What if productivity was more than the hours worked? What if productivity was more than the tasks checked off? What if it was letting the ground lie fallow for a year? What if it was a day off? What if it was sharpening the saw? Would you be productive? In what sense are relationships ever productive? How is parenting productive? Productivity is more than forward … [Read more...] about Productivity
ministry
The Cost of Clarity
Clarity is scary. Clarity means you must say something. It means you must say something instead of nothing. It means you must make decisions. It means you must say something in a way that cannot be misunderstood. And for this reason, it means you may lose. You may be boxed and labeled and discarded. In fact... Clarity will often leave you lonely But you must be … [Read more...] about The Cost of Clarity
The Cure for Miscommunication
What's the cure for miscommunication? It's not perfect communication. It's not more information. It's far simpler. The cure for miscommunication is to shorten the feedback loop. Seth Godin writes: The challenge of communication isn't to never miscommunicate, it's to cut down the time between the interaction and the realization that the communication didn't get through. … [Read more...] about The Cure for Miscommunication
Best Youth Ministry Games
I want to share with you my favorite book of games and mixers for student ministry. But before I tell you, let me first qualify my recommendation. A Lot of Games I've worked in student ministries for 14 years and have seen my fair share of games and mixers. I've scoured game websites. I've purchased several books of game ideas. I've downloaded mixer apps for my iPhone. … [Read more...] about Best Youth Ministry Games
Preaching Lessons from the Gospel Coalition Conference 2013
I had the privilege of attending the 2013 Gospel Coalition Conference. The list of expositors was overwhelming. Each preacher came with a long and decorated resume, and each preacher was unique in his style and delivery. But despite the differences, I noticed some common threads running through every sermon. These threads were simple but substantial, and I am quite confident … [Read more...] about Preaching Lessons from the Gospel Coalition Conference 2013