you – you’re not on the list. Why? Depends on who you are. Okay…next question.
#2 – Can’t be somebody famous. Everyone wants to work with Andrew Jones, Marko, Jordon Cooper, Steve Taylor, Andy Stanley, or Jonny Baker. Or not but that’s too easy.
So here’s my list…
- Pros: great sports fan, good writer and communicator, funny, not afraid to do crazy stuff.
- Cons: hair – or lack thereof, he’s a Boston fan which means if something can wrong around him, it will. Multiply this by the fact that he also went to Auburn and you’ve got some serious negative mo-jo working here. Is all of that redeemable?
-
Pros: his wife is funny, he’s 50 times smarter than any other youth pastor on the planet, he’s more detail oriented – see grammar police.
-
Cons: he’s in a house full of women. Eventually all of that estrogen is going to break something. Probably the bank. They have Auburn ties as well. It’s a sure sign of the apocalypse to have both Auburn grads at the same church. (I’ll pause here for our Auburn readers to make sure they caught the joke.)
- Pros: He’s a mountain biker, he’s British, he likes to drink beer.
- Cons: He’s British and he likes to drink beer.
- Pros: funny, insightful, cool hair, we could push him around as he’d be the youngest one around.
- Cons: Canadian + Boston Fan + 2 Auburn Grads + a Brit = Titanic, living in America with real football could send him into overload and he’d need some detox time.
- Pros: Alabama roots, creative creator of worship environments, techno dude, fun kids
- Cons: fun kids are about to get the Middle School Disease, talks really fast when excited. That’s not necessarily bad but when done with a southern accent things can get dicey.
- Pros: I think he’s a Denver Bronco fan, he’s transparent, he’s humble – as far as youth pastors go.
- Cons: SBC – as a reformed SBC’er myself, I think this is redeemable. I recognize the gamble I’m taking. Plus, he’s in Idaho. I don’t know much about Idaho. I know I need to go up there at some point and investigate.
The biggest problem is location. Where would we meet? Who would even go to a church with all of us on the same staff? Would we ever get anything done? Staff meetings would be year long Xbox contests and fantasy football talks.
[tags]people I’d like to work with, building a church team[/tags]
The Hymnal Game
Contrary to public sentiment, you don’t need a hymnal to play The Hymnal Game. You can use the Online Hymnal instead!! Maybe I’ll download them all into my iPod!!!
Then again…maybe not.
Which begs me to question why in the world was the Baptist Hymnal on my required BOOK list at seminary? Oh, I bought one. Playing the Hymnal Game kept me sane in my Intro to Church Music class. That had to be the most worthless class I took in seminary. It didn’t have to be that way but the prof made it that way.
Alright…recap on the Hymnal Game.
One person sends a title (or first line) of song to another person and that person responds with another title (or first line). How long can you do this before laughing hysterically and being called down by your mom in the choir? This game is probably the reason my mom wasn’t in the choir.
[tags] Hymnals, church music[/tags]
The Bulletin Rules
We are redesigning our bulletin at Grace. Mainly because it breaks rules 1, 3, and 6. That’s just sick and wrong.
Here are my completely authoritative bulletin rules.
1. It should fit in a standard sized Bible. The largerst a bulletin should ever be is 8 1/2 by 11 folded in half.
2. No clip art. Clip art is lame.
3. Graphics clean and should match web design or signage out front.
4. Order of Worship is completely optional. Personally, I don’t like them in there but hey…we’ll give some grace here.
5. Space for sermon notes…or love letters if service is boring.
6. Give me highlights, not novels. If you can’t communicate an event in two sentences….you shouldn’t be writing for the bulletin.
7. Use some color. If you are going to print a bulletin, don’t bore me with black and white.
8. Tell me how to communicate with you. Email addresses, web page, phone numbers – good things on a bulletin. Tear off tabs are even better.
I do reserve the right to add to this list as situations present themselves.
Long overdue response to Harsh Reality
I said I wasn’t ready here to unpack all the messy-ness. This response shouldn’t be taken as exhaustive either and I reserve the right to be wrong AND change my mind. Just call me a woman! (Let the comments fly with that one….)
Let it be know first and foremost that I wouldn’t want any other job than that of a pastor. I love it – “crap” and all. I have an opportunity to engage with people about something that is eternal. There aren’t to many other professions that get to claim that. I’m entrusted with the care of the most precious commodity in the universe – a human soul.
Having said that – there is a lot of junk that goes with the job. But is it any different than any other profession that deals with people in close, long term, relationships – like counselors, social workers, teachers, and family physicians?
Low pay? Now I don’t consider myself low-paid. Grace may have her issues but paying pastors isn’t one of them. Unfortunately, I’m the exception not the rule. A lot of my peers are not so fortunate. I know of guys who are in major credit card debt because of their salary. But is that really any different than a teacher in an inner city school? Or a Social Worker? I don’t think so. So that isn’t it.
Lack of encouragment/lack of ‘results’? Again – pastoring can get lonely. Some of that is self-imposed but we live in such a lack of encouragment culture anyway, the religious subculture is worse. To imagine that the pimple-faced kid who can’t look anyone in the eye could one day be the reason thousands know Jesus is hard – no, impossible – when he (or she) has just spilled the 4th Dr. Pepper on your white carpet. Years could go by without affirmation that what you do is working and the parable of the 10 healed but 1 returning makes perfect sense now.
But again, I don’t think that’s unique to pastoring. What about the social worker that deals with the same abusive, alcoholic family and she gets is grief? Or she removes a kid from a home and the fallout of that?
I do think there are a couple of dynamics that make pastoring unique but I’m not sure they are applicapable anywhere but here in the US. I’ve got a WHOLE lot more coming, but got anything you wanna add at this point?
Dilbert Dilemna
A buddy of mine called me this morning.
“Hey – been to the Dilbert blog website before?”
“Yeah. Probably. Well. I’m subscribed so I’d have to go there at least once to get the RSS feed.”
Long pause.
“What’s up?”
“Well. Have you been there lately?”
“Uh….no.”
“Well…”
This was the second “well” which never goes well in a conversation. Ever notice that? If someone starts using the word “well” that is a clear indication that all is NOT well. Doesn’t mean there is going to be a knock-down drag out, but it does mean that something somewhere is not….well, well.
“Well….the blog is funny but on the right side of the blog…………..I mean, she is wearing SOME clothes so that’s a good thing. But I’m having a hard time understanding the ‘sometimes it’s nice to be naughty’ phrase.”
My buddy is a master of sarcasm so at this point, I’m laughing pretty hard. But I immediately recognize the dilemna.
Do I remove the link for the sake of stumbling block, yadda, yadda, yadda OR do I keep it up there for the sake of honesty?
I mean I’m still going to read his blog. He’s funny. He doesn’t believe in God. Asks great questions about religion and Christianity. Makes fun of everything and everyone. He makes me think about the words I use to describe Jesus and tell his story. I think he’s helping me be a better communicator.
I don’t know. It’s a toss-up. I really don’t have an opinion on the matter. What do ya’ll think?
[tags]Dilbert blog, Scott Adams[/tags]
Sermon planning
Yesterday – all day planning meetings for upcoming sermon series. Very good, enjoyed it but exhausting.
I love the way we plan series here at Grace. Every ministry director is in on the process. Part of the process is always going on as we are always ‘sniffing’ what is going in the body. What do we need? What is God doing? What are the whispers of the Spirit?
A couple of weeks ago, I sent an email out to the crew (currently 3 of us – children’s and worship) and elders with a list of ideas. These ranged from topical approaches to book studies. Elders shot back their list, we had our list and lo and behold this time they matched up. We try to only tackle 2 series at a time.
We take the next couple of weeks just marinating on the 2 topics.
Then we lock the doors. For us that was yesterday. We started at 8, had lunch brought in and by 2 we had all the way until March 2007 ‘roughed in.’ Now we marinate on it some more for a couple of weeks.
It’s hard to list all the reasons why the we do it is good. First, it’s community based. If God’s called you to serve as a minister, you’ve got something to bring to the table. Second, it’s really not about the sermon. It’s about music, drama, life group discussions, art, testimonies – it opens up the whole realm of worship planning. Third, it’s a great time for the team to pray and really sync all the ministries up to go in the same direction.
Lastly, it gives us the freedom to change. It’s a lot easier to change if a plan is in place.
Sounds crazy, but it isn’t. Not having a plan stresses everything. You start worrying about the deadline as opposed to what God is telling you to do. If He’s silent, work the plan. He’ll let you know if you are off. Just keep listening and don’t be so married to your plan it becomes the golden calf.
At any rate – we enter the marinate phase now and we’ll see what happens.
[tags]sermon planning, worship planning[/tags]
Something The Lord Made
A movie from HBO about the life of Vivien Thomas. I’m guessing you don’t know that name but he was the man who helped start cardiac surgery. And he was black.
Starring Alan Rickman and Mos Def – both delivered incredible performances. Yeah, read that again. Mos Def can most definitely act. Incredible movie, go rent it.
[tags]Something The Lord Made, Mos Def, Alan Rickman[/tags]
Funniest Commercial
The new EA game that allows you to be the head coach of an NFL franchise. It’s a role playing game – which will be interesting to see how it does in the market.
BUT the commercial is top shelf.
It’s a guy and Jeff Fischer, they are arguing over whether or not to run a fake punt.
Jeff Fischer looks at the guy, “Run the fake punt” he says into the headphone.
He turns to the guy and says “That’s a bad call.”
The guy looks at Jeff Fischer and says…”Letting Eddie George go, that was a bad call. Go get me a water.”
Awesome.
[tags]EA Sports, NFL Coach, Jeff Fischer, Eddie George[/tags]
My Advice to Potential Youth Pastors
This is part of an email dialouge I’m having with a mom of girl who wants to be a youth pastor. And honestly – it’s all stuff she’s probably told her daughter before but for some reason, hearing it from someone other than your parent makes a difference. Go figure.
1. Go to college, get a degree in something other than ministry and volunteer in the same local church student ministry the entire 4 (or 5 or 6) years you are there.
2. Take a summer during college and be a summer missionary somewhere – local or abroad.
3. Get a non-ministry job that you could have a career in if you wanted to – either as a summer job or right after you graduate.
Why all this crap if you know that you are called to ministry? I got X reasons…
1. Because only 1% of the world ends up doing what they think they will do when they were 18. Me included. I was going to coach high school basketball. At smart as we thought we were at 18, we’re still idiots.
2. If you are going to lead volunteers, be one. Know what it is like and what it costs. Learn how to follow random, imperfect youth leaders…because you are going to be one soon.
3. You may be called to be a great interior decorator/plumber/barista/engineer AND be a volunteer in student ministry all your life. you may gifted with the ability to make lots of money for the purpose of giving it away and be an influence in that vocational arena. You may love doing both of those. That may be how God’s wired you.
4. If you can’t follow God and serve unless you get paid to do it….become a lawyer. There’s a profession you can charge your hours. Not ministry. Learn to follow and learn in the crazy, hectic, and in the mundane.
Above all this other advice I’ve given – just do what God is telling you to do. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Enjoy the ride!!
Great Article on Meetings
This is from Harvard Business Weekly – thanks to Wayne for getting me to subscribe to this. There have been some awesome articles come through this.
This talks about the need for constant, vulnerable communication for an executive team in a business to function well. If you are in charge/responsible for leading any kinds of meetings – this is a must read.
[tags]Harvard Business Weekly, meetings[/tags]
Gifted Wrapped
I’m a D. Wade fan. Love him. Think he will be better than Jordan and a lot more humble about it.
But he wasn’t fouled. If Shack and Djop can bang bodies like they do and nothing is called – the phantom “hit him in the leg” wasn’t a foul.
I’m glad he made the free throws because maybe that will jack-slap the Mavs into understanding that a NBA championship has to be won, taken – not gift wrapped because you have the most talent.
On the ref side of things – you hate to see a great game like Game 4 was decided like that. Takes away from the rest of the 53 minutes and 58 seconds.
[tags]Mavericks, Heat, Wade, Game 4[/tags]
Finally…links
Here they are. Blogs I read.
If you don’t like the category you’re stuck in OR I somehow forgot to link you OR you want to be linked…
drop a comment.
And Cat – there is no category for you. You and Chuck Norris are categories by yourselves.
About to ditch Feedblitz
Feedblitz is seriously behind on the email subscription. I’m talking DAYS. It’s free – so on one hand be thankful, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. On the other hand…it’d be nice if it was on the same day.
I’m about to punt it and go back to Feedburner. I’ll give it this week, then evaluate again.
[tags]email subscription, Feedblitz, Feedburner[/tags]
Fun Rainy Day Pics
Amy ran to the mall. $$$
It’s pouring down rain which means free trips to the park and pool are out.
We’re home…it’s getting loud and they want to look at pictures.
Done.
And help Strong Bad check his email.
Done.
And Camber wanted me to put these pictures the blog.
Done.
And they want to go to Moe’s for lunch.
Done.
And they want a pony.
Not so done.
This was at Cindy/Jason wedding this past March. Coop wishes he could wear a tux all the time. He obviously got that from the Seely side. His incredible charm and rugged good looks from me.
This is Coop and Cayden outside a store in the mall waiting on Camber and mom last week. It was hilarious.
The Dark Side of the Princess.
Link Category Quandry
So I thought I’d finally get my links page all fixed and ready to go when this problem presents itself…
Categorizing links.
This is getting ridiculous not helped by the fact that my reading is all over the place. I read Mark Cuban’s blog, Scott Adams (Dilbert) along with Brother Maynard’s. I’ve got blogs that fit no category at all – see Nelson’s blog. (Actually, don’t see Nelson’s blog, he blogged last month so this month he’s off.)
Here are the category titles I like…
-
Rubber Chickens – things that make me smile and laugh
Random Fits – stuff that doesn’t fit anywhere else
The Emergent Tour – emergent church reads
The Student Tour – student pastors
Here are the ones I need help with…
-
Ministry – grown up pastors and the like
Fayetteville – these people must have real lives because hardly any of them blog anymore and one moved to Orlando.
Little Rock – local blogs….OH – I got it – Local Flavors, that’s what I’ll call it!!!!!
I could categorize ‘em as those that like Chuck Norris and those that don’t but that would basically be signing a death warrant for those who didn’t. I don’t think I could live with the guilt.
[tags] link categories[/tags]
Dwyane Wade is Chuck Norris’ Kryptonite
Dwyane or Duane or Dwayne or D-Wayne or however you spell it….
He’s a beast.
I’d like to see him and Chuck Norris tangle.
He’s only like 12 years old too.
Harsh Reality of Ministry
This morning I listened to Mark Driscoll’s sermon “Paying Your Pastors” that he threw down last week. I’ve heard these stats before but hearing them all in the same place was stunning. Especially in light of the sermon I’m prepping for this week.
The stats on Pastors…
- 1,500 leave the ministry a month
(Top reasons – sexual immorality, burn-out, church arguing with pastor)
50% of all marriages end in divorce
80% of pastors, 84% of spouses feel underqualified & discouraged
50% would leave ministry if they could find a job doing something else
80% of Bible college/seminary graduates leave ministry within 5 years
70% of pastors admit to fighting depression – either stuffing it or rage
40% confess to committing adultery while in ministry
70% only read the Bible when preparing a sermon
Of their spouses…
- 84% believe that the church is overworking their spouse
80% wish their spouse would quit ministry because of effect on family
Over 50% of spouses say the worse thing that has happened to their family was going into vocational ministry
The rest of the sermon is worth the download, especially if you are in ministry or are thinking about ministry. I think Mark does a great job of unpacking several key issues very bluntly and fairly.
It’s a messy subject – one that I’m not quite ready to tackle all in one sitting.
I will say that those numbers alone verify the importance of calling – for both spouse and pastor. Personally, I have no other marketable skills nor a desire to do anything else. Amy doesn’t either. But that’s because (at least I think it’s because) we’re supposed to do this. I can’t NOT do it – regardless of the price tag it carries in other areas of my life.
But they are humbling and eye-opening. I’d be lying if I said they didn’t phase me.
[tags]Mark Driscoll, pastor salaries, calling, 1 Corinthians 9[/tags]
For Wayne and all my other engineer friends….
Chuck Norris knows the last digit of pi.
The chemical formula for the highly toxic cyanide ion is CN-. These are also Chuck Norris’ initials. This is not a coincidence.
Chuck Norris’ pulse is measured on the richter scale.
Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.
The Purpose of Staff Meetings
I’m running staff meetings at the church now. (One of the joys of being the last pastor standing, I guess.)
I can’t stand meetings, honestly. I love hanging, but not meeting.
“But we need meetings to take care of business and details.”
No. My mom raised3 (at times 5) of us complete with sports, church, school, and work and I don’t remember one meeting. Well, actually I do.
But those weren’t meetings for the purpose of detail and business. Normally those were the meetings where somebody was in deep weeds and punishments were being debated.
What you really need are “Git-R-Done” people who you trust/respect/like and can follow a plan. Granted, you also need some pretty clear communication but most mis-communications in an office setting is because of personalities or lack of personalities or lack of trust or lack of liking/trusting/respecting each other or just plain language barriers. Ever had to work with someone from Texas? It can get ugly. 
Which brings me to the point of this post and the purpose staff meetings. It’s about connecting, talking theology, reconnecting with folks on a relational level so that the business can get done in an excellent manner.
I talked to a buddy today who’s boss (a senior pastor) only comes in his office to talk when he wants something done OR there has been a complaint. Staff meeting is about maintaining the calendar. We’re hiding sharp objects from him.
I’m not buying the “that doesn’t work in the REAL world” argument either. It does work in the REAL world because guess who works in the REAL world? REAL people. When I worked for a courier company in Dallas, I had a great boss. I can’t remember one stitch of advise he gave me about the courier business. I know we grabbed lunched every now and then. He’d stop by and we’d talk sports, theology, whatever. I also know that leaving that job to go to seminary was harder because of that man. I loved working for him. I could care less about the courier business.
So, that’s what our staff meetings have been – hanging, talking through Donald Miller’s book Searching For God Knows What.
Maybe we should call them Staff Hangings….
[tags]Donald Miller, staff meetings[/tags]