February 4, 2009

Risk-worthy Vision

I spoke last week at Leadership Network's, Innovation3 Conference. In the process of thinking more about the concept of risk, I enjoyed these quotes:

  • "If things seem under control, you are just not going fast enough."  – Mario Andretti
  • "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   – Helen Keller
  • "The dangers of life are infinite, and among them is safety."  – Goethe 
  • "It is not because things are difficult that we dare not venture, its because we dare not venture that things are difficult."  – Seneca
  • "He who risks and fails can be forgiven. He who never risks and never fails is a failure in his whole being." – Paul Tillich
  • "People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year."  – Peter Drucker
  • “Risk taking is the process by which you decide whether you take the chance of losing something you value to gain something that you desire.”  – Herbert Kindler

January 30, 2009

Leadership Network’s 25th Anniversary

On Wednesday night this week, Bob Buford’s legacy was celebrated as LN crossed the 25 year mark. Robert Lewis, shared that Bob has influenced the church in North America more in the last 25 years than anyone else. Here were a few of his bullets points.  Leadership Network has…

  • Legitimized the identity of the mega-church as it emerged
  • Birthed an incredible number of relationships in a time of increased isolation
  • Cross-pollinated ideas like no one else
  • Provided opportunities for pastors to sit under the best leaders
  • Made the national church smaller while making the local church more relevant and more missional

He included an eloquent and sincere reflection that “The bride of Christ is more beautiful because of Bob’s life.”

The night was to was particularly meaningful as Auxano prepares to work with LN in a new season of vision articulation and branding as the next chapter is written.  LN’s mission is to identify, connect and help high-capacity Christian leaders multiply their impact.
January 27, 2009

Get on Your Zag

I am spending two days at the Innovation3 Conference hosted by Leadership Network today and tomorrow. RIght now, Stacy Spencer from New Directions Church is preaching the good news clarity and the message of Church Unique. ”Get on your Zag” is the exhortation coined from a great little branding read by Marty Neumeier entitled, Zag. The opening of Marty’s introduction to the title:

As the pace of business quickens and the number of brands multiplies, it’s customers, not companies, who decide which brands live and which ones die. An over-abundance of look-alike products and me-too services is forcing customers to search for something, anything to help them separate the winners from the clutter.

The solution.  When everybody zigs, zag.
Spencer has done a great job of both confessing personally and demonstrating the problem of photocopied vision in the church world today. Everyone zigs and we try zigging better, faster, etc.  In his own effort to reach people that the church typically disregards, he likewise challenges church leaders to “Get on your Zag,” by finding your unique vision.  He urges leaders to fill in the blank: My church is the only church that _________________. What words would you put in the blank?  What is your Kingdom Concept?

Spencer leads New Directions with the clear mission to Empower all people to know God through life changing experiences from the inside out.

January 26, 2009

Questions for our Existence

This weekend I spoke to 60 large church pastors who are a part of the the Lutheran Church (LCMS).  Billy Graham called the denomination a “sleeping giant.”  The denomination as some unique strengths but is experiencing a long term decline as with many other denominations. As I prepared my time, I sensed the Spirit’s leading to begin to write down a few questions. So at the top of the pad I wrote down, “Questions for our existence” and this is what spilled out. I decided to end my talk with these questions:

  • Are the Lutherans the only group that has the privilege to proclaim the Law and Gospel? If not, then why should Lutherans exist?
  • Why would an active Christ follower in 2009 want to be Lutheran if they weren’t born into it?
  • What is the single greatest reason to be a Lutheran in 2009? Why would a lost world care about that reason?
  • If we are stronger at educating children than other denominations why aren’t we a growing denomination?
  • Do we want to exercise the privilege of preaching without the responsibility being sent? (Romans 10)
  • Who are Lutherans sent to today? Who is your church sent to reach?
  • Does practicing the sacraments make you a church if you have jettisoned the mission of Jesus?
  • What is keeping the strongest churches in our pack from taking more risks?
  • If our strongest churches of the LCMS don’t take the risks then who will?
  • What’s keeping the denomination from dramatically celebrating the small pockets of true innovation?
  • Why aren’t the larger churches and the denominational leaders working better together for the future of the denomination?
  • What will the state of the denomination be in 2080?
  • Why do we elevate academia over action when our founder modeled both?
  • How come Lutherans have fewer large churches than many other protestant groups?
  • Who is solving our ineffective decision-making structures and policies and why aren’t large churches banding together to show the way?
  • What would you be willing to give up today in your church (speaking to the large church pastor) if it meant the denomination would be stronger in 2080?

January 21, 2009

Most Requested Vision Tool

My 15 year old son twittered the MLK quote yesterday: “Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.” The quote struck him from his 9th grade studies yesterday.

In my vision work I am indebted to MLK’s mastery of vision casting. His 16 minute watershed “I Have a Dream” speech is one the best teaching tools I have used on the elements of vision. In fact we have a cool listening exercise with churches, where we play the speech with a spider diagram in front of them to see how MLK weaves various elements of vision throughout the address. Recently Auxano started developing new resources for Church Unique readers (yet to be released on churchunique.com). The most requested tool is the vision casting “spider diagram.”

Download Vision Proper_Spider Also, if you want to see the video, one of Auxano navigators, Steve Bradley has it posted here.