Lasting Impressions: Mark Waltz Session Innovate 2009

More great stuff from Mark Waltz here.....

• Will we be responsible for people or to people?


• I'm not the star of the story... God owns life change, not me.


• When I think I'm responsible "for" people, I think I have to dictate what their next step is in their walk toward Christ vs. I know they must figure out what their next step is...
• I talk to God on their behalf vs talking to a lot of people on God's behalf
• People are responsible for their own actions vs. me feeling the guilt/shame for their actions
• I share journeys, offer encouragement/teaching vs. never allowing people to wrestle/mess up
• Our energy is going to be To people and For environments
• We need to create spaces for people to tell their story... it communicates they matter and can develop a sense of belonging... I'm not alone and my story matters to someone else.
• When stories take place, my story connects with God's story and to stories of others around me
• What is space?: Giving people the opportunity to tell their story, a environment to be safe, ask questions, challenge, and where there's grace (my understanding of space)
• Recommended book: Search to Belong by Joseph Myers
• For most of us, we won't have more than 4-6 intimate friends our whole life and half of those will be within our family... "I trust this person to a level that I can share anything about my life to them, and I have. He/she has my back and can also share in return and I have their back."
• Think like a designer, what's the purpose of this environment? Who will use this space? What do we want people to experience in this environment? What do we want people to leave with? Who's responsible for quality control?
• Goal is to help people to move from visiting to owning... own their journey
• Look for opportunities to give people "on ramps" to get involved
• We can't create "personal" spaces but we can control the environment to help people organically find those connections
• Sometimes "measurables" are selfish in nature. We care more that we want to know we're successful for what we did and for whom. Sometimes stats aren't needed.
• We decided to be a church "with" small groups, not "of" small groups... a church "of" relationships

Big Idea: Be purposeful about the spaces we create for people to connect

Idochurchonline.com

Well it's coming soon! Granger Community Online Church. Above is a screen shot from a test we did a few weeks ago... for more screen shots and feedback, click here.

Here are some random nuggets and FYI's:

• I am humbled to be the Online Church Director and will be building volunteer teams and processes as we launch and grow our service offerings- it's a great new challenge!
• We've launched an Online Church blog here where more information on Online Church and more will be posted
• We'll be testing for a few more weeks but look for soft launch in Beta mode in October!
• I am excited about the opportunity for people to literally be able to invite anyone across the globe to go to church, attend the same service, and have an opportunity to discuss what they/we experience together....
• It's incredible to think we could have volunteer teams from all over the world.... wow.
• If you're interested in opportunities to volunteer, drop me a line and/or follow the Online church blog

I can't wait to see what God will do! Stay tuned at Idochurchonline.com as we roll out soon!

2009 Spur Conference: Leaders Collide

On October 1-2, 2009, I will be attending the 2009 Spur Leadership Conference...a unique opportunity to listen to a collision of thought leaders from the church, government, business, technology, and the military. Why?

I am an Operations Manager of a technology firm and just recently am the Online Church Director for Granger Community Church. Everyday my worlds collide with real challenges, how to have faith at work, providing leadership to a team of 58 people, strategizing growth plans, and there are no boxes to compartmentalize. I wouldn't have it any other way.

As leaders:

• Churches struggle to tap into the strengths of leaders in their communities... what could the Church learn from the expertise' of industry that sit in their seats every Sunday morning?
• There are leaders in your church waiting for a mountain to climb. Are you working to find BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) opportunities for these entreprenuer leaders to jump in with renewed purpose?
• There are business men who struggle with how to effectively apply their faith into the culture of their organizations. Paralysis can set in...what's appropriate? What's too much? What's effective?
• As a business leader, I need to be reminded it's not all about profits and growth. My pendulum can drift into spreadsheets and away from real people with real lives and needs.
• Business leaders cringe at the inefficiency of many churches and would naturally seem wired to think, "why would I want to invest resources there?". Note to non-profits/churches: effectiveness, excellence, and great management of gifts matters.
• Marketplace leaders need to be reminded that "to those who much has been given, much is expected..." While building your organizations, have you given as much focus to your "give back" initiatives? What might you be able to do in your community to make a real difference?

Straddling the blend of marketplace and ministry can be daunting. I need tools to help me manage on the front lines... There are only a few events a year that offer this unique mix, I hope to meet you there!

You and your team can register here.