Why am I Here?

I'm looking at my schedule and cringing just thinking about all the meetings I have in the next few weeks: team, committees, council, congregational annual meeting... the docket is full!  Seth Godin suggests that maybe the docket is too full when we are meeting for the sake of meeting or conducting meetings that have no clear purpose-these can actually impede any real progress.

What if as leaders we decided that the monthly /weekly check-in meeting could be done differently.... or could go away all together? Lots of times I hear complaints that people don't show up to meetings or that the same people are there all the time.  Maybe it's not about a lack of commitment to the team/project/initiative, but  it's about the meeting itself; either  too much on the agenda, or too little.

These are great questions from Seth's "Smart Meetings" checklist-

Would skipping this meeting impede our ability to ship?
Could it be a Skype, conference call or Go-to meeting instead?
If we have to have the meeting, can we do it in a room with no chairs?
Can we invite fewer people? How few?
What’s the purpose of this meeting? Pick one of the following, and you can only pick one. If it’s more than one, skip the meeting.
• Inform people about the project
• Learn opinions or facts that will help you ship
• Discuss the project and gain input from interested parties
• Pitch or approve the idea
After we’re finished, how will we know if the meeting was a success?

Oh, and if you currently are using technology to facilitate meetings you will be familiar with the joys and pitfalls of the conference call.  Here's a link to Seth's list for proper conference call etiquette-
Conference Call Hygiene

And if you've ever been on a poorly run conference call you'll get a chuckle out of this short video- it's an ad for a consulting group but they've nailed the challenges of technology vs. the face to face meeting.

Bold for Change!

Thank you to everyone for bringing energy, enthusiasm, and open hearts and minds to our first retreat that we dared to name "Bold for Change"!  Sort of a scary thought, "Bold for Change",  isn't it?   But as leaders sometimes we are called to be bold, to take initiative, to strike out on a new path to live out God's mission.  Inevitably, that new path means a change in the status quo, venturing outside of our comfort zone and into uncharted territory.  Indeed in lots of ways our context today is all about uncharted territory; technology, culture and society are changing at such a rapid pace that it's difficult to find any fixed point of reference.  What is taken for granted today may be obsolete tomorrow.  But,  as Christians, we are not left without  a map.  We do  a "fixed" point of reference...in Christ, we find our center, strength, and mission.
Pr. Hughes shared this text during closing worship:

^4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
^6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
^8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Philippians 4:4-9 (MSG)

Amen!  Let's move forward... bold for change!

If you would like to re-create some of the experiences we shared at the retreat with your congregation,
here is a link to our notes for activities and discussion questions:
Bold for Change- Retreat Notes

 Seth Godin's "This is Broken"
"This is Broken" on Vimeo

Seth Godin's SHIPIT
SHIPIT Booklet Audio
Shipit Journal for Congregations