Tag: open question

  • Inside out youth ministry

    A couple Sunday’s ago our senior pastor, Ed Noble, was talking about the inside out revolution underway at Journey. He gave an example about an area of the property where the church used to meet weekly for a big, family dinner. Now that space is used to run a food pantry for families in our…

  • Three types of busyness

    The other day Doug Fields wrote about battling busyness in ministry and offered these 6 action steps. Declare war on busyness Go public Clean the piles Go to bed earlier Journal to find the “yes” Quit lying to yourself [Check out his descriptions here] This is such a crucial topic. As I unpacked these action…

  • I need your camping advice!

    Next weekend the McLane family is going camping. (A non-digital adventure!) Specifically, we’re going to Idyllwild, CA for 3 days and 2 nights. We need this Summer 2011 has been the lost summer. Especially for me. Leaving YS and starting up 2 businesses meant that we didn’t take a vacation over the summer and I’m…

  • Why aren’t more people good?

    Maybe people don’t like to do good because they haven’t gotten bored with being bad? I had this thought while listening to an episode of This American Life called, Superpowers. In one of the stories a researcher spent months going to bars and asking patrons which superpower they would like to have and why. Most…

  • 5 Things Leaders Do

    Drive people around them nuts Piss off critics Take you places you would/could never go on your own Care deeply about the goal, but even more about the people under care Celebrate victories I think the opposite it true, as well. I know someone isn’t really a leader if they… Are laid back about their…

  • Church of the world and not of the church

    I’ve begun to wonder what church would look like if Sunday morning worship stopped being the central focus of the church’s ministry. – What if Sunday morning were a celebration of community and a rallying together of community groups? – What if we came together purely for communion, prayers, and a simple message pushing us…

  • Dropping out of big church?

    This morning on the YS blog I wrote about an impending crisis in rural churches in the United States. It was based on an excellent story in last week’s Time Magazine. Here’s the link. So here’s what I see, call me crazy. I am curious if anyone else thinks the same thing. 1. Big churches…

  • Grace vs. Karma

    Yesterday’s message got me thinking about the mistake many people, even church people, make in regards to grace. Here’s what those two terms mean and why they are opposites. Grace is receiving unmerited favor. In other words, you get what you don’t deserve. Karma is the effects of your past deeds is your future experience.…