• Stop reading books!

    No seriously.

    Books are great. Reading is fundamental. I’m all about practical resources and history and stories that carry you away to far away lands.

    But lets not get to the point where we stop thinking creatively about resourcing ourselves. Or acting in a way worthy of a historian writing about us. Or living a life that is a fantastic story which carries us to far away lands.

    You don’t change the world by sitting on a couch and reading a book. Change is an action.

    Don’t use books as a way to wuss out.

    Think for yourself.

    Act for yourself.

    You can create.

    Put the books down and get outside– live a story-worthy life.

    Inspiration is one thing. Inaction is unforgiveable.

  • Curious Case of Bimbo vs. Ho Hos

    Sometimes a court case becomes a news item simply because of the parties involved. Such is the case of Bimbo USA filing an injunction against its own employee who wanted to leave his job as head muffin man to go work for rival Hostess. (Makers of Twinkees and Ho Hos)

    A news item involving Bimbo and Ho Hos wouldn’t be complete if they weren’t really fighting over muffins, would it? It’s a innuendo parade! Getting past the plastic wrapper, we’re all a little disappointed when we discover the plantiffs name is Chris Botticella and not something more snickerworthy.

    The heart of the case is a real Twinkie. It turns out Botticella is one of only seven Bimbo employees who knows the secret recipe to making Thomas English Muffins. And those delicious morsels are a $500 million per year business which would be a cream filling to Hostess’ already lucrative business.

    Yes, Mr. Botticella is the $500 million muffin man and Bimbo is afraid that he was buttered up to move Drury Lane from Southern California to Pennslyvania.

    The New York Times article documents the fruit pie filling of the case:

    After Bimbo bought Thomas’ in January 2009, Mr. Botticella became responsible for an English muffin factory in Placentia, Calif. That March, apparently as a condition for entering the ranks of the nook and cranny cognoscenti, the company had him sign a confidentiality agreement. It barred him from revealing company secrets, but did not prohibit him from going to work for a competitor.

    At about the same time, according to papers filed by Mr. Botticella’s lawyers, the company embarked on a broad cost-cutting drive. It involved plant closings and layoffs, and the papers say he found the process painful and became unhappy in his job.

    Last October, he accepted a job offer from Hostess to run its Eastern operations. The salary was $200,000 a year, $50,000 less than he was paid at Bimbo.

    Some serious questions this case brings up

    All jokes and Ding Dongs aside, and you are encouraged to add your own Sno Balls in the comments, this particular case of an employer suing an employee who wants to quit to work for a rival brings up some interesting questions.

    1. If an employee under an NDA leaves a job to work for a rival, how do you know you can trust the employee under the NDA?
    2. If an employee leaves to work for a competitor, do the employees at the old company automatically assume that the old employee will share everything?
    3. Have we past the point where a publicly traded company can keep trade secrets? Certainly, if Hostess really wanted a recipe for English Muffins they have the resources to find out what is in it. Of course, it seems like if they copied the recipe they’d be breaking patent laws which makes this whole thing complete nonsense.
    4. If they wanted to know how to make English muffins, couldn’t they just ask a baker from England?
    5. Would it seem reasonable to assume that Mr. Botticella could demand Bimbo’s $250,000 annual salary for life since his employer won’t allow him to work for another baker? (40 years in the industry, no one could expect him to go elsewhere)
    6. Am I the only one disturbed that an employer could file an injunction (and win in two states!) preventing an employee for quitting?

  • 4 Prayers for Walt Mueller

    Walt Mueller

    I’ve got great respect for Walt Mueller. If you are in youth ministry, there is a good chance that you’ve bumped into Walt and his ministry, The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, many times.

    Last fall, Walt and his wife Lisa, were great friends to the YS staff as we went through a rough period. Going through a convention season without Tic, the sudden dismissal of Marko, and the unknown of the companies [and our jobs] future… Walt and Lisa’s presence in the quiet areas of the convention meant a ton.

    Their comforting words of encouragement spoke volumes of care and cut through the awkwardness I was feeling.

    Last week, Walt was in a nasty bike accident. Here’s the story from the CPYU website:

    CPYU’s founder and President, Walt Mueller was in a serious bike accident on Friday, July 30th. Please pray for him and his family. He suffered 8 broken ribs, a punctured lung, as well as a fractured collarbone and many bumps, bruises and abrasions. His injuries are not considered life-threatening, but he remains in the hospital and he is experiencing substantial pain. Walt and his family would really appreciate all of your prayers.

    I’d like to offer 4 prayers for Walt to our Heavenly Father. Perhaps you would join me in these prayers?

    1. Healing of his body. Walt spent nearly a week in the hospital in considerable pain. Pray for his body to be completely healed of all the broken bones, tissue damage, as well as all the other injuries. Pray that his pain quickly becomes manageable and that he can physically get back to the things he loves soon.
    2. Healing of his mind. No doubt a trauma like this comes with many emotions to work through. During this time of recovery please pray that he’s able to process this experience, seeking Christ through it. (1 Corinthian 8:6 seems to capture this well)
    3. Pray for his family. No doubt, an accident like this causes stress on Lisa and the rest of the family. Please pray for them as they rearrange their lives to help Walt.
    4. Pray for CPYU. Having the boss away for a couple months is a big deal. Pray that the team would be able to continue strongly through this period. May this be a time when emerging leaders flourish.

  • Garden Awesomeness

    Adolescent watermelon, originally uploaded by mclanea.

    There’s lots of fun stuff happening in our garden. Watermelon are coming in strong. And we’re hoping to pick a big batch of jalapeño this weekend. Right behind that are a whole heap of eggplant.

    Our little garden experiment is going quite well. Thanks to all who encourage us.

  • Providing Practical Help in Haiti

    The hope for Haiti’s future lies in the churches ability to recognize and empower leaders as they emerge.

    On my first trip to Haiti I got to see this first hand. As we built relationships with key church leaders we began to gain access to some of their best and brightest leaders.

    I met John on my first day in Port-au-Prince. When we divided into teams to go to a massive public worship service, Lars and I were assigned to John. [Pictured right]

    John was working as a translator since the earthquake destroyed and indefinitely closed his seminary. He had translated for another ministry in his early 20s, but since there weren’t many other options for him to work– it was logical to go back to it for him until his seminary opened.

    For the next 3 days John and I were constant companions. Each time we went out to do ministry it just became a given that he and I would work together. What I like about him is his easy-going attitude and heart for ministry. He took his job very seriously. It wasn’t just work, it was ministry for him.

    One day, as we were walking from one tent city to another, I asked John about his life as a seminar student. “What is your greatest difficulty?” He kind of looked at me and thought about it. Finally he said, “Doing my homework in an internet cafe is very hard. I find it hard to concentrate on my Greek or a passage with so much else going on.” He wasn’t asking for me to help him buy a computer, but it was clear that a computer would make all the difference in his studies.

    I left Haiti and committed to praying for John’s ministry. And in the months to come John emerged as one of the key translators and connecting points for AIM.

    Flash forward to May. Mark Oestreicher and some other church leaders headed back to Haiti to launch the Church to Church program. During the trip, Marko had the opportunity to get to know John as well. And as we exchanged texts one morning I asked Marko if John had anything I could bring him when I came in July. His request? A laptop.

    Good. Because that is what I had in mind as well.

    But the truth was… I didn’t really have an extra $400 I could spend to buy it. Kristen and I put out so much cash for our trip already, it just wasn’t responsible.

    So I put out this Twitter request:

    To my surprise and astonishment… yes, people did want to help! Within a few days I had raised the $400 needed to buy a very nice netbook for John. On top of that coolness, when I went to Best Buy to pick it up, I explained what I was doing to the associate who helped me… and he kicked in a protective sleeve as his contribution.

    In the grand scheme of our trip to Haiti I had hoped to see John again and give him this gift. It wasn’t to be. The ministry site I was at was nearly 40 minutes from the place he was at. And without a car it just wasn’t possible to make that moment happen. I was, however, able to give it to his boss who could give it to him. Not quite as “fun” for me… but the gift will have the same effect anyway.

    It might not seem like a big deal. One computer for one leader. But, to me, it is a big deal. An emerging church leader should have the equipment he needs. And the thought of studying for a Greek exam in a crowded and hot internet cafe, or writing a message, or just trying to do some research… it was an inequity I wanted to do something about!

    Some big thanks! Several people donated money to help equip John’s ministry. In fact, donations covered this 100%! I owe a massive thanks to Todd Tolson, who rallied his friends from Journey church and his business, Wired Community. I put out the call and within hours they had met 75% of what I needed to raise. I was shocked!

  • Lunch at Rodeo’s Meat Market

    If you are ever near the YS offices in El Cajon. Drop by and we’ll grab a street taco at Rodeos.

  • 5 Types of Engagement With Each Blog Post

    I’m an engagement preacher. No other stat matters in social media quite as much as engagement. Likes, Retweets, Trackbacks, Comments. These are the things that show that your content isn’t just getting read– it’s getting shared.

    Here are five ways each of my blog posts is engaged with.

    1. Comments (On the blog itself, on Facebook, and on Twitter)
    2. Facebook like and shares (I have a limited reach. But through my reach I have unlimited viral capabilities.)
    3. Twitter links and retweets (Did someone like you post enough to post on their Twitter account? Did anyone retweet the link?)
    4. Private discussion (I get a lot of e-mails, Twitter direct messages, and Facebook messages with each blog post. I even tally the number of times people see me in person and mention something I’ve written. That’s all engagement.)
    5. Blog excerpts (Getting a paragraph pulled from a post and having it create content for another blogger/online magazine is awesome engagement. It’s like an annotated recommendation.)

    What are ways you engage with your audience?

  • Big Surprise Headed Our Way!

    We are both surprised and stoked to be expecting our third child this February.

    No ideas on a name yet. But rest assured that we will buy the URL.

    Pray for us. Especially, Megan and Paul.

  • Seeking Euphoria

    Have you ever wondered what people are looking for?

    Every day I read about my friends who are:

    • Climbing mountains
    • Taking kids to camp/retreats
    • Going on mission trips (guilty, as charged)
    • Going to the desert to be alone
    • Moving from one church to another
    • Changing careers
    • Reading books or writing books
    • Going to concerts
    • On and on…

    And I wonder what it is that they are looking for? I look at their stories and think about Pilgrims Progress. “Where are you headed, Christian?” They are going on these trips, seeking something, some find it while others don’t. It’s a mysterious phenomenon that has been going on forever, I suppose. But this spiritual seeking is now on full display thanks to Facebook status updates and Twitter posts.

    We are all seekers of something. But why?

    I often wonder what I’m looking for. Right in the middle of one of these experiences I’ll have an annoying moment of clarity when I ask myself, “Adam, what the heck are you doing this for?”

    Humans are hard-wired to seek religious euphoria

    We aren’t usually able to articulate it. But we spend countless energy trying to find it or repeat it.

    The first time is mystical… almost magical. For many people, we were going about our daily life and one day an experience got us. (See the list above) Maybe we were sitting around a campfire at a retreat when it happened. Or maybe we were at a Christian concert? Or maybe we were at home, sitting in front of our laptop, writing a blog post, when it happened?

    We have a euphoric experience. Something so powerful that we almost can’t explain what it was or what happened that made it so amazing.

    It just was.

    Some people remember just weeping and they don’t know why. Others remember a tremendous warm feeling overcoming them. Still others talk about an intense peace that washes over them.

    The intensity of these experiences defies description. It may have only lasted 5 minutes but those five minutes felt like hours. And we spend weeks on a slow decent back to normal life.

    Then, when we come down off of that high moment– we spend the rest of our lives sub-consciously seeking it again.

    So we try to go back to the place it happened before.

    And we’re a little disappointed when we can’t replicate it. So we try again. And again.

    And again. Some find it again while others don’t.

    And, in moments of clarity, we are left to wonder: What is it that I’m truly looking for?

    Two articles on this experience that speak to the science of it, it literally is a high:

  • Go and Do Discipleship Model


    [video link]

    My view of discipleship has radically changed in the last two years. I’m increasingly convinced that my role as a shepherd to high schoolers is about putting them in moments of spiritual crisis so that they recognize that they need to learn more from God’s Word.

    This is in stark contrast to my previous model. Before I spent way too much time preparing them to do ministry and giving them information that just didn’t seem relevant to their walk with Jesus yet. The more I turn that upside down, putting them in situations where they know they need to learn more, the faster they grow up. When you couple that with my desire to see students take greater responsibility for themselves earlier in life… you start to see a new view of what we used to call a “description of a discipled person.”

    As more time goes on I see my role in disciple-making less as a manager of a program and more as a curator of the spiritual life. (see Richard Dunn’s pacing concept in Shaping the Spiritual Life of Students for that concept.)

    Here are the three links mentioned in the video:

  • Dedication and Leadership by Douglas Hyde
  • Teens 2.0 by Dr. Robert Epstein
  • Inward, Outward, and Beyond’s “New Heights Project“

    • I’d love your feedback and thoughts as I work this out in my life and ministry.