Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast & Blog

Small Group Circles

I’m currently enjoying the book, “Making Ideas Happen:Overcoming the Obstacles Between Vision and Reality” by Scott Belsky. I really love the practicality of Scott’s insights and what he has done to help organize creative teams and individuals. One of the points that he makes is how it’s easy for creative leaders to isolate themselves from others. We want our ideas to be original and we like to work alone so as not to encounter conflict. The problem with this is that there is zero accountability and many of our ideas never see the light of day because of it. Herein lies his idea of “Circles”. A circle is a team of creative individuals that have chosen to meet and work together on projects.


There are a lot of similarities between Scott’s idea of “circles” and local church small groups. Small groups are the center of our ministry model at Allison Park Church and I couldn’t agree more with it. I think we could glean some insight from Scott’s “Rules of Circles”. If this applies in the business world, how much more should our small groups function in such a way?
  • Limit circles to fifteen members or less
  • Establish a clear and consistent schedule for meeting
  • Meet frequently and stay accountable
  • Assign a leader
  • Extend your circle online

What I love about this idea is the goal is always action. I think our small groups can easily lack this essential component. I mean, if we’re not actively making a difference than what are we doing?

What else would you say makes an effective small group?

 

6 Books I Am Reading (and hopefully finishing)

Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick – just got this. Powerful book on audacious faith.

The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer – sort of a devotional for me. I tend to pick this up a lot.

Exponential by Dave & Jon Ferguson – great book on starting a movement of churches. Gleaning a ton of insights and ideas for the ministries I lead.

Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belksy – CEO of Behance, creators of The Action Method (online project manager I use, which is brilliant, btw). Love these insights!

Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin – One of the most fascinating books I’ve read in a while. It’s about what truly separates world class performers from the rest. The answer is not talent, in case you were wondering.

A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech – a different read for me. A book on how to be more creative. Entertaining and eye opening for sure.

Your turn. What should I be reading?

Avatar and Sunday Morning

Remember the day? The day you went to see James Cameron’s blockbuster hit, Avatar? Since you had heard so many good things about it, you were prepared to ‘go the distance’ with this one. Armed with a $15 popcorn & drink, you were prepared for an amazing three hours of pure escapism from the ordinary. And amazing it was, right?

Why is it that we humans LOVE movies, amusement parks, sports events, and a gazillion other entertainments? Why is it that our culture is consumed by the pursuit of them? Why are we enamored with entertainment?

I believe it’s because we were created to worship. We were made to be fascinated, awed, lost in wonder, starstruck – by the greatness of God. The time and money America spends on entertainment is a reflection of this deep need. We long to escape the ‘ordinary’ and engage with the ‘extra-ordinary’.

How would our congregational worship times change if we approached God in this way? Much the same way that we approach seeing Avatar in 3D IMAX with buttery popcorn and a ‘way-too-big-for-any-human-bucket-‘o-drink’?

What would it look like if our anticipation for gathering in God’s house, together with God’s people, to encounter the glory of God was that much stronger?

What do you say?

12 Indicators That Leadership is Lacking

As a staff we are reading through the book Exponential by Dave & Jon Ferguson. I thought these 12 indicators of poor leadership were incredibly helpful.

Leadership is lacking when…

  1. I wait for someone to tell me what to do rather than taking the initiative myself.
  2. I spend too much time talking about how things should be different.
  3. I blame the context, surroundings, or other people for my current situation.
  4. I am more concerned about being cool or accepted than doing the right thing.
  5. I seek consensus rather than casting vision for a preferable future.
  6. I am not taking any significant risks.
  7. I accept the status quo as the way it’s always been and always will be.
  8. I start protecting my reputation instead of opening myself up to opposition.
  9. I procrastinate to avoid making a tough call.
  10. I talk to others about the problem rather than taking it to the person responsible.
  11. I don’t feel like my butt is on the line for anything significant.
  12. I ask for way too many opinions before taking action.