Untitled: Thoughts on the Creative Process by Blaine Hogan (Book review)

If you are a creative person or work and lead creative people, especially in the context of church, this book is an absolute must read! It is an important book for the creatives because Blaine takes you through the process of creating and the price that needs to be paid for creating. It is also an important book for leaders who lead creatives because it helps them understand what the creatives go through in order to create on a continual basis. I have had the opportunity in the last few years to watch and experience Blaine's creative work on the internet and I have always been moved by his productions and art.

In his book UNTITLED, Blaine writes about the creative process, the work that goes inside the creative, the failures, fears and mistakes that will be made and the price that creatives need to pay to create art. It is a book that is short and to the point. If you have read and like books like Poke the box By Seth Godin or Do the Work by Steven Pressfield you will really enjoy this book.

I have attended thousands of church services in my life. Attended them in several countries and been to various denominational and non-denominational churches. I have seen both very good art and very bad art in them. From my perspective there is very little good art and a lot of bad art currently in the church. Since Blaine has a lot of experience leading and creating in the context of a local church (Willow Creek in Chicago), he is someone who knows what he is talking about. It is not just theory but him actually going through the process of creating over and over again. If you are involved in creating art in the local church, this is a short book that you and your team can read to gain some valuable insights into creativity.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is creating or wants to create meaning art.


Here is a video of Blaine talking about the book! 

Blaine Hogan on Untitled: Thoughts on the Creative Process from Clarkvideos on Vimeo.

You can buy the book here! 

An Interview with Jason Anderson

Pastor Jason Anderson of Living Word Bible Church in Mesa, AZ recently released his first book. He travels to many countries around the world preaching the Gospel and teaching believers.

I recently had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his book. Here is the interview. 

1. What is the journey? 

Simply put, many people address life and vision as though it were a sprint. Others have recognized that the complexity of growth and faith requires patience, and they will see life more as a marathon. Neither is true if you wish to grow perseverance into patience or self-control into godliness. Life is a journey. This statement compels us to understand patience.

2. When and how did this idea of ‘the journey’ become real to you?

The idea of the journey was a gift from God. He urged me to read and reread the story of the exodus as told throughout Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Joshua. Five books of the bible dedicated to leading people from slavery into the Promised Land.  If God dedicates that much space in the word to one seamless story, recanting many details in multiple places, well, that means something, doesn't it? As I studied deeper and deeper, created a timeline, studied feasts, it suddenly became clear of a pattern that goes from slavery to Rest.  For instance, there are many stories that we follow to the Promised Land, across the Jordan, having stopped off in Egypt, and spent time in the wilderness. It's Abrahams story, Christ's Story, the Israelites story, they all have these four elements in them.  Thinking in terms of being enslaved to the law, we can see Saul was under the law (wilderness living); David operated in grace, experienced some wealth and success but was constantly battling (Joshua's promised land experience), and then Solomon, a picture of rest, success, prosperity, forty years of peace (Gideon's Promised Land experience, one battle, forty years of rest).  So many pictures tying together found me digging in deeper to see how God has created a single plan, a simple path, where God's word is literally a lamp unto my feet.

3. In the book, you write about "The Rest". Give us an idea of what it is?

REST: It's Abraham sitting at the entrance of his tent, resting, having been blessed by God in EVERY way.  It took him a lifetime to get there, the only hero of faith in the book of Hebrews who "inherited what had been promised". It’s Jesus in the bow of the boat sleeping through the storm, and then calming the seas not because He had to, but because He could. Jesus knew the word would carry Him to the other side. Complete trust in God had Him sleeping knowing full well that He was going to die on the cross, not on a boat. REST.

4. What do you want the reader of the book to walk away with?

I hope mostly the reader will leave seeing that every day is an opportunity to grow. An opportunity to believe more, give hope, share love, stand in faith, move a mountain, heal the sick, give a gift, and serve another. GROW.

5. Other than The Bible, what books have impacted you the most and how?

All time favorite book has to be John Maxwell's Winning Attitude.

6. What is a big idea that you are thinking about a lot and gets you excited these days?

What gets me excited - big idea?  I'm excited every day that The Journey is gaining momentum, distributed in stores around the nation, it is positioned to impact people. This is getting me up in the morning and praying. Mostly, I just love teaching, and playing with my family.

You can pick up a copy of the book at Amazon. 

John Piper interviews Rick Warren

This video has been out on the web for a few days and thousands of people have already seen it. If you have not seen the video, I would really recommend that you watch it.

It can get a little complicated at times. It was for me. I actually had to listen to a few parts a few times before I got the point. It was slightly bothered at the number of people who had problems with Rick Warren's book 'The purpose driven life'. I know that there are a lot of people that have already changed their minds after watching this interview.

I really hope that there will be more interviews like this so that most of the controversies that are talked about on the internet would stop and pastors would get a chance to explain themselves. I really believe that most of the things that are fought over in the church are because of miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Anyway, those are few of my thoughts. Let me know what you think of the interview.

Student leaders are Church Leaders

In Student leaders are Church Leaders by Dough Franklin, the President of LeaderTreks does a great job of outlining why and how student leaders need to be developed to lead now. In the first part of the e-book he makes a case for student leadership and in the second part he writes about how student leaders need to be developed. He breaks down the development of student leaders into four steps or categories:

1. Leadership Learned
2. Leadership Experienced
3. Leadership Challenged
4. leadership Evaluated

It is a very quick but very helpful and insightful read. So go ahead and click here to get your own copy for FREE!

Read it! Digest it and develop student leaders around you!

Once you read it, let me know your thoughts!

Bill Hybels at THE FORUM 2010

1. I don't think just teaching well will get the full redemptive potential from a church.
2. Leading well also plays a very important role.
3. There is a 'mystical' side of leadership.
4. It requires tenacity and courage.
5. John 10:27
6. A dialogue between you and God.
7. The different paths of my life have been a result of listening to the whispers of God and obeying them.
8. When you hear a whisper of God and obeying does not mean that things will get easy for you.
9. The road can get very tough!
10. Even when whispers come at a high price, always obey!
11. It took 6-8 years before it looked like Willow Creek was really a whisper from God.
12. To be a high impact leader, you need to listen to the whispers.

Jim Blanchard at THE FORUM 2010

1. Perspective.
2. Philippians 2:5-8,
3. The definition of a leader Micah 6
4. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Replace your name with love and test yourself and see how you match up.
5. Colossians 3:12-15 Qualities of a leader.
6. Leaders are called to inspire and give hope.
7. Leaders need to set and establish priorities.
8. Leaders which will influence the most in the next 10 years are the leaders that offer the most hope.
9. Jesus inspires us to be obedient to His word and live a Godly life.
10. Learn to willingly offer yourself.
11. As a leader you have opportunities to impact peoples lives everyday!
12. Work as unto the Lord.
13. Leaders are made out of stuff that either stood the test of time or stuff that burns up.
14. Make sure you are built on the right stuff. The Word of God!

Mark Floyd at THE FORUM 2010

1. Leadership can sometimes be easy and sometimes very heard.
2. leadership is when you exercise judgement and it effects others.
3. You need to learn to serve before you can lead.
4. 2 important bases: employees and customers.
5. Leadership starts with integrity. No short cuts here.
6. Also over communicate.
7. People judge you based on how you act or react after you make a mistake.
8. Don't procrastinate. Have courage to make the decisions.
9. Innovation is a vital key to revive american business.
10. Always hire great people. People who are smarter than you.
11. Ask yourself if you would work for the person you are about to hire.
12. If the answer is no, why would you place him over other people in the company.
13. A double standard will not work. Deal with it now!
14. Deal with change. Don't keep resisting.
15. Don't manage numbers. Manage your business.
16. Are you passionate about your business?
17. Take on the most difficult job. Face reality head on. You cannot hide from it.
18. Leadership is a full time job. Not just in business but also in personal life.
19. Your not a leader until you turn around and see if someone is following you.
20. You don't need a title to lead.

Andy Stanley at THE FORUM 2010

1. Reading together as a leadership team will have a huge impact.
2. 2 best kept secrets in leadership:
3. The less you do the more you accomplish.
4. The less you do the more you enable others accomplish.
5. 2 common myths:
6. Good leaders are "good" at everything.
7. Good leaders focus on their weaknesses in order to make them strengths.
8. You are most valuable where you fully exploit your strengths.
9. Living in your sweet spot is the best thing to do.
10. It is natural and necessary for leaders to try to "prove themselves" by doing everything, but what may initially be natural and necessary will ultimately limit your effectiveness as a leader.
11. Play to your strengths and delegate your weaknesses.
12. THE TARGET: Only do what only you can do!
13. This is something that you need to work towards.
14. 3 things happen when leaders drift from their core competencies:
15. Their effectiveness diminishes.
16. The effectiveness of other leaders in the organization diminishes.
17. The ability of the organization to get and keep great leaders diminishes.
18. What are you willing to give up?
19. What do you want to quit doing?
20. 5 reasons why leaders miss this:
21. Some leaders buy into the myth of being "well rounded".
22. Leaders forget to distinguish between their authority and their core competencies.
23. Some leaders are not able to distinguish between their competencies and non-competencies.
24. Some leaders feel guilty about delegating their weaknesses.
25. Some leaders won't take the time to develop other leaders.
26. Dont confuse authority with competency.
27. Let others make decisions. Push the decision making down in the organization.
28. Exercise authority with caution.
29. "I am not the smartest person in the organization, i am just the leader!"
30. Dont think that you are the smartest just because you are the leader.
31. Sometimes to have real objectivity you will need to bring an outside person.
32. Great leadership is not about getting things done right, it is about getting things done right by other people.
33. Church leaders have done a terrible job at raising young leaders.
34. Acts 6:1-7
35. They did less. They did the things only they could do.
36. They stopped taking care of widows and orphans not because it was wrong to do but they had things that only they could do.
37. They did less but accomplished more!
38. It will be much easier to establish and maintain a healthy pace.
39. The stress you feel is mostly associated with what you are doing not how much you are doing.
40. "The best thing you can bring to your team is energy" - Bill Hybles
41. Corporatly you will end up with an organization that reflect your strengths and the strengths of others instead of weaknesses.
42. A weakness can get better but it will still be a weakness.
43. Give the freedom to others to play to their strengths.
44. You will not be a well rounded leader but you can have a well rounded organization.
45. This does not apply at home. You will have to be all things. You cant hire a dad or mom.
46. Discovery questions:
47. What do you do that is almost effortless from your perspective but seems like a daunting task to others?
48. In what arenas do people consider you the "go to" person?
49. What facets of your job energize you?
50. What do you wish you could stop doing?
51. What organizational environments are you drawn to?
52. What environments do you avoid?
53. Discovery project:
54. Whats the perfect job description for you?
55. What does a perfect day look like?
56. "If anything has kept me on track all these years, it's being skewered to this principle of central focus. There are many things I can do, but I have to narrow it down to the one thing I must do. The secret of concentration is elimination."- Howard Hendricks.

Craig Groeschel at The Forum 2010

1. Going to talk about the leaders constant companion.
2. A leaders constant companion is PAIN.
3. There is a difference between stupid pain and purposeful pain.
4. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
5. The difference between where you are where God wants you to be is the painful decision that you are unwilling to make.
6. Increase the threshold of pain in: 1. Unjustified criticism and rejection 2. Making the hard decisions and 3. To endure the pain of pruning.
7. It can be very easy to slip into a people pleasing mode.
8. The quickest way to forget what God thinks about us is to become obsessed about what people think about us.
9. Dont worry when people criticize you.
10. To reach no one is reaching you have to do things no one is doing.
11. You cannot please everyone but you can please God.
12. Leaders need to have the courage to make the hard decisions.
13. The short term pain will be worth the long term gain.
14. If you blame yourself for the decline you will take the credit for the increase.
15. You have to be willing to walk through the pain.
16. Your mind is often the greatest obstacle.
17. There is more in you! Push through the pain!!

Erwin McManus at THE FORUM 2010

1. We are all different but there are things that are common in all of us.
2. We are uniquely different.
3. Mega churches usually capture the sweet spot of culture and help a large group of people experience change.
4. The church still needs to reach the innovators and early adopters.
5. Even if you are part of the majority, culture is proving that the early adopters need to be reached because they shape the culture.
6. There are dreams inside of us that we sometimes tend to.
7. What is it that humans need from us in the experience called life?
8. You can be right in your beliefs and wrong in your execution.
9. 1 kings 3:4-28
10. Solomon shows us that wisdom is not enough to change our lives or lives of others.
11. Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
12. Four words that everyone needs to focus on: Meaning, story, beauty and community.
13. If you live your life that this world is all there is, everything will be meaningless.
14. Our purpose through work and play is to live meaningful lives and bring meaning to the world.
15. If you do anything better that anyone else in the world you will earn the right to be heard.
16. We have lost the conviction that beauty is actually important to carry the gospel around the world.
17. The world sees us as flamboyant rather than authentic.
18. In Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 solomon is describing a man who is disconnected to God and His story.
19. There is pain and discouragement but there is also love and hope!
20. Dont hide the truth.
21. We need to stop acting like we have the right to be heard.

Marcus Buckingham at THE FORUM 2010

1. Psalms 18:32
2. The difference between a good and bad marriage is not the number of fights, but what happens between the fights.
3. Excellence is not the opposite of failure.
4. Studying failure does not explain excellence.
5. Any great company will have significant range in performance in its teams.
6. Who sits on your personal board?
7. Would you be on the personal board of the people that you lead?
8. Think of the reason why you would have someone on your board.
9. Those are the same things that the people you lead are expecting from you.
10. You cannot be cowardly in leadership.
11. Leaders need to define what quality looks like.
12. Clarity is vital to leadership.
13. The three most important questions that great leaders ask are: 1. Are my coworkers committed to quality work? 2. Do I know what is expected of me at work? and 3. At work do I have the chance to do what I do best everyday?
14. The challenge of leadership is to multiply.
15. Everybody has areas that they can get better at but greatest areas to get better at are at your strengths.
16. Manage around your weaknesses. They are not areas of opportunity.
17. Strengths are not what you are good at and your weaknesses are not what you are bad at!
18. Strengths are activities that strengthens you and weaknesses are activities that weakens you.
19. S= Success (if you feel effective), I = Instinct (You look forward to it), G= Growth (you feel focused), N= Needs (you feel fulfilled.)
20. If you feel any of the above put them in the strengths category.

Brian Houston on servant leadership at THE FORUM 2010

1. Servant leaders think generationally.
2. Human nature tends to go back to the predictable.
3. The challenge of leadership is to move towards the unproven and unpredictable.
4. The challenge and risk of leadership is to empower the next generation to becomes princes in the land.
5. I want to pastor a church that sets up a generation to win.
6. We need to learn from the fathers but we need to move forward.
7. The unpredictable is not a negative thing.
8. So much of how Jesus lived was unpredictable.
9. Jesus was predictably unpredictable.
10. There are certain things you need to be predictable about.
11. Predictability is our friend in the areas of loyalty, reliability, beliefs, credibility, example and commitment.
12. Influence doesn't come from doing things the way they have always been done.
13. Innovation will never come from doing things the way they have always been done.
14. It is easier to point fingers than it is to actually take a risk and do something!
15. Honor the fathers but make sure that you are moving towards the sons!
16. Fresh life never comes from being predictable.
17. To be a learner is to inherit the future.
18. Make sure that you don't become a servant to books. Books need to be your servant.
19. Experience is not everything!
20. Experience doesn't build the house. Its wisdom that builds the house!
21. Experience is a great servant but terrible master.
22. Programing, culture and even heritage need to be servant and not the master.
23. You don't have to live your life serving history. You can live your life making history.

Conversation between Francis Chan, Mark Driscoll & Joshua Harris

What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.

Emotional stability & Patience

When we look at the life of Jesus and His ministry on the earth, there are many things we can learn from His life when it comes to leadership. Today I just want to focus on two areas that I have been studying and focusing on:

1. His emotional stability
2. His patience

Jesus had three years of active ministry on the earth and was on a mission to accomplish the greatest and most important thing in eternity. HIs job was to save the world and turn enough people into believers who were willing to lay down their lives even after He ascended into heaven.

The amazing thing is that Jesus accomplished all of this while remaining emotionally stable and patient with His disciples.

There were times when He did get frustrated with them regarding their lack of faith but he never blurted out things out of frustration. There was times when Jesus spoke sharply to both His disciples and the religious people of the day but there was never a time when Jesus had to regret what He said and never a time when He felt like He had to "take back" the words that He said or spoke to others (Mark 9:19).

We also see Him as a leader who was patient with His disciples. He continuously taught them, even when it seemed like they were not growing. When some of his disciples made emotional comments and commitments about never leaving HIm, He did not get carried away. When the same people who promised to never leave Him, said that they never knew Him, He did not give up on them. He was patient enough to meet with them after His resurrection.

As leaders we absolutely need to develop emotional stability in our lives. It is not just needed when we are in our office but in our houses as we lead our families. In the last few months I have seen leaders fail because they lacked emotional stability and have seen leaders succeed in difficult times and circumstances because of emotional stability.

Patience is another area that we need to develop in as leaders. As leaders, most of us like things to get done quickly and would like to see people around us move at a fast pace. This is of course needed in certain areas but when it comes to developing patience, it just doesnt work! As leaders we need to be more patient with the people that we are leading. We need to take the time to disciple them and coach them along the way.

What are your thoughts on these two areas? How have they affected or effected your life and leadership? Can you share any examples?

In the following posts I will talk about how we can develop emotional stability and patience.

Journey to Everest

Journey to Everest is a film directed by David Kiern. It follows the adventure of six people who trek to Everest base camp. During the trek the team get to visit some great places and interesting people.

The movie will be premiering in churches through out the country on July 11th. You can use this at your church for FREE.

Here is a short video of the director talking about how the movie can be used in various ways at your church. The video also has the trailer of the movie.

Journey to Everest Summer Release from Epiphany Productions on Vimeo.

You can click here for more information regarding the movie or to find out how your church can sign up and use this tool in various ways.

Whiteboard Sessions 2010 : Jonathan Falwell

Here are some of the things that I jotted down during Jonathan Falwell's session.

• When a man of God dies, the work of God continues.
• What you are doing as a leader should outlast your life.
• 1 Peter 5:5-6,10,12. Two ways of doing ministry and leadership:
• Pride - Its all about me.
• Grace - Free and unmerited favor of God.
• We are called to STAND - firmly planted.
• Distractions are present even in church and ministry.
• Be who you are. Don't wear someone else's armor. (Saul and David)
• "Know who you are, accept who you are and be who you are"- Chuck Swindoll.
• Many of us try to be on the lists of the greatest and end up on the list of the broken!
• Be what you are - A minister of the Grace of God.
• As a minister of Grace - you CANNOT fail!
• God always equips you to be successful with the things he has called you to.
• Pride and grace can never coexist.
• Pride and organizational leadership will stifle personal ministry.
• It is the grace of God in which we stand. Especially when things get tough.
• Strategies are good but they cannot replace who God has called you to be.
• It is about your motivation and focus.

Tony Morgan was next and you can get his notes here!

Whiteboard Sessions 2010 : james Macdonald

Notes from James MacDonald's session.

• Ministry is hard but it is worth it in the end.
• 2 Timothy 4:9-16
• There is loneliness in ministry.
• There is discomfort in ministry.
• There is a lot of conflict in ministry.
• There is rejection in ministry.
• Through it all God is always there.
• There are no enduring relationships without forgiveness.

Whiteboard Sessions 2010 : Perry Noble

Notes from Perry Noble's session.

• Learn to embrace seasons of pain.
• Criticism is always going to be a part of ministry and leadership.
• Surround yourself with people who love Jesus and you, but love Jesus more than they love you.
• Depression is part of the many leaders lives.
• Those who deify will/can also crucify.
• Fun, family and focus are three things that help deal with depression.
• Be still and know that He is God!
• Sometimes being still is that hardest thing to do but it is a must!
• If you as the leader don't get healthy, your church will never be.

Whiteboard Sessions 2010 : Jon Tyson

Here are the notes from Jon Tyson's session.

• Jesus - "apart from me you can do nothing!"
• Church of Ephesus in the book of Revelation.
• They did a lot of things well but had forsaken their first love.
• As a leader, how do you cause people to love God more?
• A few myths about how to do it:
• Have a "super pastor" and people will love God.
• The miraculous will cause people to love God.
• If we get more missional people will love God.
• If cultural impact takes place people will love God.
• If we have a better discipleship strategy, people will love God.
• If we have the right doctrine people will love God.
• What/Where did the Church of Ephesus fall from?
• A lukewarm church does not declare the glory of God.
• The Church of Ephesus did all the "myths" yet forsake their first love.
• As leaders our responsibility is to tell and show people to Remember, Repent and Return.
• It is about the way God sees us not how we see Him!
• Our responsibility is Ephesians 3:14-19
• To make sure that they are rooted and grounded in Love.
• When that is not primary, you create a culture of work and failure.
• Leaders need to receive love and receive from God.
• When the Father blessed Jesus, He did it before Jesus started His earthly ministry.
• We are so dependent on strategies because we are bankrupt of the power of God.

Practical ministry advice

Here is a conversation between Ed young Jr and his dad Ed Young Sr about some practical things on leadership and ministry.