Continue reading »]]> Thanks to Online Schools for posting a thought-provoking post about today’s teens and their digital consumption.  Our student ministries team spent some time yesterday sharing our key insights, observations and implications for our students and for ministry.  Here are a few thoughts I came away with:

Teenage Digital Consumption Reveals The Desire For:

CONNECTION:  Teenagers desire to be connected to their friends and to the world, and their digital devices help them to achieve that effectively.

RELATIONSHIPS:  Teenagers desire relationships.  Practically everyone they meet becomes an instant “friend” on Facebook, a contact in their phone, and someone to keep tabs on.  Their digital devices enables teenagers to have relationships with many people.  The downside, naturally is, how many “relationships” can one person really maintain?

INTIMACY:  Like all of us, teenagers desire to have people they can talk to and share on a deeper level.  While digital technology makes it easier to connect with many people, it doesn’t necessarily help to develop healthy communication skills or deeper connections.

Teenage Digital Consumption Reveals The NEED For:

BOUNDARIES: While digital use is not necessarily bad, clearly it is important to have healthy boundaries with time, levels in which they share, and who they relate to.

CONTROL:  Because digital devices have become more “personally owned”, parents need to think how to monitor the devices for safety. 

RELATIONAL SKILLS:  We need to help teenagers develop better relational skills. One person on our team recalled a time when a student was going through a conflict with a friend, were uncomfortable talking face to face, so they texted their way through the conflict, and asking for help interpreting what the responses meant.  When the leader challenged them to talk with their friend directly, they felt completely uncomfortable in doing that.

As you read this over, what are some of your insights and findings?

Continue reading »]]> Yesterday I opened my email inbox to a message from my supervisor with the link to this video. I’ve watched it a couple of times now, and I’m starting to see it pop up around blogosphere.  It’s a well done video, with a great message.  As I watched it I immediately noticed a theme running through the video:  Successful kids begins with  successful parenting.  Parents are successful when they are present and on the journey of life with their kids, being their biggest influencer, motivator, encourager, instructor and cheerleader.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Continue reading »]]> I’m convinced that mission trips are one of the most formative experiences in a person’s life.  Twenty years ago I began my faith journey on a mission trip, and almost every year since that experience I have led a mission team with students.  The cost of a mission trip has increased dramatically over the years, and each year we have to help students and families understand that raising money for a mission trip is part of the faith-growing experience.  I have watched many times the excitement in students grow as we announced our yearly mission trip, yet dwindle quickly when we communicated the cost.  We are in a tough economy right now; parents are out of work, extra income is scarce, so families are not always quick to jump on board when we announce a trip that costs upwards of $1000-$1500.  So how do we address the cost-factor in order to ensure students can participate in a life-changing mission trip experience?

Communicate a Compelling Vision:  With so many options for students and families to choose where they spend their time and money, it is imperative that we articulate a mission trip is worth the investment.  People don’t give and volunteer based out of need, they respond to opportunity and vision.  I focus on the spiritual growth that comes participating on a mission trip, how a cross-cultural experience is preparatory for many future life circumstances, how participating on the team will give homeless people a home, how the God’s story will be shared to hundreds of people through a VBS.  The most important part of the vision for raising support is helping families see that taking a step in faith on a mission trip puts them in a situation where only God can provide (for finances, safety, success).  Vision creates inspiration, and a desire to want to be part of something greater than what one is able to attain on their own.

Engage Partners:  One of the most effective ways to raise money for a mission trip is through creating partners through support letters.  There are people, who for whatever reason (age, time, life circumstances), will never get to have the experience that people will have on your mission team, but you can cast a vision for them to be a partner with you on the team.  You engage partnerships by asking others to pray for you, provide financial support, and help spread the word to other potential partners, while you go and do the actual mission.  Most people do well with writing support letters to people they know, but they can increase their partner-base exponentially by asking those partners to consider finding like-minded partners in their own sphere of influence. What does this look like?  If a team member can cast a compelling vision to 10 potential partners who in turn find 10 other partners to support them with prayer and a $10 donation, they will essentially raise their support for the trip.  Razoo is a great resource in helping to create partnerships for your mission trip.  Follow-up reports and thank-yous when the team returns is critical in healthy partnerships!

Divide Up The Responsibility:  I’m not a huge fan of parents simply writing a check for the mission trip.  That can happen for any other opportunity that a student wants to be part of.  If we want to help students grow in their faith, and have a meaningful experience, then it is important that we cast a vision to families to divide up the responsibility.  I love it when the responsibility for raising financial support is divided into thirds:  The church helps fund a third of the cost (and in that they are investing into future generations of missions), parents fund a third of the cost (supporting their child in their endeavor), and the student funding a third of the trip (so they have ownership and “skin in the game”).

There are many ways to look a fundraising for mission trips.  What has been effective for you?

Continue reading »]]> I’m continuing my blog series on mission trips, looking at the other side of the coin of team size.  Yesterday I shared the pros and cons of a large mission team, so today I will share about the advantages and disadvantages of a small team.  It has been my experience when I talk to people about this particular subject that their preference is often shaped by previous experience.  Someone who grew up experiencing small mission teams will tend to lean towards leading small teams.  I cannot stress enough the importance that we have to ask the why before we determine the size.  If we simply act out of our preferences, we could be missing what God wants to be doing in us and through those we lead.

Here are some pros and cons of leading a small mission team:

SMALL TEAM PROS

Small teams typically have more INTIMATE COMMUNITY:  On a small team everyone can get to know each other more quickly, and more deeply because you are literally with a small group of people for an extended period of time.  You find out about what you team likes, dislikes, personalities, struggles, strengths, weaknesses more early on in the development of the team.  All team members will know everyone on a small team.

Small teams are easier to MOBILIZE:  It is much easier to mobilize a small group when it comes to logistics, planning and when the team needs to make last minute changes.  There can be more flexibility in scheduling, work projects and interaction with the people that a team is serving.

Small teams are necessary for SPECIALIZED PROJECTS:  A smaller team will be great for specialized projects, such as medical teams, strategic partnership development, leading seminars, etc.  One team from our church is a dental team that will provide free dental care.  Obviously that doesn’t require a large team, but it also requires a team with specific gifts in order for the team to really be effective.

SMALL TEAM CONS

Small teams can be CLIQUEY:  Because of the intense experience that a team experiences together, it can create exclusivity within a larger group.  Several years ago our student ministry would send out multiple teams each summer.  What was observed was it became more about who was on what team, where the better location was, who the better leaders were.  The end result was the ministry had four or five teams with very little interaction with each other for a six-month period.

Small teams can’t compensate for PERSONALITY DYNAMICS:  If you are on a small team, you are forced to learn to get along and live together.  In once sense I see this as a strength, but it can be brutal if there is a personality conflict between two people that can’t be resolved.  In a large team that can be solved by separating the two people.  In a small team that is not necessarily an option.

Small teams make it hard to be more INCLUSIVE:  If we put a cap on our team on the size of our team, we can run the risk of accepting people that are easier to work with and who we want to be with, and not including those who may really benefit from the experience.  It may not be intentional, but we naturally establish biases when we get to choose who we want to work with or be with when we opt for a small team.

So, which is better?  The answer is neither.  I have seen great large and small teams, and have seen horrific small and large teams.  Beyond asking the “why” of doing a mission trip, the leading has to consider other variables as well, such as limitations (what can the leadership realistically handle?), resources (how much can the team afford/raise?), and expectations (does the mission partner need or want a specific-sized team?).

In our context, we created a hybrid strategy.  Our “why” is helping students become lifelong followers of Christ.  I want to see as many people on a trip as possible (inclusivity) for the purpose of them have a life-changing experience, owning the value of serving others, and establishing the habit of giving up time and resources each year to reach others for Christ.  But we want to create better intimacy and mobility within our team.  So our strategy is to have one location with the ability to divide into small teams to work, lead VBS, visitations, etc.  The team will train, travel, live and experience the trip together, but will also divide up for greater effectiveness.  We won’t go to a location that doesn’t have a need for a large team.  It is not a perfect strategy, but in the last three years we have had over 200 people in our ministry have a mission trip experience that has been life-changing, service-oriented, and has made an impact for our mission partners.

Question to further the discussion:  What is your strategy for mission trips?  For team size?

Continue reading »]]> I’m starting a blog series this week on mission trips.  We are in the middle of our mission trip season at our church, and I just got back from a great training weekend.  Our church is sending out eight teams this summer, each varying in size.  One of the tensions that we are often discussing with our team is size.  What is the ideal size for a mission team?  Is bigger better?  Does a small team have more merit in the role of discipleship?  Can a team be too big?  Can it be too small?

Over the last fifteen years I have led both large and small mission teams.  Here are some pros and cons when considering a large team:

PROS OF A LARGE TEAM

• Large teams can potentially do MORE:  Teams that are doing construction, VBS, visitation, evangelism and helping mission partners with their mission can do more with a large team.  Several years ago we took a large team to Mexico, and installed 6000 square feet of roofing shingles.   That job required a large team.  Notice I use the word potential, as it is critical that a large team is well prepared in order to actually do more.
• Large teams give more people an opportunity to SERVE:  As a pastor, I want to see the value of service and missions in as many people as possible. If someone is willing to give a week’s worth of vacation, income, and free time, then I want them to be part of the team!
• Large teams allow for more people to have a powerful mission EXPERIENCE:  Most everyone who has been part of a mission trip experience knows that it can be life changing.  If we limit that experience to smaller teams, we are essentially saying that not everyone can have that experience.  A large team opens up the opportunity for more people to experience growth and life transformation.

CONS OF A LARGE TEAM

• Large teams need to become SMALL:  A little bit of an oxymoron, I know. While the beauty of a large team has one mission, one training plan, one curriculum, etc., it is imperative that the large group becomes small for effectiveness, mobility and deeper connections.  For instance, we divided up our Trinidad team into three VBS teams who will go to three different locations during our trip.  In our planning we had to divide those three teams into four smaller sub-teams in order that everyone could be heard and included in the planning process.  A large team will have to continually make sure that people are connecting and engaged in the process.
• Large teams require a much higher level of DETAIL and ORGANIZATION:  Last year we sent a large team to New Orleans.  Due to the size of the group it was cost prohibitive to put everyone on one flight, so we had to break into three flight teams.  In all, our team required 12 legs of flight to get to and from our mission trip location.  We required more ground transportation, food preparations, leisure day activities, security, and making sure that no one got left behind anywhere.  A larger team will have to make sure that their systems and processes are well communicated and executed multiple times.
• Large teams need to be reminded of the VISION of the trip more frequently:  When the team has a lot of people, that means there are many voices, opinions, ideas and leaders on how and why the mission trip should be led.  For a large team, it is easy to buckle under the pressure of the challenges, and consider a small teams, or changing the priority of the trip (self-serving instead of serving others) in order to satisfy preferences, hidden expectations or tradition.  The vision of why we have a large team in the first place (sure as more work, people serving, more life transformations) must be communicated frequently.

Does this mean a large team is the way to go?  Not necessarily.  The size of the team should determined by the purpose of your trip.  Before any dollar is spent, or one detail is planned, we need to be able to answer the philosophical question of why.  Why are we doing mission trips?  If we believe that mission trips should be for the spiritually elite, and provide a highly specialized experience for them, then a large team is not needed.  If the purpose is to help people own and build the value of missions and service into their life by growing through the mission trip process, then we want to open up the opportunity to as many people as possible.

Tomorrow I will share my pros and cons about small-team mission trips.  I’m curious to hear from you, though:

What has been your mission team experience?  In your context, do you see a large team or small team more beneficial?

Continue reading »]]> Just finished reading Mark Riddle’s new book Redeeming Leadership: Should Pads.  You can download it for free for Amazon Kindle (today only) by clicking here.  It is a very short read (37 pages), but it is full of practical wisdom for leaders in the Church.

Riddle uses the image of Shoulder Pads to explain the responsibilities that everyone carries.  He quickly points out the dysfunctional reality of the leader in the church who wears everyone’s shoulder pads, thus creating a culture of consumerism and entitlement in the Church.  This is a systemic problem when we displace leadership to ourselves through people-pleasing, solving problems rather than helping them solve their own problems, etc.  Here is the biggest takeaway  I took from the book:

We Must Spend Our Days Making Sure That Every Interaction Is An Intentional Decision To Make Sure The Shoulder Pads Are On The Right People:  Whenever we interact with people, we have to help them own responsibility in order that they are engaged, learning and growing.  This is a subtle mistake we make when we find it easier to do things ourselves, and when we don’t empower others to lead.  If we find ourselves doing more ministry rather than delegating ministry, the shoulder pads are not on the right people.

Here is how a few of my interactions changed yesterday:

• Instead of solving a problem for an upcoming event at our church, I asked questions that caused others to think about solutions.  Problem was solved better than I would have solved it.
• Rather than needing to address a scheduling need for our retreat this weekend, I asked someone else who was perfectly capable to negotiate the time we would need on our retreat with the point person for the retreat.
• When I was called to ask how a situation should be handled, my response was: “I trust you completely to keep moving in the direction you are going.”
• Instead of telling several leaders what to do (delegated tasks), I asked them to own major portions of our retreat this weekend.

I would encourage you to read this book.  I guarantee it will change the way you lead immediately.

Continue reading »]]> Hey youth worker friends-  I’m excited to share with you about an upcoming event.  On May 19 Grace Chapel will be partnering with Camp Berea for “The Gathering“.  The Gathering is a training event designed to bring youth workers from around New England together for learning, connecting and networking.  Duffy Robbins and Doug Fields will be helping us become better at communicating to students.  If you are a youth worker, volunteer, Sunday school teacher, senior pastor or anyone who works with students, this training is for you!  Here is a quick glimpse of what you will be learning:

• Common communication mistakes made by leaders and how to avoid them
• Essentials for volunteers and staff to understand and connect with teens
• 7 proven tips for keeping teens on the edge of their seat with stories during Sunday school
• How to communicate so that teens understand
• The powerful dynamics of humor and how to use it in ministry
• How to keep teenagers engaged and deepen their learning

 

Nate Parks and Andrew Breton have been hard at work to put this event together, and I’m excited to be a part of it for a couple of reasons:

Vision: I love Nate and Andrew’s vision to want to build a high quality youth worker event in New England.  If you attend The Gathering you will hear a lot more about their plans for the future.

Convenience:  I love that I don’t have to hop on a plane to go to the mid-west or west-coast to spend three days at a national conference for leadership development.  That doesn’t mean that I don’t value national events, but sadly, New England never seems to be on the radar for organizations running those events.

Collaboration: New England needs better partnerships of youth workers in order for all of us to think better, minister better and lead better.

Looking forward to a great Gathering.  If you are coming, let others know by leaving a comment below.  Help spread the word!

Continue reading »]]> If you have followed livelearnlead.net for any amount of time, you know that I occasionaly  highlight what other visionary leaders are doing in ministry.  Today is one of those days.  I have been friends with Andy Needham for a few years now, and have partnered with Andy and the band on several of our retreats.  The Andy Needham Band is the real deal.  These guys are passionate about worship. They do not simply play worship songs, they truly lead people into the presence of God.  I have watched one of our hardest student move from standing  with their hands in their pocket, to their hands raised in the air by the end of a retreat weekend when the ANB led worship.  If you talk with any of the guys, they are humble, funny, authentic and all around great guys.

Andy and the band have a big vision, and have taken some bold steps forward to fulfilling that vision over the last year.  They are working to expand their ministry and represent New England on the national music scene.  Let me be clear, for these guys, this is not about fame and fortune.  This is about sharing with other regions what God has birthed in New England through them, and to be a blessing as they serve as many people possible.  They are in the process of completing their first full length CD, and they need help.  You can hear about their work and need by watching this short video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I believe in the band, and I believe in their mission.  They represent Jesus and they represent New England well.  I would love it if you could partner with them and help the rest of the country experience a great blessing that the Andy Needham Band is.

To help support the Andy Needham Band, check out more here.

Continue reading »]]> Hey youth worker friends!  Here is a great tool that can help you assess your leadership style.  This was designed by Leader Treks.  I just completed the assessment and received a full page analysis.  Even if you are not a youth worker, I would encourage you to take this.  It might be helpful in clarifying some of your leadership trends.  Here is what I learned about my leadership style:

Your Leadership Style

You are an Adaptive Leader.

This chart shows how your leadership is derived from your leadership score

Here’s what that means:

Adaptive Leader

• wants the team to perform
• wants team camaraderie
• wants to accomplish the goal
• wants the group to function well
• concerned for task and relationship
• is inclusive with leadership responsibilities

At best when:

• leading high-performance teams
• people want to grow
• skilled leadership is needed

Should be aware of:

• asking too much from people
• taking on too much
• neglecting tasks or relationships thinking that minimal effort is enough if they have balanced leadership

Here are a few things that stuck out for me:

1.  I have observed in my life that I’m in my sweet spot when I’m working with other high-functioning leaders that love to create a healthy competitive environment.  I love being challenged others and challenging others to grow together through an initiative.

2.  I’m definitely in the “be aware” zone for taking on too much.  My pitfall is both underestimating time (i.e. didn’t think several tasks or situations would take very long), or having too high of  demand/expectation of others.

If you take the assessment, stop back and share your results.  Would love to hear what you learned about yourself!

Continue reading »]]> Click here to view the embedded video.

This is a great video from Miguel Endara.  The background of the video is this is a drawing recreated from a photocopy, filled in with ink dots.  The person in the picture is the father of the artist, hence the title “Hero”.  This video got me thinking in the context of character and leadership development.  Here are a couple thoughts that have percolated as I have watched this video a few times:

• We love to “copy” those who inspire us (1 Corinthians 11:1).
• Great leaders leave for others a blueprint in which they can model.
• Every moment in our life is a “dot” that defines and displays our character.  Our image displays like dots for the world to see.
• There are no shortcuts in creating a legacy.  It takes time build a life-long legacy.  The artist and father both display an amazing amount of patience, endurance, and persistence.