Setting and Keeping Goals

October 20, 2011 in Ministry, Personal with 2 Comments

I’m a big list maker.  I prefer the Santa method, I make a list and check it twice.  My moleskin is full of to-do’s, notes, and things I need to remember to stay on top of all that I’m required to do.  But sometimes the list needs to get bigger, and be in front of you more.  There are some lists that fit the category of “Official Goals.”  But goals doesn’t suffice entirely, because goals can be broken down further into three different categories.

  1. Everyday Goals -> You could call these core values, mission statements, or whatever; but I prefer “everyday goals” as they are the filter that allow us to say no to other good ideas.  On our ministry team I have 3 everyday goals, and they are on my dry erase goal board…right at the top in red ink!
  2. Short Term Goals -> These are things that get specific, and I should be working on immediately (like yesterday if possible!)  These goals are quick-fix things that we can accomplish quickly and with limited discussion.  The accountability on these is fierce and lightning fast, because it has to be done and it has to be done shortly.
  3. Long Term Goals -> These are the goals that make everyone uncomfortable.  These are sometimes audacious and dreamer-oriented; but at the same time I have to see them as immensely doable at some point in the future.  I stay away from impossible things here, but still want to stretch myself with the long term initiatives of the team I lead.

But after I’ve nailed these down and illustrated them out for everyone, I can easily end up with 20 short term goals and 20 long term goals; so what to do now?  Break them down into different areas of responsibilities; and start delegating them out.  And for heaven’s sake put them up where you can see them!  Here is an example of the goals worksheet my team and I have created together (click image to view them in a large format.)

In some upcoming posts I’m going to talk about the process of coming up with the goals themselves.  Because they are truly owned by everyone on our NextGen team, and that may be the most important part of all of this!

Lubbock Haboob

October 19, 2011 in Personal with 3 Comments

I cannot begin to tell you the uncomfortableness I feel with saying we had a haboob in Lubbock on Monday evening.  It’s just a strange word, and the 12 year old humor part of my brain is going crazy.  Let’s just say it was an apocalyptic dust storm.

I’m sitting in the back yard reading and watching the kids play, when suddenly my oldest runs up to me horrified and pointing to the sky!  So what did I do?  Well, of course I picked up my iPhone and started recording!

It wasn’t too long after we filmed this that we rushed inside.  However, Starr was out visiting one of her patients and was caught in her car during the entire ordeal.  Check out these pics!  But really the best part to me as a Lubbock-Outsider, is how proud everyone in town is of the haboob!  We made the national news!  My video was broadcast all over the country on local news affiliates!  #LubbockHaboob is trending on twitter!

 

 

 

 

The Homeless Blogger

October 11, 2011 in Links with 0 Comments

Hello friends. My name is Kenny Conley and I’m the homeless blogger. What does that mean? Well, I have a blog over at childrensministryonline.com (BUT DON’T GO THERE). My blog is very sick with a nasty virus. Since she’s sick and slowly getting better, I don’t have a place to post new articles. I’m at the Kidmin Conference in Chicago and like always, I’ve got something to say… I just don’t have anyplace to say it. So, thanks to some good friends, they’re giving this homeless blogger a couch to sleep on and letting me finish off the carton of ice cream in the freezer. 

The Homeless Blogger: Making Connections

The other day I wrote about having a roommate at conferences because it is such a great opportunity to continue to network and connect. I have to admit though, the Kidmin conference was all about connecting and networking.j

First of all, Jim Wideman hit on this specifically. He shared how connecting with others is an integral part of his ministry. I think what some people might not get is that you can connect with others whether you lead a ministry of thousands or if you are a volunteer at a small church, I’ve actually been amazed by how many significant voices in the kidmin twitter feed and blogosphere are volunteers. Everyone has something to contribute… Don’t be silent.

Secondly, the kidmin conference was pretty intentional about helping people connect. Ey created spaces where people could connect in a way that was relevant. They had connect groups for those new to ministry, those feeling burnt out in ministry, those in mega churches, those leading multi-site ministry and many more. So, everyone had an option and many connected through this opportunity. Big win!

Lastly, Group has a specific philosophy. Every one of their products is R.E.A.L.

  • Relational
  • Experiential
  • Applicable
  • Learner-based

This was true of kidmin as well. This means that the breakouts included relational components. There was a lot of time for people to connect about topics important to them within the context of a breakout. Another Win!

When it comes to networking and connecting, kidmin championed that cause. Now it’s time to carry it out. I hope that I get to continue some conversations that started this weekend.

Thanks Jonathan for hosting my post. I think I might have dropped your toothbrush in your toilet while I was looking through for dental floss. Don’t worry though, I rinsed it off under hot water for a few minutes. Look for my next post by following my tweets at twitter.com/kennyconley

See past homeless blogger posts at the following sites:

Small Town Kidmin

Jenny Funderburke

Sam Luce

Kidmin Conference

October 7, 2011 in Ministry, Personal with 2 Comments

This weekend I’ll be attending the Kidmin Conference in Chicago.  I’m looking forward to a weekend with friends, both new and old.  Kidmin is dedicating themselves to creating environments where people can truly, really, honestly connect with each other.  If you are here in Chicago, then find me!

You can find all my Kidmin content from my workshops and discussions at www.jonathancliff.com/kidminconference

The Lie of Consensus

October 4, 2011 in Ministry with 5 Comments

Consensus is defined as “general agreement among a group.”  You know where consensus comes into play in your life, right?  You want to start moving ahead with your ideas, but you feel you need some consensus from your leaders to do it.  You know what needs to be done, but you want consensus from others before moving forward.  You are burdened with a need that needs met quickly, but you want to build consensus so you won’t feel all alone meeting the need.

The danger with consensus is that oftentimes it stagnates our progress and delays our successes.  In and of itself, consensus is a great thing to have.  There are times when it is absolutely necessary to get others on your side before moving forward on something.  But there are those other times that we use the lack of consensus as an excuse to not obey what we know God has told us to do.

So how do you know when to gain consensus, and when to act quickly without it?  How should I know.  You’re the one working in your church, leading your family, and daily seeking God’s Will for your life and situation, right?  You’re already the expert.

Just refuse to buy into the lie that you NEED consensus to do anything.  Pray and act, pray and act, pray and act, and I believe you will go in the direction that you and your group need to go.

Page 19 of 203« First...10«1718192021»304050...Last »