We are right in the middle of conference season. A lot of us are all loading up, spending money and traveling to spend a few days at the feet of the experts. In fact, this is as good as it gets. These are the innovators, these are the voices, these are the generation of pastors and church leaders that are getting it done. And we all have great hopes that we will sharpen the skills we already possess and maybe, just maybe, we’ll take home something new.  One thing is for sure, when we leave we’ll be motivated and excited to get back home and be successful.

While I believe all leaders should better themselves and conferences are a good way to do it, I want to make a distinction between learning from the experts and becoming one yourself.  I know too many leaders who are sponges. We soak up all we can and feel full and ready to be used. Sadly, most of us don’t know when, how or where to squeeze and make it a reality.

Most of us will be motivated just enough to implement some of the things we learn. Unfortunately, we usually don’t know enough about our own context to implement the principles we’ve learned. I guarantee you, what makes the people we hear from at the conferences experts is that they are experts on their local contexts first, not leadership principles. They know their environment, social climate, demographics and cultural challenges like the backs of their hands. It’s what drives innovation, best practices and change. And that’s why they are experts at what they do.

So, my challenge to you today is to become an expert on your local context first, then apply all of the leadership principles you know second. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to see if you’re an expert.

• Can we articulate the cultural relevancies in our local context?
• How can we influence the current trends in our context?
• Can we articulate specifics about our context’s demographics and are we meeting the challenges this environment creates?
• Can we articulate the values of people in our local context?
• Can we articulate the social concerns in our local context?
• Are we spending time every month on a relevant topic?
• Are we studying these topics every day for 30 minutes or more?
• Can we find a seminar or conference on something to do with our local context?
• Is there an article or story we can share to educate us on our local context?
• What kind of investment are we making in terms of time, money and effort into knowing our local context?

Share these questions with your staff or leadership team. Who knows, maybe next year we’ll all be listening to you, the expert.

I usually read 1 or 2 books on creativity a month. This month I’m reading The Disney Way by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson. I’ve always been fascinated with Walt Disney, I guess its the artist in me.  One of the legendary stories in the book is about Walt’s obsession with excellence.

The story goes that Walt halted the production of Pinocchio because the film was failing to live up to Walt’s principle of excellence. With over half a million dollars spent already and final drawings of the characters done, Disney scrapped the production because the characters were not life-like enough. At the time, Disney had already enjoyed world-wide acclaim. He could have let the film go as it was and and saved money without tarnishing his reputation. But, the book says,

“Disney recognized the difference between adequate and excellent, and he would not compromise.”

Before the film was complete, Disney spent over $3 million, more than any other animated picture up to that point. In a correspondence to his brother Roy, he wrote that he was acutely aware of the bottom line, but refused to let it dictate every decision he made. And we should be glad. If he did not go back to the drawing board, or if he relied on his past successes, we would not have the timeless characters of Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket, arguably the most recognizable and beloved Disney characters of all time.

So, let me ask you. How many times have you settled for adequate and not excellent? I think there are a lot of leaders and organizations who are so used to success that they run the risk of adequacy. They are tempted into deviating from their values of excellence because they know they can get by with it.

Now, let me make a disctinction. I’m not talking about inadequacy. Inadequacy is failure, I’m talking about something worse. I’m talking about, just getting by. Is there anything worse than doing something that is just “reasonably efficient?”

I want to challenge you leaders out there this week. At your next meeting, surprise your team. Scrap what you have been working on. I mean scrap it as if it falls on the cutting-room floor and ask yourself and your team, is what we are producing excellent? Give attention to the bottom line, of course, but don’t let it dictate your decisions. Who knows, you just may transform your entire industry.

In just a few short years, roughly 1930 to 1942, Walt Disney was able to catapult animation from entertainment obscurity to an entertainment powerhouse.  In 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs won a special Academy Award, some even consider it to be the great motion picture ever made. It is also in the top 50 all-time highest-grossing films.

There is little argument that Walt Disney transformed entertainment forever. His innovation, relentless pursuit of excellence and his calculated risks made Disney the creative artist and business genius his legacy declares.

So, every night before “bedtime” my 6 year old runs to me with his “reader” and says, “OK, Dad, I’m ready to read, let’s go.” And dutifully…I go. I mean the kid never misses. It’s clockwork. It’s routine. It’s breathing.

Then, it hits me. If I was half as committed to things as he was…

So, tonight, I observed. And, like the ever-learning leader I pretend to be, I got these 6 things out of it while we, I mean he, was reading.

• One: When it’s time to do something, just do it; just show up and do it. “Do you feel like reading tonight, son?” He answered in the most apathetic of tones, “not really, but I gotta finish this chapter.”

• Two: Concentrate; eliminate distractions. I asked him where he wanted to read. He said, “In your office, Rafe (younger brother) is not allowed in there.”

• Three: Shut up and listen. Now, for the record, my son didn’t tell me to shut up. However, he did tell me to not help him sound out big words, “just listen and let me figure it out!”

• Four: Repetition really is the mother of all skill. Half way through the reading, I break #3 (you know, shut up and listen) and say, “You’re really doing better!” He replies, “Well, it seems like I’m reading the same words over and over, I’d be stupid if I wasn’t getting better.” I’m sure he was thinking, “Well, duh?”

• Five: Learn the Basics. “Dad, did you ever have to read these kids books?” “Yes, son.” “Cool, then I’ll get to read big books one day, like you?”

• Six: Partnerships are Priceless. “Dad, this is my favorite part of the day…” “What do you mean, son?” “I really like learning to read with you, I don’t like doing it by myself.”

Well, thanks God. Another reminder that I don’t have it figured out…

After helping over 50 church plants over the past 10 years I’ve discovered there are still some things I’m learning about planting.  While there are books, conferences and web sites on church planting that try to give planters a heads up on what to expect, there aren’t too many of them that give you the real skinny. I don’t think they are trying to hide anything, it’s just most resources focus on pre-planting and how-to stuff. It’s hard to find resources that reveal some of the intangible things you will encounter.  I hope you find this valuable, if fact, if you really read it, I know you will.  Keep this list around, because, inevitably you will encounters every one of these.

Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before Planting a Church

• PRECEDENT.
  Remember, EVERYTHING you do now sets a precedent for your future.  Do it once; do it always.
• EMOTIONAL SWINGS.
  Don’t get caught up in emotional swings.  Three things to be aware of: high attendance, low attendance and money.
• MONEY.
  It takes CASH to do ministry.  Don’t be fooled, creativity and volunteers can go a long way, but it takes professionals to do it right. You gotta pay to play, my brother!
• NETWORKING.
  Start with a partner.  Two things: get connect to a church network and hire a “right-hand man” as soon as possible. There is only so much one person can do.
• RELATIONSHIPS.
  Start with small groups or a plan for small groups.  It’s not about your gatherings primarily, it’s about RELATIONSHIPS. Over 50% of the people you’re trying to reach decide to go to a church for relational reasons, so provide them one.
• BE AWARE PERSONAL AGENDAS.
  Avoid office seekers.  They WILL BE the death of your church!
• KEEPING STARTING YOUR CHURCH.
  Never lose your entrepreneurial senses.  One day you’ll wake up and realize you have a church and you’ll be stuck in what experts call a “growth barrier.”
• TRUST YOUR PLAN.
  Stick with your plan.  Don’t just try the next big thing.  Don’t be tempted to recreate what God is doing somewhere else.  Let God write your story.
• PEOPLE WILL COME AND GO.
  People will leave your church because of you (and most will be back in 90 days or less).
• STICK WITH YOUR VALUES.
  Practice hospitality; preach for life-change.

Love your feedback on these, let me know what you think.

These are quotes that I have “bookmarked” over the past week. Most come from what I’ve read. Some are from Twitter friends. Others are just random stuff that crossed my path. If you have a favorite quote, please leave a comment on this post and I’ll add to future post and give you credit.

Try, try, try, and keep on trying is the rule that must be followed to become an expert in anything.
W. Clement Stone

People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it’s safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs.
via FB Diana Mullins

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
Oscar Wilde

Growth demands a temporary surrender of security.
Gail Sheehy

What life have you if you have not life together?
T.S. Eliot

The creative person is not a special type of being; every being is a special type of creator.
Meister Eckhart

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather that burnt offerings.
God through the prophet Hosea (Hosea 6:6)

At first glance, it seems like “relevancy” should top the charts (great music, practical application, entertainment) if we are to attract people to our church. However, I recently read some research that may indicate differently.

According to some recent stats about 50% of people choose a church for relational reasons. Those being friendliness, family relationships or personal invitations. The interesting thing about these stats are that only around 10% of people choose a church for its relevancy (e.g. - worship/music style). To me this begs the question I want to pose to pastors and staff leaders:

How “relational” is your worship experience vs. how “relevant”?

This morning I wrote some thoughts down. Feel free to share these with your staff this week. If you feel like this would benefit other pastors you know, pass it along.

How to Create a Relational Worship Experience

• Make your worship experience personal.
  Do everything you can to create a culture of invitation. People are more likely to invite others to a church where they are relationally connected and people are more likely to attend the church of someone they know.  This creates a nice synergy. So, spend marketing dollars internally for a change, invest back into your members. Give them tools and, most important, reasons to invite others.
• Do everything you can to provide an interactive dialogue.
  Treat every guest as though they have unspoken questions that need to be answered. In other words, everything you do during the worship service should try to answer questions you think someone might have. Provide questionnaires, feedback forms, FAQ desk, etc. Laden sermons with answers to questions you think people might have.  Don’t just have a welcome team, appoint a worship service “concierge” to assist people with whatever they need.
• Offer shared values.
  Quickly connect with what’s important to people. Connect with their kids, don’t monopolize their time and constantly communicate your values as a church. People can quickly determine if they line up with you or not, so try to help them find a common ground.
• Offer genuine expressions.
  A lot of people find worship experiences to be contrived, kind of a “going through the motions” thing.  People immediately pick up on disingenuousness, however, find it refreshing when they experience genuine expressions like a smile. The quickest way to express genuineness is to have someone give their personal story during worship. People respond to real life!
• Offer something that is inspirational or motivational.
  Do people walk away saying, “I want to be around that!” I’m not saying that it has to be Joel Osteen “happy” all the time. I believe that even “conviction” can be inspirational. Plug a book, web site, or just print some quotes in your worship guide.
• Don’t just wait for them to come back, ask them to come back before the leave.
  It took a personal invitation to get them there, it will take a personal invitation to get them back. Come up with some creative way to invite your guest back next weekend. When asking for a guest card, don’t just receive their info. Print a nice invitation on nice paper with an envelope that reads, “You’re invited back to attend another great weekend at Grace Church!” Or, add some kind of signage to your welcome area that reads, “Before you go, we have a gift for you.” Give away a gift card, etc.
• Make an emotional connection.
  Are people emotionally connected to your worship experience? Establishing a relationship must take emotional connection into account. I’m not saying to “work up” false emotions. What I am saying is that you should tap into a genuine emotion during the service whether it be anger, sadness, joy or thankfulness.

Obviously, making the worship experience as relevant as it can be is also important. I’m not advocating that you throw out your efforts to connect with the culture. I just wanted to simply challenge you to review your weekend worship experience through a different lens. So, this week, ask your staff, “how relational is our worship experience?”

Marketing pros will tell you that you need to impress a person at least seven times before they will even begin to pay attention to your product or message.  Think about it. Most brands are burned into our minds because they intentionally seek to impress us over and over and over. Why don’t we take this attitude in our churches?

While I believe the first impression is important (Nelson Searcy’s “Seven Minutes and Counting”), I don’t think it stops there. A lot of pastors and leaders I talk with spend most of their time making sure the first impression is successful, and that’s great! But, what about the other six impressions?  I love Nelson’s “seven minutes”, but I would like to broaden your vision and suggest that, really, you have 90 minutes to make “the seven impressions” on your guests. I call it The Seven Impressions Worship Experience.

Here they are (you can also download the PDF here*):

• People usually click before they call or visit -> EXPECTATION
  Does your web site offer a “brand promise?”  If people are not impressed with your web site, they won’t visit your church!
• The message begins in the parking lot. -> EXTERIOR
  Do you have clear directional and guest parking signs? Your values begin here, are you communicating them clearly?
• The Front Door. ->EXPRESSION
  Do you offer an energetic welcome, information and clear direction from people and signage?
• The Gathering Place. ->EXCITEMENT
  Is there an atmosphere of anticipation? Is something great about to happen?
• Staging. ->EXECUTION
  Stage presence = perceived leadership. Are you hitting on all cylinders? Worship, lights, sound, etc.
• The Message. ->EXCLAMATION
  Are you delivering on the “brand promise?” Can people take something useful away from your teaching?
• The Close. ->EXCHANGE
  Did you make an impression? If yes, then people will “exchange” their personal information for yours. Are you following up?

Please keep in mind this is only a very brief outline of what it takes to make the seven impressions count. When teaching these to leaders, I go into much greater detail and also give “real world” examples of how these work.  While I have made the download available, you might have more questions or want to know how to implement this plan.  Please visit my web site at www.paradigmcreative.net and contact me. I will be glad to help you.

Download The Seven Impressions Worship Experience* here.

*This material is copyrighted. Unauthorized duplication or distribution is prohibited. Use only with written permission.

I just finished a new design project and was looking over my strategy notes and started thinking what if I approached a leadership decision like I do a new design project.  I jotted down the steps I take when starting a new design project and quickly adapted them into a strategy for making a leadership decision. I think it turned out pretty good and I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch.

1. Start With A Blank Slate.
   Every design strategy starts with a blank slate, even if I have ideas or looks in mind, I still begin with the blank page. Every leader should begin the process with a “blank slate.” Leave your ideas and assumptions at the door and lead from your values.
2. Listen, Listen, Listen.
   Great graphic designers listen to their clients first, then design second. To capture your client’s ideas and bring them to reality is the task at hand. Great leaders listen first and react later.
3. Get a Mental Picture of What You Want.
   Artists by nature “see” their design in their head, they use their imagination, if you will. Leaders “see” the result before it becomes reality. They use their “vision”, if you will.
4. Get Inspiration.
   All artists need creative inspiration. We look at magazines, web sites, other designers’ work to get our creative juices flowing. All leaders find inspiration from other leaders. Read magazines, books, web sites and talk with other leaders to help you with the decision or project in front of you.
5. Do a Rough Sketch (Don’t Be Afraid to Erase It and Start Over).
   Art is about color, placement, meaning, beauty and message. The end result is NEVER what we started with. We always use more erasers than we do ink! Leaders should always “rough draft” their ideas or decisions. Brainstorm, mindmap, use whatever, just be willing to use more erasers than you do ink.
6. The Beauty is in the Details.
   As an artist, I spend a lot of time on the details. Color, space, symmetry, etc. It’s never the main elements that make or break the piece, it’s the details. Many leaders don’t spend time working through the details of their decisions. Take time for the details, it could be the difference between paint by number and the Mona Lisa.
7. Add a Unique Touch.
   There’s a difference in design technique and design style. Everyone uses the same techniques, no one has the same style. There are times you can look at a piece of art and you instantly know who the artist is. Leaders are the same way. Too many times we, as leaders, lead too much from technique and not enough from the gut. Be sure to embrace your style and go with it. Sometime you look at an organization and you instantly know who the leader is!
8. The Result is Something You Would Proudly Put Your Name On.
   The last thing artists do is add their name to their work. It says, “This is something I created, a part of me for the world to enjoy.” Leaders should ask themselves, “Am I proud enough to put my name on this?” I think this would go a long way toward creating a better decision in the short and long run.

I would love your feedback on this or feel free to share it with your team.