Examples:

• Podcasts
• Bible on your phone
• Challenging articles
• Facebook links
• Bible study resources
• Twitter links from spiritual leaders

Are there any specific stories you can point to where the Lord used an online resources to grow you as a follower of Christ and as a spiritual leader?

You’ll hear about one of mine on Monday, when I post on the Campus Crusade for Christ, ReThink Blogference site.

Other LTI posts kinda like this one:

1. My Websites and how I use them
2. Re-Think: CCC Blogference is rolling
3. The power of social media (a case study)

Other LTI posts kinda like this one:

1. Michael Hyatt is the man
2. What evangelism can learn from social media
3. Top 5 Influential Books (Leadership Category)

Writing a plan makes you feel in control of things you can’t actually control. Why don’t we just call plans what they really are: guesses. Start referring to your business plans as business guesses, your financial plans as financial guesses, and your strategic plans as strategic guesses. Now you can stop worrying about them as much. They just aren’t worth the stress.

Rework – Fried and Hansonn

Things just don’t go as planned do they? Don’t get me wrong, there is great value in planning and thinking about the future. But we must build into our plans enough margin to seize opportunities and improvise if needed. And sometime we need to stop having meetings and start working on today.

Do you have tendency to overplan? I do. How do you balance necessary planning with being nimble enough to take advantage of God opportunities?

Other LTI posts kinda like this one:

1. Leadership Summit Thought #4 – Outrun Change
2. Got Focus?
3. Top 5 things that keep me from ministry

I wanted something that was simple, clear, visionary and yet gave specific enough details that a potential staff member could see themselves working here.

If they don’t live here I also show them this video…dispelling the myth that it’s miserable to live here.

We’re a little different cause we’re starting from scratch, but do you have any go to recruiting methods or tools?

Pictures are courtesy of Portlandground

Other LTI posts kinda like this one:

1. Why we don’t use web 2.0 tools (comments)
2. The tools exist!
3. Why technology in ministry?

Next Generation Leader – Andy Stanley. Far and away this has been the most helpful book for me to grow as a leader. I’m revisiting it right now!

Master Plan of Evangelism – Robert Coleman. A hard look at the way Jesus did discipleship, his plan to change the world and how it applies to us today.

Five Dysfunctions of Team – Patrick Lencioni. A must for helping you and your team grow and function well.

Changes that Heal – Henry Cloud. For personal growth that has bounces all over your ability to lead well, this is a great one.

Communicating for Change – Andy Stanley. Increase your ability to leverage communication opportunities for the Kingdom

Am I missing any? What leadership books have shaped you the most?

Other LTI posts kinda like this one:

1. Leadership Summit Thought #2
2. Leadership Summit Thought #4 – Outrun Change
3. Leadership in the age of social media

In the context of a metro student ministry with 15+ campuses, where every other day we are invited into a new ministry opportunity, we have decision after decision of what to say yes to. If we say yes to everything, then we really say yes to nothing. (Keep in mind we don’t always say no, sometimes we say, “not yet.”)

But the reality is, this is true wherever you are in ministry right? I didn’t forget about you Pullman, Washington and Bozeman, Montana! You’ve got more job security than you can handle right?! You have so many things tugging for your attention, so many plates spinning it could drive you crazy.

Stop it! Stop trying to do it all. Instead start to….

bring clarity. You can do this a number of different ways, but you must have organizational clarity. In other words, your team needs to know where you’re going and what you’re doing for significant periods of time to get there. You better have the lens of your vision, top goals and top strategic path-steps for the year clear, because you’re about to filter a boatload of ministry opportunities through that lens. I mean come on, we’ve all experienced those crazy-maker ideas that freshmen in your small group has to reach people in Kentucky for Christ (Sorry if you’re from Kentucky…I’ll send that freshmen your way).

If you want to see where you’re at with the clarity issue, just ask your team “what is it that we do best, what is that drives us and that we are deeply passionate about?” In other words, what is it that only you can do? You, your team and your organization need to be able to answer that question because…duh, you should do that. Live in your strengths and your DNA, it’s way more fun.

Once you know what you and your team does best then you can answer the question, what do you need to stop doing? Regular evaluation of this for you, your staff team and your organization will lead to greater effectiveness and less burnout.

Just a little glimpse into what we’re thinking about over here in Portland. Enjoy!

What about you, what are some of the best resources, tools for bringing clarity to your team you’ve used?

Other LTI posts kinda like this one:

1. Leadership Summit Thought #4 – Outrun Change
2. “Clear as mud” (Cowtown to Urban Hipster #4)
3. Fear? …get some.

We got about the business of launching the ministry at Portland State University today. By the way, PSU is the largest university in Oregon and the third largest in all of our Campus Crusade region, behind U. of Washington and U. of Utah. Didn’t know that, did you?

We started with a short discussion on this powerful article by Tim Keller to give us a framework for our heart to see this urban campus transformed. Keller’s stuff is what pushed me toward making the decision to move to Portland. For Keller fan boys, here’s a link to all his stuff.

Then believing God to breakthrough on campus in powerful ways we braved 97 degree temperatures and pounded the streets for information. Joined by five of the regional office interns today that will be working with us 1 day a week this fall we gathered information that will shape our initiatives, outreaches and strategies.

Looking forward to the day when at PSU there is a community where the gospel captures hearts, transforms lives, and launches men and women into a lifelong adventure with Jesus Christ.

**I stole that last line from another Cru ministry somewhere. I’m pretty sure they don’t mind.

***I love my job

Other LTI posts kinda like this one:

1. Theology of Urban Ministry: (Cowtown to Urban Hipster #5)

• Social Networking icon Chris Brogan writes about his interactions with Lifechurch.tv. Authentic insight from a new perspective on internet church.
• Campus Crusade staff member Tim Casteel wrote a great post about being able to communicate better including a short and powerful clip from Seth Godin on why blogging helps. Can’t tell you how much this post resonates with me, especially as we launch partnerships and mobalize volunteers. The ability to communicate what I do is so critical.

Other LTI posts kinda like this one:

1. Why do I blog? Top 5 reasons.
2. Why we don’t use web 2.0 tools (comments)
3. Idea of the week

• Innovative and trendy branding coupled with a shotgun appeal to the masses is not as effective in the Northwest as they have been in other areas of the country. Relationships reign, and trust is not easily given.
• A brand will not win influence, a relationship will.
• People very much identify with authenticity and trust, and that must be the vehicle of biblical truth.
• We must ask the question of ourselves and our teams, “are you willing to share your life and your message?”

Getting a leading Christian organization’s perspective on our region was extremely helpful.  Identifying the difference is a much needed step toward increasing effectiveness.

The biggest takeaway for me is that a general distrusting culture (non-believers and believers) is a significant barrier for us to overcome as we seek to grow movements and communicate the Gospel. Authenticity must reign in our ministry culture!

What context are you in? If you’re in the Northwest do you agree with these statements?

Other LTI posts kinda like this one:

1. Leadership Summit Thought #4 – Outrun Change
2. MTL Conference
3. Top 5 things that keep me from ministry

I discovered the Action Method iPhone Application recently and so far I haven’t looked back. It’s simple, beautiful and customizable. It allows me organize action steps any way I want, plus it allows me to mark things as focus items for the day as I plan my priorities. Here’s a screen shot.

Item of note:

The application is free for the iPhone and it synch’s to an online backup, but to use the online version extensively it’ll cost a monthly subscription which is available for a discount to non-profit organizations.

I need to be able to write down action items instantly otherwise they’re in one ear and out the other. This app makes it so easy.

What about you? What are you using to get things done?

Other LTI posts kinda like this one:

1. My favorite Mac app’s today.
2. Most helpful Mac applications for me.
3. The power of social media (a case study)