"Reality Check" - Pt. 1

One of the points made by Kawasaki is that "good people need big projects."  This is a very interesting point--and it is so true!  It seems sometimes in ministry there are so many gifted people, but we are not properly utilizing their gifts.  It is important for me to keep this in mind as I enter into ministry. 

Oftentimes I have the tendency to want to do it all on my own--but it makes so much more sense to use "good people" for "big projects" particularly when they are skilled.  He also mentions that "if you aren't doing something worth while, you can't get anyone worthwhile to work on it."  This seems to be very wise advice--not that ministry isn't worthwhile, but really maximizing on the things that matter.

Written by:

Emily Lyden

"Visioneering"

Having a vision for ministry is one the best things about ministry and also one of the scariest. Sometimes you have such a longing for something special but when you try to put into reality it seems like a daunting task that will never get done. I myself have a huge idea for ministry but when as I sit down and really think about it, the reality of how much money, how many different people it will take to accomplish it seems like its way to much. Andy Stanley’s outline that he provides in this book gives the groundwork for a big vision to come into reality. It seems that the biggest difficulty that may arise is timing. When is the right time to pitch your vision to people, when is the right time to initiate a plan of action, when do you stop developing properties so that you don’t run out of resources. Timing seems to be the key. We must realize as Christians that our vision must be born from God’s leading and its going to get done on His timing.  

Written by:

Shawn Lakey

"Sports Ministry Today" - Pt. 1

What a great book for us to engage with!  As we learned in our previous classes there is so much more to sports ministry than most people know, including the history.  

I found Dr. Johnson's ideas and thoughts about coaching very interesting.  As I think back to past coaches, he is so right in that coaches have a great influence on those they work with.  I appreciated his ideas on how to handle each age group and suggestions he made.  

I also found his thoughts about sports ministry to women very interesting.  I had never thought about many of the issues and questions he raised within this dynamic of sports ministry.  I understand that it is very important to think about these issues if I enter into the sport world and the audience I will be dealing with.  The issues women deal with within sport are so true--and many of them I can see in my own life or those around me.  The good news, is there is hope--and that is what we will be trying to bring through the message of Christ!

Written by:

Emily Lyden

"What Got You Here Won’t Get You There" - Pt. 1

In this review Goldsmith outlines how one can change for the better.  He states that feedback is one way to do this. Goldsmith states that one should:

1. Make a list of people’s casual remarks about you.
2. Observe how people deal with you.
3. Complete the sentence: pick a thing you want to improve on in yourself and list how you will get it done and what benefit will have in your life.
4. Listen to your self-aggrandizing remarks. Figure out what you brag about and check yourself to see if its actually worth bragging about.
5. Look Homeward. Look at your home life and see if you’re the same there as you are when you’re out at work. 

Each of these are excellent options to consider when looking forward to change and better improve either your business or ministry.  While we are ultimately held to the LORD's standards and it is His opinion that matters, it is also important to be considerate of the way you are communicating to others and how others view you.  From other's feedback, one can learn how to better deal with issues in the future and avoid past mistakes.

Written by:

Emily Lyden

Legal Issues in Ministry - Pt. 1

Bayne Pounds outlines in his book legal issues to which many of them I have not ever considered.  This is one aspect of ministry that I often fail to heed attention to.  While I know that there are obvious boundaries, I rarely think through all the possible legal implications.  Through this review--it raised much awareness for me to consider--especially in the near future.  Even while working at camp this summer, it is very good to consider and be very aware of the issues at hand. 

Written by:

Emily Lyden

Leadership as an Art

It is interesting to see so many different successful models of leadership being used around the world.  It goes to show that it is extremely important to understand and acknowledge the context where one is working.  This books seems to model a successful way of handling people and issues.  

One particular part I thought that pertained to ministry significantly is in the fifth chapter on “roving leadership.” One problem I see today in churches is that often times a church becomes too dependent on one pastor.   The pastor leads, guides, directs, coordinates and juggles a myriad of other titles.  This can often lead to burn out.  Roving leaderships explores the idea that there are many who can help and direct in a ministry.  I think that when this occurs it enables many different people to hone in on one talent or ability they are particularly gifted in.  Furthermore, it creates healthy growth and perspective in all areas of the church.  Perhaps this model takes a little more work than average—with coordinating, meeting, and compromising, yet it seems to keep all peoples in check and promotes new ideas, goals and energy! 

Written By: Emily Lyden

A Leader's Legacy

Similar to the other topics discussed in class, A Leader’s Legacy, although not written specifically to Christians, seems to hold values and practicality that can be used in any type of ministry.  

One particular issue I thought that was revelant to ministry was Kouzes point on relationships.  In this he talks about leadership being personal.  In ministry we see this being incredibly important.  People want a pastor, leader, teacher whom is personal with them.  They are not “stand-offish” or too far out of reach.  Rather a good leader lets people see the “real you.”   

He also talks about good communication and disagreements.  Often times churches or ministries seem to lack things.  Believers are like any other humans, believe it or not!!  Issues left unsaid can really corrupt or tear up a Christian community. Disagreements are also not a bad thing.  Oftentimes they can strengthen a connection and the bonds within the groups.  

I appreciated Kouzes perspective and the different outlook he provides.

Written By: Emily Lyden

How Important is Vision to You?

It was interesting to see how Andy Stanley outlined how a vision comes to fruition.  It is very true that a vision begins as a concern, and takes time to grow, not necessarily requiring immediate action.

More after the jump...

Vision is something that is very important for me, or so I thought.  Thinking of ideas is something that comes easy for me to do.  I like to dream big and think big.  However, I have discovered that my visions often do not progress beyond a concern.  I have a difficult time waiting, and allowing something to come to full fruition.  When I have a vision, I often think that I have to do something immediately, and if I don’t then it will never happen.  Rather, after seeing Stanley’s outline, it is apparent that a vision is much more than a fleeting thought or idea.  A vision especially from the lord is something that requires effort and putting ideas into actualization.  It is something that actually goes right along with Guy Kawasaki’s The Art of the Start.  Here, Kawasaki gives useful tips to help one begin putting ideas down on paper, networking with others and actualizing beyond vision.  However, Stanley’s visioneering is something that is necessary prior actually starting.  Indeed it is important to let a vision begin.  I have found this outline useful to show that my idea of visioneering ought to be something much, much, more than what I have done in the past.  Apparently my “visionneering” needs to be much more important in my life to acutally help ideas come into being.

Written By: Emily Lyden

Sports and Leisure

Ever wonder how sports and leisure fit into your Christian Worldview? One excellent sermon I've found on the topic is by a man named C.J. Mahaney, its entitled "don't waste your sports"

Click here to read "Don't waste your sports"

Additionally, an excellent article that I've read is by a man named Kevin DeYoung, and its entitled "a simpler view of sports" I encourage all to read the article and visit the comments section for further interaction with DeYoung's article.

"A simpler view of sports"

Sports Ministry in Africa

Here's an article from Mission Network News about Sports Ministry going on in Africa.

Team uses sports ministry to relay Gospel

Do you have a passion for soccer, baseball, basketball, or any other sport? Recently, a team from E3 Partners traveled to Uganda to connect with unreached people with the Gospel through their passion for sports. At five new churches they planted, sports clinics were held, and at least one person was trained in sports ministry. In addition to helping with sports ministry and church planting, the 32-member team helped with medical aid and HIV/AIDS education. Pray for God's blessing on these ministries.

Full story: http://www.MNNonline.org/article/13910

"The Art of The Start" Pt. 2 - Rainmaking

One concept that Guy Kawasaki talks about is the art of Rainmaking. To those who don't know what this is, its simply a synonym for networking. Guy presents the following points that are helpful in considering how to spread your idea/product.

• Conduct small-scale seminars to introduce the product
• Give speeches
• Network and participate in industry organizations
• Find decisions makers to enable him/her to do job and not waste time
• Find customers willing to consider you
• Let sales prospects talk


Before I started participating in sports ministry, I did not understand how important it was to build a contact base. Forming such a base is the goal of Guy's rainmaking idea. The above model is for businesses, but can be applied to the sports ministry structure as well. Sending a representative to the CSRM conference is equivalent to networking and introducing your ministry to possibly its largest target audience in a matter of a week. There you will find people who are like minded and can offer suggestions as you try to find the most effective ways to use your new ministry. Furthermore, the CSRM conference is connected to the church, and since that is the case you know that your going to be staying close to the biblical plan for world evangelism and discipleship.

What other methods or "rainmaking" or networking have you found that work well?

"The Art of the Start" Discussion Pt. 1 - Causation

Recently a classmate of mine led a discussion on the book "The Art of the Start" by Guy Kawasaki. Guy has had much experience in the field of jump-starting businesses from the ground, up. I think it is very beneficial for us as Christians and sports ministers to read literature from people who are not necessarily christians, but have experience as an entrepreneur. I think many times we almost immediately discount any literature that is not written by christians because it is coming from a secular viewpoint. But I think there are many valuable lessons and principles that we can learn and apply to our ministries, as long as we run the principles and lessons through a Biblical grid.

With that in mind, I would like to review a couple points that I found most helpful and interesting in the discussion of this book.
More after the jump...

Guy talks about "Causation" in his book, and he lists 4 things that an entrepreneur must do at the beginning, before they do anything else.
These are:

1. Make Meaning: create something that makes the world a better place.
2. Make Mantra: a powerful statement including what the business model is about.
3. Define your business model: Target the customer, make it simple.
4. Weave a "MAT": Milestone, Assumptions, and Tasks.

I won't talk about each of these specifically, but I think many times when starting something new, ministry or not, we get too far ahead of ourselves. We start thinking about the small details of how we are going to do everything before we actually figure out why we are doing what we are doing. Specifically in sports ministry we might start worrying about where are resources are going to come from, and what facilities we are going to use before we even figure out who we are targeting.

Guy points out here that before we get bogged down with all the small details, we must first give meaning to our ministry. What does this look like?

This means writing a mission statement. It means thinking about who your target audience is. It means, laying out the big milestone goals of the ministry before worrying about how we are going to achieve those goals.

This is just one aspect of many that Guy discusses in order to start a successful business.

I think it is also important to remember that in many aspects our ministry is a business. While we shouldn't treat it exactly as we would a business, in many respects we have to, and causation is just one way in which we should treat our ministry as a business.