The Challenge of Listening

I was recently home on vacation. Home, where I live, is Cypress, CA. Home, where I grew up, is Ravensdale/Maple Valley, WA. I’m speaking of the latter home. While ‘home,’ I had an embarrassing gaffe that I was completely unaware of. My grandfather made it over from Eastern Washington to visit with us during our stay as well as to see the rest of the family on the west side of the Cascades.

I found out a day later that three times during our conversation in my dad’s backyard I had totally spaced out and cut off a conversation almost like he was never there. It was lame of me. I felt terrible when I found out. I wrote a note of apology and spoke with him a week or two later. Everything’s fine. Perhaps better than it was before.

But what’s more embarrassing is that I think I do this often. My brain just disconnects and I go to something else mentally. Like that dog in Up whose attention is completely shot when someone says, “Squirrel.” My poor listening skills just “are,” but seeing how they hurt someone I love and respect so much made me wonder what kind of damage I had done to others. It boils down, in my mind, to an issue of respect and honoring people. I dishonored my grandfather by not valuing him with my undivided attention. And I do the same with others all the time.

A friend recommended a book to me awhile back and my first priority upon returning ‘home’ (Cypress this time) was to read it. It’s Quick-to-Listen Leaders by Ping and Clippard. I just finished it and there are good challenges all over, but there are a couple chapters in particular that I need to nail down to do the work/training it takes to be a good listener. It might come naturally for some people, but not for me. So I’ll try to put together a couple posts soon that summarize those points where I want to see the most improvement in my life.

In the meantime, I’m working to listen better and it has been a blessing. I don’t always need to run to the next thing. Things get done just fine – even if I slow down to listen and give people my full attention. At least the same amount gets done (maybe more), but people are honored in the process. This work seems to be paying off. I hope the skills will help all the more.

The State of the Blog

It’s odd. I have tried to be really consistent in my blogging and giving content from the things I’ve been reading. It got really exhausting and the joy of writing and blogging became burdensome. I initially sought to blog for my own purposes – whether anyone read it or not. What’s funny is that as soon as I quit writing, I posted what was intended to be a humorous anecdote from St. Augustine and received more comments than I had ever received. Thanks, everyone, for your comments. It gave some substance to what was intended to be humorous regarding my aging.

Anyway, I’m reviving the blogging after taking more than a month off. It will look different this time around. More sporadic. Less ‘content’ from books I’m reading and perhaps a little more response, commentary on the significance of it (at least in my life). At least that’s what I think for now. This could all change when I get tired of this angle on blogging. Perhaps this will be a bit more refreshing than this last ‘spurt’ of blogging has been. Either way, I hope you find something helpful and it will again be a useful tool as I process things a little better in a public forum.

What to expect coming up? There will be some residual posts with “Missional Mondays” I had prepared before getting exhausted as well as a few “Hump Day Histories” with Augustine. I may end up doing more of these (for example, Tim Keller’s Ministries of Mercy makes up the upcoming “Missional Mondays,” but only for the first few chapters … I’ll keep going if I get ‘inspired!’).

Hump Day History: St. Augustine’s City of God

It’s been downhill for awhile for me. I turn 37 tomorrow and when I was reading Augustine’s City of God earlier this year he was grappling with the question of what our eternal bodies would be like. For instance, would a baby who died be a full-grown person, or would they be in the state of an infant for eternity. More specifically, he wonders if we’ll all be the same size as Jesus since He’s perfection. I honestly don’t remember the conclusions, but the constant refrain is that “not a hair of our head will be harmed.” God will take care of us, eternally.

The part that struck me as humorous – less so now – is when he states that it’s all downhill after 30. Behold, Augustine on age…

“For even the world’s wisest men have fixed the bloom of youth at about the age of thirty; and when this period has been passed, the man begins to decline towards the defective and duller period of old age” (p. 838-839).

It’s all downhill from here! And it has been … for years!

Hump Day History: St. Augustine’s City of God

… and Donald Miller, Reggie Joiner, and Moses, Jethro, and Joshua. I’m preaching on Father’s Day and I think I’m going to fill in some parts of Moses’ life that we skipped in our Exodus series on Sunday morning. I’ve been listening to this Donald Miller podcast (Episode 95) talking about fatherhood and I bought and started reading his book, Father Fiction. This challenge of fatherlessness in our nation is tremendous and as it is developing, I’m wondering how the church can solve it. Miller is working on a mentoring program. I’m not even thinking about mentoring kids in the community. I’m wondering what we do with all these single moms in our church. How do we get men into the lives of these kids? My short term solution is to invite a few of them to our small group … and get our small group rolling again.

The Bible uses family language for the church – brothers and sisters, etc… - and St. Augustine likened the family dynamic to caring for sinning brothers and sisters. I’ll end with his quote that simply adds a link to this church/family chain that I’m trying to figure out … as I raise my own kids and as I seek to lead in the church in such a way that we can go to battle against a huge issue in our world. From St. Augustine for your digestion…

“…if any member of the family interrupts the domestic peace by disobedience, he is corrected either by word or blow, or some kind of just and legitimate punishment, such as society permits, that he may himself be the better for it, and be readjusted to the family harmony from which he had dislocated himself. For as it is not benevolent to give a man help at the expense of some greater benefit he might receive, so it is not innocent to spare a man at the risk of his falling into graver sin” (p. 695).

I don’t like church discipline and I’m not innocent in keeping people from the risk of greater sin by calling them out. But if we don’t, are we making people spiritually ‘fatherless,’ in a sense (of course God is their father, but I hope you get what I mean…).

Happy Memorial Day!

We have much to be thankful for. One of those things to be thankful for is those who serve our country – living and dead. May God bless them and their families today.

Sunday Services

I hope you enjoyed your Sunday services today. If you didn't make it to any or don't have a local church, be sure to get in one. Until then, here's our church podcast and here's the link to some friends up in Bellevue, WA: Eastgate Bible Fellowship.

Catalyst Recap: Andy Stanley (General Session 4/23 – Closing Session)

Andy Stanley ended the conference with a helpful leadership challenge. It starts with a clear maxim: “My fully developed strengths will always be of greater value than your marginally improved weaknesses.”

It corrects the myth that good leaders are good at everything and we need to focus on our weaknesses and ‘wing’ our strengths. This is natural and necessary when we start out, but it will limit our leadership in the long run if we stay in that mode.

Stanley likes numbers. Here are the two best kept secrets in leadership.
1. The less you do, the more you accomplish.
2. The less you do, the more you enable others to accomplish.

Each year you need to think through what you need to quit doing. “Only do what you can do” – it’s unrealistic, but always keep it as a target.

Three things happen when you drift from your core competencies. (These are easy to recognize in others, not self.)
1. Their effectiveness diminishes.
2. The effectiveness of other leaders are diminished.
3. The ability of the organization to keep good leaders diminishes.

Why Leaders Miss This Principle
1. They buy into the myth of being well-rounded. (You don’t need to be well-rounded … your organization does.)
2. Leaders forget to distribute between authority and their core competencies. (Everyone has authority outside of their competencies. Make as few decisions as possible. Let others choose.)
3. Some leaders can’t distinguish between their competencies and non-competencies. (Know what you don’t know.)
4. Some leaders feel guilty delegating their weaknesses. (Don’t. It’s someone else’s joy and strength).
5. Some leaders won’t take time to train other leaders. (Let people make mistakes. Do you want to be right, or do you want to make more leaders?)

Acts 6 illustrates this issue. “It would not be right for us to … serve food.” Not right = it would be WRONG!

What’s the outcome of all this?
1. It’s easier to establish a sustainable pace. (You won’t wear out from doing things you hate.)
2. Corporately, you’ll end up with a congregation that reflects your strengths, but not your weaknesses.

How do you get started on this? Ask some ‘Discovery Questions’:
1. What’s effortless for you, but draining for others?
2. In what areas are you the ‘go-to’ person?
3. What energizes you?
4. What do you wish you could stop doing?
5. What organizational environments are you drawn to?
6. Which do you avoid?

‘Discovery Project’: Write your ideal job description. This isn’t anything you might be able to act on immediately, but make it the target, the ideal.

We can do many things, what MUST we do?

Catalyst Recap: Erwin McManus (General Session 4/23)

Erwin McManus is an excellent communicator, which makes it all the more tragic that my sound bytes of notes won’t demonstrate the cohesiveness of his message, but here goes. He does one session walking through Solomon and Ecclesiastes (he’s currently teaching on it – check the Mosaic podcast. Series titled “Reality Check”). He starts with the statement that “wisdom and knowledge are not “enough.” He’s referring to the fact that Solomon, writing Ecclesiastes later in life, thinks everything is meaningless.

The ministry application is that ministry can suck the meaning out of our lives. We get so pragmatic that we lose our souls. And it has had effects on our people. We teach them (by deed, if not by word) that their lives don’t have meaning outside of ministry.

This is where McManus gets provocative. He says Solomon is wrong when he says there’s “nothing new under the sun.” God says so in Isaiah 43.19 (I think this is what he referenced. I didn't have time to write it down). God is doing new things all the time. God gave us imagination and creativity, but we’ve abdicated creating the future to people who don’t know the Living God. We need to focus on living lives of meaning as leaders and help people find meaning in their own lives.

This is a good challenge. I can go on auto-pilot with my life too often instead of seeking to live with significance and meaning. What about you?

Random notes: We keep confusing fame and greatness. If we focus on fame, we’ll never hit greatness. (To link it to the body of the message, I suppose it indicates that there’s a difference between all this meaning talk and fame. We can live meaningfully without being famous.

Hump Day History: John Chrysostom on Pastoral Ministry

I found a challenging couple paragraphs for those of us engaged in pastoral ministry in Hall’s Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers – specifically the section on John Chrysostom. All that is below is from Hall’s book; the block quote is actually Chrysostom himself.

“In John’s well-known and well-loved work, On the Priesthood, he compares the Christian pastor to a physician, one who has ‘discovered a multiplicity of drugs and various designs of instruments and appropriate forms of diet for the sick.’ John notes, however, that occasionally a healthy climate or deep sleep makes intervention by a physician unnecessary. Not so with physicians of the word. The preacher must carefully diagnose the ills and needs of his congregation, faithfully applying the only efficacious remedy, ‘teaching by word of mouth.’

That is the best instrument, the best diet, and the best climate. It takes the place of medicine and cautery and surgery. When we need to cauterize or cut, we must use this. Without it all else is useless. By it we rouse the soul’s lethargy or reduce its inflammation, we remove excrescences and supply defects, and, in short, do everything which contributes to its health. … We must take great care, therefore, that against a single kind of attack. … Unless the man who means to win understands every aspect of the art, the devil knows how to introduce his agents at a single neglected spot and so to plunder the flock. But he is baffled when he sees that the shepherd has mastered his whole repertoire and thoroughly understands his tricks” (p. 95).

Catalyst Recap: Kay Warren & Wess Stafford (General Session 4/23)

These were actually two separate sessions, but their content overlapped and I think I was exhausted at this point. They were both pretty intense, which may have added to my fatigue. Most know who Kay Warren is, but Wess Stafford is President of Compassion International. Both are focusing on children. Wess more generally, Kay is intentionally challenging us to deal with orphans in our country and globally.

Starting with Kay Warren … there are 143 million orphans worldwide and God loves and protects them.

Proverbs 23:10-11 Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you.

God watches out for orphans and they are a litmus test of our faith (James 1.27). We all have personal responsibility when it comes to orphans. It may not be adopting, but we are responsible for caring for them in some way.

A powerful reminder when it comes to adoption is that we have been adopted by God and when we take care of orphans (adopt!), we are doing what our Heavenly Father has done for us. He has adopted us and shared all of His good things with us. We’re to do the same.

The Challenge: Ask yourself, “God, do you want us to adopt?” He won’t say ‘Yes’ to everyone, but He will to more people than you’d think.

Wess Stafford was next and he did a great job of showing Jesus’ care for children and His anger when people kept children from coming to Him (Mark 10.13-14; cf. Matthew 19.13-15; Luke 18.15-17).

I wish I remembered more of his talk. It was passionate and it ended with the challenge to not cause a child to stumble … and don’t let it happen at the hands of others, either.

It was an emotional, passionate hour plus with these two speakers back-to-back and I wish I’d taken better notes, but it was a challenging session nonetheless.

Incidentally, I have a friend who is caring for orphans in India. Check out Jane’s House if you’re looking for a way to care for orphans overseas in need.

Mission(al) Monday: Living Incarnationally

I was privileged to spend some time with some of our missionaries and hear them share about living incarnationally in ministry. Ministry is relational if it’s going to be lasting. They talked about, even prior to their call overseas, they were living in an ethnic community and gained a hearing with the people and built relationships with people that were meaningful and transformative only after they moved in and actually shared life with people. Ate strange food, watched people’s kids, and the like.

It seems we’ve been going around in circles as we’ve attempted to minister to folks who are long term residents in the local motels. From our missionaries’ perspective, we’ve probably hit the wall in terms of what we can do until someone moves in there to live incarnationally among them. That’s kind of frustrating; there’s no way our family of 5 can do it, but it is also refreshing. The fact that we’re beating our head against the wall should be expected. We’ve reached the end of what we’re able to do effectively. We’ll keep doing it to keep the contacts alive until someone can get there – and we genuinely love some of the people there – but there’s not much more we can do with ‘drop in’ ministry.

As challenging and encouraging as this was for our ministry to the motels, it was challenging to how we live all the time. We don’t live incarnationally. Well, maybe we do, but it isn’t intentional. We live in a detached way like so many others rather than immersing ourselves in the culture and investing in those around us in a way that they feel loved. A challenging word for our family that I’m not quite sure what to do with it yet.

Sunday Services

Be sure to plug into a local church and listen to God speak to you through your pastor and your local community as you get involved. If you're not plugged in yet, check us out at Cypress Church. Or listen to my friends at Eastgate Bible Fellowship up in Bellevue, WA.

I feature our church each month, but rotate another church in each month. Let me know if you have any ideas for some other churches to feature.

Catalyst Recap: Donald Miller (General Session 4/23)

Donald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz and, most recently, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, talked about good stories and how to live one. He says people become the character they play in the narrative they believe. It can bring out the best in us … or cause us to settle for some pretty lame stories (read that as lives). Miller says the stories adjust the moral compass in our brains and we live according to them. When we live good stories, we make a good life.

Miller talks about story often – as an author naturally would – but he doesn’t stick with unhinged stories. He wants people to find their place in God’s grand narrative. He says doctrine is important because it is the true story in which we live.

He challenged us to write a bunch of ‘what if’ questions on the board. “What if …” we built a house for someone who needs it in a hurting nation? “What if …” we did this or that? When we ask some “What ifs …” we can write a great story.

One final note, conflict is a key element in a meaningful story. We’re taught to avoid it, but if a story is to be meaningful, we need to have conflict.

The challenges to think about our stories are always compelling to me. I need to scribble out a few ‘What ifs …’ with my family. What about you?

Catalyst Recap: Louie Giglio (General Session 4/22)

The first day ended with a great evening of worship led by Christ Tomlin and speaking by Louie Giglio. Giglio is known for some pretty amazing sermons online and his leadership with the Passion conferences. But he’s also just jumped into pastoral ministry, planting his first church. His message was a great basic reminder to all of us.

When he’s asked what kind of church he wants to be, he says, “An Acts 2 Church.” That’s great. But then he asked the question, “What did the Acts 2 church want to be?” They didn’t have an example. They had the Holy Spirit, the resurrection, and Jesus’ teaching.

Guess what?

We have those, too.

And if we want a movement like the early church, we need to be confident and lead confidently in God’s Word, trusting in the Holy Spirit and the Risen Christ.

That’s it. This ain’t rocket science. It’s unfortunate that I need reminders like this one, but I’m grateful to receive it. I need it.

Hump Day History: St. Augustine’s City of God

I’m a pastor. Sometimes I think I’m paid to talk. I’m paid to preach, give advice, be a ‘spiritual director.’ But I’m rebuked by St. Augustine’s description of a powerful moment in his ministry. He’s talking about different healings happening during his time as a church leader. On one such occasion, everyone was going crazy praising God going into the service. And this is how the service progressed after this time of healing…

Silence being at last obtained, the customary lessons of the divine Scriptures were read. And when I came to my sermon, I made a few remarks suitable to the occasion and the happy and joyful feeling, not desiring them to listen to me, but rather to consider the eloquence of God in this divine work (p. 830-831).

A great reminder that we are to always point to God’s eloquence in His divine work. Sometimes that means speaking. Sometimes it means keeping silent and just pointing the way.

Catalyst Recap: Reggie Joiner (General Session 4/22)

Reggie Joiner talked about “One Thing” that would make a difference, THE difference, in every church. After saying all the things it wasn’t, he told the story of the Prodigal Son (Lk. 15.?-?). The “One Thing”? Just treat a returning prodigal like a loving father treats his own son. He asked a frightening question: “What if the older brother had come out first?” How different would this story have been?

Loving Fathers are preoccupied with the missing. (Older brothers are preoccupied with themselves). Example: Don’t build church buildings for the people who are in it, but for those outside of it.

Loving Fathers operate from a context of forgiveness. (Older brothers operate from a context of shame). The goal is to create a place where the first place people run when they are in need is the church.

Loving Fathers throw parties. (Older brothers throw fits). We need to put joy and forgiveness in our homes and in our churches and there will be a huge difference.

Conclusion: Treat every prodigal like they’re your own son. And (speaking to church leaders), we have an opportunity to train a generation to love prodigals … or not.

Bonus: Joiner has a book out (Parenting Beyond Your Capacity) and he mentioned the idea earlier in the message that it is really difficult to raise children on your own. We need to invite other adults into our kids’ lives with our same values to reinforce what we tell them, but it will be from an objective resource. I thought that was brilliant. And I guess it needs to be people of different ages, too.

Mission(al) Monday: Missional Renaissance, Shift from Church-Based to Kingdom-Based Leadership – Changing the Scorecard, Part 2

Check out the post from May 10 for the first half of this scorecard shift. We’re going to hit the last two elements now, as we wrap up Missional Renaissance by Reggie McNeal.

Resource Management
These resources are pretty generalized because they are so broad. It is up to each of us to make it specific for ourselves. The key in these areas is making sure these resources are missionally-oriented.

· Prayer. What do you pray for? When? How? Who’s praying for you? You need a prayer team and it might be smart to have different people take care of different aspects of your life. McNeal has people who pray for his preaching, his leadership, and his personal life. Each person only gets one section.
· Relationships. Missional lifestyle starts at home. Your family needs to model it. You’ll have relationships where you’re investing in the development of other people – Jesus followers and otherwise.
· Time. Audit your own time and then think about how to use it more missionally. Difficult choices will have to be made, including taking your Sabbath to grow in your personal development.
· Money. This is personal and organizationally. Do your finances reflect missional generosity that blesses others? This needs to include your family as well – those closest to you can thwart what you’re trying to do if they’re not ‘on board.’
· Technology. Figure out how to use it missionally and don’t let it own you. If you’re into gadgetry, you may need a technology fast.
· Personal Property. Your home, office, car(s), vacation properties, etc… are all things that need to be approached from a missional perspective. What is ours is no longer ours alone.

Personal Growth
McNeal: “Too many leaders lose their life in leadership. …The missional message is incarnational, meaning it is wrapped up in you” (p. 168). The author doesn’t think you can template personal growth, but here are some big ones.

· Self-Awareness. You need to know what pushes you (or prevents you) in the things you do – “your fears, tendencies, and so on.” What are your personality strengths and challenges? What is your cognitive style – do you reflect, process with others, make decisions with little or all of the information, big picture, want details, etc…? What is your conflict style? What is your emotional intelligence? What is your talent level, honestly? What are your passions? What are your hidden addictions and compulsions? (If hidden, you may need a coach to help you find them!)
· Family Development. People development starts at home. Blessing others starts with your spouse and your children – the same thing when it comes to helping them develop as people.
· Emotional and Spiritual Health. Practice the spiritual disciplines, including Sabbath – he’s mentioned this a few times. I think it is often neglected by leaders (I’m guilty at times). He also includes practicing forgiveness and reconciliation. Also pay attention to emotional health – anger, depression – and cultivate hobbies and build boundaries to maintain emotional health.
· Physical Health. Take this seriously. Eat right. Exercise. Sleep. Go to the doctor for your checkups, etc…
· Financial Health. Make a plan for your personal and family spending, a financial plan to prepare for your future, and figure out ways to enhance your income (this was discussed a couple weeks ago).

This needs to be a very personal scorecard, but I’m putting it on my list of ‘things to do’ because I need to really set some goals for who I am as a person – as a whole person, not just a church leader.

Missional Renaissance Conclusion
The world is changing and God is calling people to embrace the change and minister to His people in the midst of it. Over the last couple months we’ve seen the changes and now it’s time to catch the wave.

My notes through the last couple months don’t do this book justice. I encourage you to look into it if you’ve found these at all interesting. In all of these posts you’re getting the bullets, but missing the stories and much of the learned theory from McNeal. Grab the book. It’s a good read and less than 200 pages. It will be time well spent.

Sunday Services

As always (or almost always!), be sure to attend worship somewhere on Sundays and reflect on what God is teaching you through your local church. If you're not involved in a local church, here are a couple places to listen ... but look into a good Bible-preaching church near your home.

We're starting up a series on Acts at our place. Check us out here.

Here's a link to Eastgate Bible Fellowship - the church of some wonderful friends up in Bellevue, WA.

Catalyst Recap: Mark Driscoll (General Session 4/22)

www.mondaymorninginsight.com already did the work of transcribing the points of Mark Driscoll’s message at Catalyst West. I’m going to put in just a few of the notes I sketched in my notebook.

By way of introduction, Driscoll mentioned one of the hardest things for him in ministry is to see other ministers not finish well. This message is a reminder that ministry isn’t what we do for God, but what God does in, for, and through us. Here we go…

11 Things God Does for Church Leaders
(Mark Driscoll via www.mondaymorninginsight.com)
Last week, Mark Driscoll was one of the featured speakers at Catalyst West. I did not get to hear his entire talk, but found these notes from The Resurgence to be really helpful. The topic: 11 things that God does for church leaders. See what you think:

1. Jesus is the Senior Pastor of the church. 1 Peter 5:4 – "And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory."

2. The Holy Spirit chooses leaders for the church. Acts 20:28 – "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood."

3. God gifts leaders of the church. Ephesians 4:11–12 – "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ."

Don’t work on your weaknesses; build a team to complement you.

4. God empowers leaders for the church. 1 Corinthians 15:10 – "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me."

Hard work doesn’t make you righteous – Jesus makes you righteous.

5. God encourages leaders in the church. 2 Corinthians 4:1 – "Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart."

Your hope is in God’s mercy, not your results in ministry.

6. The Holy Spirit speaks to leaders about the church. Acts 13:2–3 – "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off."

7. God gives wisdom to leaders over the church. 2 Timothy 2:7 – "Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything."

8. Jesus joins leaders as they discipline in the church. Matthew 18:20 – "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

9. God answers leaders' prayers for the church. James 5:14–15 – "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up."

10. The Holy Spirit falls on Bible preaching in the church. Acts 10:44 – "While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word."

11. The Holy Spirit says no to leaders of the church. Acts 16:6 – "And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia."

Sometimes God says ‘No’ because He loves you. It’s not God’s best for you. Love
God, don’t use Him. Worship Him for saying ‘No.’

Any of those jump out as particularly helpful for you? I don’t know if one stands out, in particular, but the entire package was something I knew, but needed to hear afresh in my life and ministry.

Catalyst Recap: Charlene Li (General Session 4/22)

Charlene Li is a social media expert and author of Groundswell and the forthcoming Open Leadership. She says the social media trend isn’t a trend – it will be like air in the future – and it isn’t about technology. Rather, it’s about developing relationships you never would have been able to before. Since it’s inescapable, what do we do?

First, develop a strategy. Use it and get disciplined with it. How often do you write back to people on your blogs, on facebook, on Twitter. Start using it. It’s a valuable tool. You can use it and know the technology well, but if you’re not putting it to good use, you’re missing great opportunities.

Also, as you’re interacting with people, create “Sandbox Covenants” in your organization. Who can speak on your behalf and in what contexts.

Also, failure is inevitable as you’re figuring it out. Use failure as an opportunity to build trust in who you’re reaching. An example Li used was an innovation she wanted from Starbucks. She and several others posted it online, Starbucks tried it, and discovered it wouldn’t work. She was disappointed that it didn’t work, but her commitment to Starbucks grew as she understood that they listened to her and did their best.

How do you use social media? How have you seen it benefit your business/ministry? Have you had any failures that you’ve learned from?