Monthly Archives: July 2008

Networking

Posted on
Reply

I am becoming more and more aware of the need to network with other people.

This morning I read an article from Inc.com entitled “The 10 Secrets of a Master Networker.” I’ll give you the “secrets” and then a link to the whole story:

  1. Don’t network just to network. What’s the point of your networking? What do you want/need to accomplish?
  2. Take names. Create lists of people you know and want to know (i.e. “aspirational contacts”).
  3. Build it before you need it. When you’re desperate it’s probably too late to build a meaningful relationship (Problogger has an article on this subject here).
  4. Never eat alone. “Invisibility is a fate worse than failure. Above all, never, ever disappear.” Stay connected to people! What you’re doing is too important for you to become a recluse!
  5. Be interesting. Have something of value to offer. “Being known is one thing, but being known for content is something else entirely — and much better.”
  6. Manage the gatekeeper. Artfully. Remember this, if you annoy the secretary, you’ll not get to the CEO.
  7. Always ask. If you don’t ask you will not receive! This applies to requests for a meeting as well as for favors. Make the ask.
  8. Don’t keep score. “Successful networking is never about simply getting what you want. It’s about getting what you want and making sure that people who are important to you get what they want, too. Often, that means fixing up people with one another.”
  9. Ping constantly. Once you’ve made a connection, maintain it regularly (e.g. a birthday card, an e-mail, a connection they might want to know about, etc.)
  10. Find anchor tenants. Feed them. “You, me, every one of us — we have our peer set, and we can always have dinner parties with our peer set, but if you keep having dinner parties with your peer set, why would somebody two levels above your peer set ever come to your dinner parties?” he asks. “The point is, you don’t randomly invite somebody two levels above your peer set to your dinner and expect them to come, because they won’t. They want to hang around people of their peer set or higher. This is a crass way of talking about it, but this is the formula.”

You can read the entire article here.

Monday morning prayer

Posted on
3

God, you are near. I believe this because the Bible tells me so. God, you love me and care what happens in my life. I believe this too because the Bible tells me so.

I wonder how you view me God? Do you see me scurrying around down here trying to make my own way with inadequate strength and a wisdom deficit? Do you watch as I flounder around in shallow water sometimes getting my feet under me and sometimes convinced that I’m going under for the last time?

Do you know how much I want to reflect your character in this world? Do you realize how frustrated I get when I fall so far short of the goal line? Do you realize that I know most of the theological answers regarding faith, grace, etc. but I still struggle to rest in grace believing that I’m good enough?

Sure, you know all of those things and you must experience amusement, disappointment, joy, pride, and hope as you watch me and help me work through these various life stages.

The bottom line here Lord is that I really do want to honor you. I want to mirror your character to Sherri, “The Ladies”, my friends, and those whom you are entrusting to my leadership.

Thank you for loving me, bearing with me, leading me, and trusting me.

Paul

Some waddup

Posted on
Reply

Life in bullet points…

  • Reconnecting with old friends in the area through phone calls and Facebook!
  • Next Sunday I’ll be speaking at my friend Ray Brock’s church, Center Pointe! It’s gonna feel good to be preaching again!
  • I’m becoming quite a networker! I’ve never been much of a networker before, but over the last year I’ve realized how important it is! Thanks to the two best networkers I know, Jeff Harmon and Jeff Murphy, I’m learning how to get it done!
  • Rindy and her guys are rolling in on Monday!
  • Shaun King, a church planter in Atlanta, is doing some really cool stuff with Facebook! This is a dude to watch!
  • I now know how to change the lock and tumbler on a 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager if anyone ever needs that particular service.
  • I’m contacting every pastor I know, and even many that I don’t, to begin lining up a speaking schedule! This will help relieve the preaching shakes that I’m getting and help subsidize the income! If you’re in the area and looking for someone to do some guest speaking, I’d love to talk to you.

THIS IS IMPORTANT:

If you know anyone in the Cincinnati area that is currently either disconnected from God and the church OR would be interested in helping to launch a new church, send me an e-mail. I’d love to talk to them! (You can e-mail me by clicking on the blue letters that say “E-Mail Me” located on the right hand side of this blog.)

Required reading for leaders

Posted on
1

If you’re a leader and you’re not interacting with Patrick Lencioni you are doing yourself and those you lead a disservice!

Lencioni has a wonderful story telling gift that he employs to teach critical leadership lessons! I like him because his books are simple, common-sense, and yet compelling. He looks at leadership issues through a refreshingly simple lens, and boils critical issues down to a “Gosh, how’d I miss that?” perspective.

You can check out Patrick’s six book titles here.

I played footsies with a giant

Posted on
12

Yesterday I had one of my most embarrassing moments… ever!

We had a friend, a virtual giant of a man, come over to our house to help us slog through the insurance swamp.scott smith

Scott is over six foot, weighs in at a good 300 pounds and plays minor league football in the area. This was the second time I’d ever seen Scott in my life!

OK, now to the good stuff.

We were sitting diagonally across the table from each other as we discussed insurance. Truth be told, though Scott was articulate and made insurance easy to understand… I was a bit bored. I began to fidget a bit, but because I didn’t want Scott to see it, I fidgeted under the table… with my foot on the rail of the chair directly across from me.

After a bit, Scott looked at me and said, “Are you playing footsies with me?” I said, “NO”, but looked under the table just to make sure! And then I realized…

The “leg” of the chair that I had been feeling up with my toes was in fact Scott’s big toe that protruded from his sandals!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! I was mortified! Humiliated! I turned a bright shade of red, thought about all of the manly, totally heterosexual things I could say, but the only thing that came out was… “Dude!”

I told Scott that usually I wait until the third date to make my move, but apparently he had endeared himself so much to me that I was ready to do my thing on our second meeting!

Good gosh… that was terrible!

Where does a church planter go to church (Part 2)

Posted on
3

Part two in the continuing saga… (read part one here)

On the one hand I’d like to settle in to a home church for a couple of months, make some friends, and enjoy some routine.

On the other hand I think it’s important to visit area churches. Why? Because I want to know what kind of churches are in our area. I want to know the spiritual temperature of our area because I’m confident we will be recommending other churches to people who come through the doors of Walls Down Church.

I know that there will be people who will come to Walls Down church and NOT like what we’re doing. Here’s the bottom line… I don’t want them to be a part of Walls Down church. BUT I do want them to be a part of a Christ-centered community. I want to be able to recommend other church alternatives with integrity and a clear conscience, and the only way to do this is to meet pastors and observe worship experiences.

This exercise allows me to say to someone who comes to and doesn’t like Walls Down, “Walls Down may not be the church for you, but let me recommend ******* down the street.”

The only way to accomplish this is to sacrifice my desire for a home church for these next few months, so that’s what I’m going to do. Just a note for other church planters, Sherri and I came to this decision together. This is too big of a decision to make unilaterally. I need her buy in on this. Truth be told, she arrived at this position before I did!

Anyhow…

I’m confident that we will make multiple visits to local churches but our ultimate quest is to identify churches that we will recommend to people who do not like our ministry strategy at Walls Down.

Thanks to all of you who have given feedback on this subject!

Getting insurance

Posted on
2

For the last two days I’ve been on the phone with insurance agents comparing prices and policies.

I’m literally sick to my stomach and have an accompanying headache! Why the heck is insurance so freakin complicated? This stuff is driving me CRAZY!

For what it’s worth I now know the difference between comprehensive and collision…

Comprehensive covers your vehicle when your not moving or at fault.

Collision covers you when you’re moving and not at fault.

If that’s not right… don’t tell me because I’m in a foul mood and may strike you! GRRRRRRRRRRRR…

Warrior and lover

Posted on
Reply

Recently I’ve been thinking about how I think about and feel towards my Leader, Jesus.

Currently, and for quite a while now, I feel like a warrior. I carry out the mission of our Lord with courage and faith (most of the time). I charge forward with courage and even reckless abandon. I do things that others look at and say “Wow. What incredible faith.” But I’m not alone… every church planter is a warrior to some extent! We leave secure incomes, positions, families, homes, etc. to carry out the mission of our Leader.

Everyone who is starting something, after hearing the call of God on their lives, knows what I’m talking about. Whether it’s a new business, a new ministry initiative in your established church, a new direction for your family, etc. When you leave the security of the known to charge into the darkness of the unknown for the honor of your Leader, you are a warrior.

BUT, there’s more to this life than being a warrior! As I’m reading through the Psalms right now I’m reading the words of David, a fierce and successful warrior, who was completely enchanted and in love with his God! He was an extraordinary romeo!

It’s been a while since I’ve felt “romantic” towards God. It’s been a while since I’ve felt loving excitement towards my leader. More commonly I’m taking up my weapons and charging out to fight a new battle… take more ground for my Leader… initiate more kingdom activity for His honor…

Right now I’m thinking it’s time to settle in for a bit and be a lover.

How about you? How do you balance the warrior/lover in your life?

Where does a church planter go to church?

Posted on
13

I have a dilemma. I don’t know where to go to church!

Here’s the deal… I don’t want to go to a church and make friends only to turn around and go start a new church. I don’t want to take people from another church. And yet I’d like to go to a church… to belong, for a while, to a community!

For the last year all we’ve done is galavant around the country observing and learning from other churches in preparation for starting Walls Down Church. We’ve seen more churches in the last year than many people see in a lifetime and we’re a bit tired of it. I’d like my family to be grounded for a while!

I don’t want other pastors to think I’m moving in trying to “steal” their people (shame on them if they think that anyhow)…

I don’t want to build friendships only to leave again in a few months…

I’d like to get some stability in our lives for the time being!

Any ideas?

How about you pastors? How would you feel about a planter coming to your church?