Movie Phrases to Use While Changing a Diaper
I can’t say for certain, but I think dads tend to approach diaper changing a little different than moms do. When it smells like there’s something “going on” down below, I’ll typically take the baby and try to “peak” for an initial assessment of the damage. Sometimes it’s minor and might only require 1 baby wipe. But, there are other times where the damage could only be described as “catastrophic”. These require 3-4 wipes and a possible clothing change. That’s the category I was dealing with this morning. As I prepared for action I found myself counting to 3 and ...
Beware Chocolate Bunny Syndrome
It’s always great around Easter to get a chocolate bunny. But, over the years, I’ve learned to temper my excitement until I better examine the bunny. Some are made of pure chocolate and I’m joyfully forced to figure out how to consume so much chocolate. But, other chocolate bunnies hold a dark secret. They may look as amazing as other bunnies, but inside- they’re hollow! Picking up these bunnies I feel like I’ve been tricked or hoodwinked into hoping for a high quality chocolate bunny. Instead, I’m holding a hollow Easter imposter. As a leader, I think there’s a lot ...
How the Grinch Stole Small Group
In the story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch believes the true meaning of Christmas is presents. Believing this, he steals all the Christmas presents from the unsuspecting Whos in Whoville to stop Christmas from coming. But, Christmas morning he finds all the whos singining their hearts out and realizes that Christmas had nothing to do with presents- it meant so much more. Like the Grinch, I’m coming to realize that small groups mean so much more than what I thought they meant. You see, this spring semester we’ve had a few groups who haven’t had as many people ...
Is Your Church Better Than Starbucks?
I worked at Starbucks for almost 3 years and absolutely loved it. I worked in the drive thru and opened most mornings. I would get to the store at 4:15 in the morning and we would open at 5. Our goal at Starbucks was to give each customer a “Legendary” experience. We didn’t want to just be nice or kind to customers, we wanted to connect with each one in a legendary way. This idea meant a lot to me. It’s why I had too much energy every morning at 5:00am when I would greet the customers. It’s why I ...
Train Your Replacement
There’s this great scene in the movie, “We Were Soldiers” when a group was training to land and jump out of a helicopter. As the officer is about to hop out first and lead the way, Mel Gibson’s character points to him and says, “He’s dead, what do you do?” After a few seconds of hesitation someone guesses, “Get out of the chopper,” and they all awkwardly fall out in confusion. Mel’s character uses this moment to teach that everyone has to learn the job of the man ahead of them and teach their job to the man behind them. ...
4 Secrets of a Legendary Host Home
I’ve been thinking through all the homes I’ve led a group in over the years and how thankful I am for each one. Without a good host home, a small group will never develop into a growing and loving group. Bottom line- host homes matter. In thinking about this, I began to wonder what are the common characteristics that make the best host homes. If you host a group, consider how you can develop these traits even further. If you’ve never hosted a group before but are thinking about it- this short list can help you decide if hosting is ...
Going Places
I’m sitting in the Cleveland Airport and everywhere around me are signs that say, “Going Places,” and “We’re Going Places.” There’s sign of improvement everywhere and I have to admit, it feels like they’re ‘going places.’ When it comes to leading groups, I wonder how many of us could say the same thing? Do we have a clear idea of why our group exists and what it’s trying to accomplish? The plane I’m about to board is also going places- Virginia to be exact. It’ll be successful if it makes it to Virginia on time and I make it in ...
3 “Ups” to Pastoring Your People
The larger a church grows, the easier it is for people to “fall through the cracks.” If only the church staff cares for people, they'll eventually burn out or at least never be able to meet the needs/expectations of everyone in the congregation. That’s why the role of “Fuel Group Coach” is so important. As for the role a Fuel Group Coach plays, I like to say, “You’re not a discussion leader, you’re a pastor.” And you might end up being the only connection to a pastor at Velocity a person might know- especially as we grow larger. With that ...
Things I Learned from Group Evaluations: Part 2
I feel like so often group leaders wonder, “Am I making a difference?”, “Does the investment I’m making in this group matter?” As I read through all the feedback from our fall Fuel Groups I can tell you the answer is overwhelmingly, “YES”! I wanted to share a few things people said about groups, to help remind our present group leaders, and future group leaders that helping people grow- matters. In fact, if anyone serves in an area and wonders if what they do matters- I think they should read this feedback and remember- people notice and are thankful for ...
5 Ways My 9 Month Old is Like a Puppy
About a week ago, as I was pulling some random piece of paper out of my 9 month old son’s mouth, I found myself calling him “puppy.” Over the past few days, the more I think about it, the more I believe that my youngest son Micah, really is part puppy. So, I’d like to share 5 ways my 9 month old and I submit, all babies are like puppies. 1. Both want to be where the party is: Just like a real puppy, if our baby is out of our sight for more than 10 seconds, he’s doing something dangerous ...