Adam McLane, a Partner at The Youth Cartel and Principal at McLane Creative, recently blogged about two things youth ministers needs to consider in order to retain their current employment: metrics/measurables and donor relations. Speaking bluntly he suggests that by managing these two areas well one can eliminate "90% of the reasons my friends have gotten fired." So What? Like any type of employment, ministry positions involve (or, at least should involve) periodic evaluation. Read More …
Ministry
Review of Viral (#0743)
Meet the Author Leonard Sweet is the E. Stanley Jones professor of evangelism at Drew University and visiting distinguished professor of Evangelism at George Fox University, was voted one of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America, and continues to write and speak prophetically about the church. An ordained United Methodist pastor, Sweet has authored over 20 books and 600 articles, and is perhaps best known for his forward thinking ideas about the church. For Read More …
Fashion Friday (#0740)
Since I lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area for many years, I am no stranger to the strangeness of megachurch pastor Ed Young. Earlier this year, I even mentioned his one-of-a-kind "bed-in" here on sowhatfaith.com. Given what I know of him, I am convinced Young is the ideal poster boy for the "bigger is better" and/or "flashier is more fun" model of church. Given such, perhaps one of his latest ventures will equip a new generation of pastors to be more fashion Read More …
High School Ministry – Defining Success (#0648)
Lutheran (ELCA) pastor Rich Melheim is the founder and chief creative officer of Faith Inkubators, which he describes as "a Christian education systems design think tank and resource provider dedicated to incubating faith every night in every home." In the February 22, 2012 edition of the Christian Century, he answered several questions regarding faith formation as a family matter, including one about high school youth ministry. Q: How do you define a successful church program for Read More …
The Other Half (#0639)
Protestant churches have done exceptionally well among those who are married and even better among those who are married and have children. These groups, as a percentage of the total American population, have been shrinking for decades and likely will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The latest data from the Pew Research Center shows that only half of adults (51%) aged 18 and older were married in 2010. Additionally, the median age for first marriage has risen steadily Read More …
Renter or Owner: The Mindset Matters (#0635)
Robert Talbert, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Grand Valley State University, recently blogged about the difference between renting and owning. After sharing his own experiences with home ownership and rental, he applies the principle to education suggesting that we all want students to own rather than rent their education. He explains the different approaches thusly: The rental mindset says, I am paying the rent, and as long as I pay, I expect the management to take care of Read More …
A Church Style Guide (#0603)
Since completing my formal education, I have served exclusively in large mainline congregations. Communicating well is important in all congregations, but especially so for larger parishes. Regardless of how many people may have formal job or volunteer responsibilities for specific aspects of communication, it is essential that they all operate from the same playbook. Without a church style guide to provide direction, it is impossible to ensure continuity in design standards or Read More …
What About Twitter is Appealing? (#0574)
Carol Howard Merritt, a Presbyterian pastor and the author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (2007 - read my review here) and Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation (2010 - read my review here), recently was interviewed by the Christian Century. Among other things, she was asked to "say more about what you find so appealing about Twitter." Her response, in part, follows: I use Twitter in a couple of ways. It's a news stream for me . . Read More …
Blurry Lines (#0573)
Francine Hardaway is "an experienced marketing strategist with special expertise in startup companies," a "geek-to-human translator," and the co-founder of Stealthmode Partners. In a recent blog post she shared how to make your business more successful: The root cause of any business failure is the neglect of a simple, ancient Buddhist idea: the line where I end and you begin is blurry. As the Beatles used to sing, “I am you and you are me together.” As the founder of a business, the line Read More …
Reverse Mentoring (#0564)
Leslie Kwoh's Wall Street Journal article, "Reverse Mentoring Cracks Workplace," describes the practice and benefit of reverse mentoring in the workplace. A reverse mentoring relationship involves young employees mentoring old senior level staff. The relationship offers executives the opportunity to learn technology and social media skills while providing the younger workers with "a rare glimpse into the world of management and access to top-level brass." So What? The church, Read More …