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Category: Leadership

Back in the Saddle

Yeeeeee-HAW! Well, it’s been about a month that I’ve been “back in the saddle” as a full time children’s pastor and what a ride it’s been! I suppose I should get back to blogging and letting y’all know how it’s been going! I’m having a blast and it’s going great so far. I’m not changing too much too fast – mostly getting to know people – learning how things are done here, and evaluating. I’m impressed with the number of volunteers, the commitment of the staff and with so much of what is already in place. We have some excitement in the air because of a new building that will be breaking ground soon and so the opportunity is ahead of us for growth as we will be moving in to a new building (Lord willing) in the fall of 2016. That’s going to mean preparing to raise the bar in how we do thing to prepare for anticipated growth over the next year. I’m also busy looking at how we are organized, how we process things, and how we recruit, schedule, do check in, retain volunteers and visitors and theming both here and when we move into the new…

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Forms, Meetings and Hanging Pictures! Week 1 at The Rock

If you haven’t heard, I am the new children’s pastor at the Rock of Southwest in Littleton, Colorado. The kids ministry is called Kids Rock! (Pretty awesome, as kids DO rock!) This Sunday I’ll be introduced as we say farewell to the current children’s pastor who is moving out of state. Kim is well loved and has been a wonderful leader of the children’s ministry – so nice to pick up where a great leader left off, while at the same time being excited about what’s next! So how did my first week go? Since I had a week before I’m officially introduced on Sunday, I was able to focus mostly on meeting the staff and setting up my office. (And filling out lots of forms.) It’s kinda fun starting out with an empty office and figuring out how to arrange the furniture and what to bring from home to make it HQ for the Kids Ministry. I didn’t want my back to the door – with two youth pastors here, as well as a youth intern… your back to the door isn’t wise! But seriously, it’s so that I can communicate that I’m available and eager to engage with…

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Download My New Book FREE!

  Download My New Book for FREE! I’m so excited to let you in on a NEW BOOK that David C. Cook just published for me – and the best part is, it’s 100% FREE! Jesus’ ministry was all about relationships, and kids loved him! How can we do ministry with kids and families in the same way? How can we close the gap between Sundays by creating real, meaningful, life-changing relationships with parents, kids, and volunteers? In It’s about Relationships, you’ll learn: How to connect with kids by thinking like kids The HUGE difference between why you do kid’s ministry and why people volunteer Practical ways to make kids feel welcomed and special How to make time in your week to build relationships Get your free ebook now!  

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Finding the Reflection of God

One of the highlights of Yosemite, is seeing the reflection of towering granite cliffs in the water of the valley. In fact, one of the lakes in Yosemite earned the name “Mirror Lake” due to the beautiful reflections upon it’s surface. While not technically a lake, visitors enjoy seeing in its smooth surface the mirror image of the cliffs towering above. Mirror Lake it actually a man-made lake, from a time when sand and ice were exported from the area for use down in the coastal cities. Today, it is being allowed to return to it’s natural meadow conditions, so each year this once famous lake reflects less – and becomes filled with more grass and rock as the surface drops and widens into a meadow. Nevertheless, a creative photographer can still find places to capture a reflection of Half Dome that rises majestically above it. The reflections can be amazing… but to be seen, something is required. Without this one thing, there can be no reflection of the grandeur above. Waterfalls and flowing rivers and creeks pour over rocks and around bends throughout this incredible park, all working their way to the Merced or Tuolumne Rivers and ultimately to…

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3 Quick Tips When You Are Stressed Out

OK, you don’t have a lot of time for this post – because you have a zillion other things you really should be doing, need to do, should have done, and ought to do. So I’ll get to the point – ready? 1) Don’t make any Big Decisions while you are stressed out. Stay the course, time for reflection and evaluation and possible changes will come. Put off reactionary changes/decisions until you can calmly and objectively think clearly. As my dad used to say, “Bad decisions can always be put off to make later. Good decisions take time.” 2) Walk away for a few minutes. Pray. Breath. Ask what can go? What can be left undone? Usually something can. If you’re not sure, ask your spouse. Then, stick it out and do whatever you got yourself into (that can’t be dropped) but remember how you feel now. You’ll need that for evaluating later. 3) Look at your calendar and look ahead. Find a breather spot. Plan something refreshing and enjoyable NOW. Even if it is weeks away, you’ll have something to look forward to. Give yourself a light at the end of the tunnel. A date? A day off? A…

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