by Chase | Kid Min, Leadership, Student Min
Staying connected to great thinkers is essential for church leaders. Church and ministry hashtags allow you to build a tribe of thinkers.
In the olden days, the only opportunities you had to glean from respected leaders was to read books, have meetings, or enroll in classes. Conferences were few. Communication was expensive. Opportunities were limited.
For today’s church leaders, social media has opened opportunities that were never possible before the internet. Now church leaders can stay connect with their tribe for encouragement, ideas, and development. While sitting down at a coffee shop with leaders is necessary, utilizing twitter list, Pinterest boards, and connecting with leaders on Facebook bring relevant conversations straight to your phone with little effort or energy.
To aide in your search for a tribe, here are the top ministry hashtags.
Top Ministry Hashtags:
Ministry
Children’s Ministry
#ThinkOrange (The Orange group is awesome! This is a great hashtag for all family ministries.)
Student Ministry
Pastors
Church Technology/Media
Discipleship
Missions
Trying to search for each of these hashtags would be a major undertaking. My suggestion would be to follow some key leaders in each of these areas and add them to a custom made twitter list. That way, you will see the activity on your timeline without having so search through hundreds of tweets.
What other hashtags would you add to this list?
by Chase | Kid Min, Leadership, Student Min
In the hustle of getting things done in ministry, it’s easy to overlook one of the most important tasks: encouraging volunteers.
As a leader, the tasks at hand will want to consume every second of your attention. There are always more customers to please, more products to sell, more deals to close, and more people to reach. Being successful directly depends on how effectively you lead.
Without encouragement you will not develop your team.
Without a robust team, you will not succeed.
Everyone needs vision, hope, and empowerment. Taking time to encourage your team, volunteers, co-workers or employees develops confidence and energy.
I have found that the best encouragement is three-dimensional.
- Individual – Encouragement is gentle and up-lifting. Make sure that you are praising individuals in unique ways. An all-call “Thank-You” after an event is ok, but make sure your leaders are getting personal encouragements.
- Public – Praising someone in front of others has a lasting impact. When you see quality work, creative ideas, or longevity of service, publicly praise those people. It will encourage them to continue in the ministry and also provide an example that others can follow.
- Habitual – Once a year or once a quarter when crunch time hits isn’t enough. You have to create a habit of regularly sending cards, posts, and recognizing great workers. While some encouragements can creative, it is hard to beat a phone call and handwritten card.
So take some time to encourage those around you who are laboring with you or for you.
How you encourage is up to you, but make sure everyone feels appreciated for the energy and effort that they have given to help you out.
What are some ways you encourage your leaders and volunteers?
by Chase | Leadership
The hardest part of starting a good coffee shop (and also a good band) is thinking of a great name.
As a self-proclaimed coffee critic, I have visited some of the best and worst named coffee houses you can imagine. Everything from “Deja-Brew” to “Brewed Awakenings.”
For the better part of a decade I have been brainstorming some creative names for Christian coffee houses, because nothing says, “We love Jesus” more than naming your coffee house “Bean Redeemed.”
If your church or college is adding a coffee shop on campus, here is the perfect list of Christian coffee house names!
14 Creative Christian Coffee House Names
- Jehovah Java
- The Cup that Overfloweth
- Hebrews
- Holy Grounds
- Bean Redeemed
- Pressed but not Crushed
- Coffee of Coffees
- The Promised Coffee “Flowing with Soy Milk and Local Honey”
- Eternal Brew
- OmniBrew
- Brewed by Immersion
- The Reformed Barista
- The Everlasting Coffee Pot
- Bean of Life
You have been equipped with the most biblical list of coffee house names. Now is the time to call a special leadership team meeting to see if you can rally people around a fresh name change!
Do you have any other names you would add to this list?
By the way, this is complete satire. I hope Christians coffee shops consider better names than the ones above.
by Chase | How To, Leadership
Are you experiencing resistance as you implement new lighting effects, instruments, and smoke machines?
Here is a list of bible verses to will equip you for make a biblical argument for contemporary worship styles!
If your congregation and senior pastor can overlook your lack of biblical hermeneutics and the simple fact that each of these verses have been taken completely out of their intended context, you may be able to bring your worship service into the 2010s!
Smoke Machines and Loud Singing
Isaiah 6:4
At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
Preaching From Tablets
Habakkuk 2:2
Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.”
Exciting Music
Psalm 98:4
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
Lighting Effects
Ezekiel 1:4
As I looked, behold, a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire.
Using Bass, Electric and Acoustic Guitars
Isaiah 38:20
The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the Lord.
Untrimmed Beards
Leviticus 19:27
Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
Wearing Sandals and a T-shirt
Mark 6:9
Wear sandals but not an extra shirt.
As long as your congregation can overlook your lack of biblical knowledge, you should be set!
If not, either you will soon be enrolling in seminary courses or looking for another ministry. Either way, have your resume ready!
Do you have any other passages you would add to the list?
by Chase | Leadership
This week I have resolved to get back into my running and weight lifting habits. You all know how it is; life gets busy and three weeks pass by without taking a run.
I follow a weight lifting video program each morning. Having a structure already laid out helps me focus in on my goals and get back into the routine.
One thing that always frustrates me is when I am watching these videos being led by men who look like Greek gladiators start communicating that I can receive their results by following this 45 minute a day workout program.
Seriously bro?
I can become a 2 time Mr. Universe by exercising 45 minutes a day?
Get real!
I wish they would stop portraying that the life of a fitness guru is easy.
Stop minimizing the struggle!
The truth is that these men and women who create these programs have dedicated their lives to fitness.
Day in and day out they are counting calories, spending loads of time doing cardio, eating a restricted diet, prioritizing their exercise in the midst of work and family schedules, and focusing on proper rest.
There is nothing more frustrating to someone just starting to workout then when a seasoned athlete shares that they only work out for 45 minutes and still eat 4,000 calories and are in peak physical condition.
Once people realize that exercise takes work, they can feel isolated because for some reason they are the only one this is difficult for.
This got me thinking about how frustrating some Christians can be when they talk about the ease of their Christian walk.
It seems as if they never have doubts, never experience trails, and never run out of faith.
Other people will look at these saints and become discouraged because their lives are anything but easy and faith is hardly ever easy.
So they give up.
There are no quick tricks for sanctification. Following Jesus is difficult for everyone, because it is against out heart’s desires.
Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”
Lets be careful of what we are communicating. Lets be real with our struggles.
No one is perfect. That is why we need Jesus.
The Christian life is far from easy. God is continually working on our pride, selfishness, and self-centeredness.
Living in authentic community will allow us opportunities to see how we are all far from perfect and how Jesus is sustaining all of us along the way.
Stop pretending following Jesus is easy. Our nature desires what is contrary to God’s Spirit. When we promote an ease of following Jesus, we discourage those who are struggling with spiritual disciplines. God gives us the ability to follow, but that doesn’t mean each step is an easy one.
Lets not minimize the faith and discipline required to follow Jesus.
by Chase | Leadership
The life of a Volunteer fan is not for the faint of heart! In the past decade the University of Tennessee’s athletic department has had it’s share of coaching changes, national championships, and scandals.
As a life-long UT fan, I have read every headline about our ups and downs.
And so far we have seen our share of second half lows.
A couple of weeks ago, our newly hyped up football team hosted the University of Oklahoma for a top 25 showdown here in Knoxville.
After an impressive start, the Vols were up 17-3 against the 17th ranked Sooners. Not a bad way to start the game! Tennessee made some important stops and played aggressively on offense.
Then the second half happened… If you are a UT your know the stress that hits you as they take the field during the second half!
As I tweeted after the game, Tennessee ended the game how Tennessee normally ends a game. (With a loss is the implied meaning.)
UT lost their lead, the Sooners forced overtime, then beat my beloved Volunteers in the 2OT.
Unfortunately, the same thing happened this weekend against the Florida Gators. Up 17-7 at halftime, UT ended up losing 28-27 on the road.
As upsetting as the losses are, there were a few turning points that dictated the outcome of the game.
Thinking about this game has made me realize that many churches and ministries have ministered the way Tennessee seemed to play in the second half – they were trying not to lose.
When churches minister with a “this has always worked” mentality, they end up missing out on opportunities to make an impact in their community.
This isn’t pitfall is not limited to established churches. Once you have a couple schedules under your belt, the temptation is to continue on with the way you have always done it — regardless if the community has shifted.
Churches must be willing to make sacrifices and take risks every now and again. Many churches encourage their members to faithfully follow God yet the church its self is unwilling to take a step of faith to reach their community.
So before your church or ministry ends up with disappointment and heartbreak, remember that the church was created for mission, not to maintain the status quo.
