Dave Travis Now

A Multi Site Road Trip Tour - Mighty White?

Full Disclosure note: The authors of this book include Warren Bird and Greg Ligon work with me at Leadership Network. Plus they are great friends. Surratt is a friend. He used to work for us. He is now a Leadership Network alumni staff member. But they didn't pay me or send me any special Christmas gift for writing this post.

Plus, I like the book. I think for any church doing or considering a multi site approach to ministry, you need to get it. A Multi-site Church Road Trip.  

And today I am a proud to be a part of their blog tour.

My question to them was pretty simple.

I really appreciate your book and the diversity of the movement you describe. Is it just me or is this primarily a white, evangelical thing? Does it just fit anglo culture? Or are you seeing it in other cultures in the US?

 

Great question. Suburban, heavily white megachurches have been the most visible in publicizing the movement, but that is certainly changing. Yesterday I read that T.D. Jakes and the Potter's House are trying a multi-site experiment for New Year's Eve. I've visited other predominantly African American megachurches that are multi-site. Some high-visibility ones include: 

- New Direction Christian Church, Memphis, where Stacy Spencer is lead pastor (www.n2newdirection.org)
- Eastern Star Baptist Church, Indianapolis, where Jeffrey Johnson is lead pastor (www.easternstarchurch.org)
- Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Memphis, where Frank Thomas is lead pastor (www.theblvd.org)
- Mount Zion Baptist Church, Nashville, where Joseph Walker is lead pastor (www.mtzionnashville.org)
- Word of Faith International Christian Center, Southfield, MI, where Keith  Butler is lead pastor (www.woficc.com)
- Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Chicago, where Charles Jenkins is lead pastor (www.fellowshipmbchurch.org)
- Elizabeth Baptist Church, Atlanta, where Craig  Oliver is lead pastor (www.elizabethbaptist.org)
- Triumph Church, Detroit, where Solomon  Kinloch is lead pastor (www.triumphch.org)
We've had conversations with predominantly Hispanic or Asian churches that are doing and exploring multi-site as well. If the primary motivation for multi-site is to reach new people for Christ, and to take the church closer to where they are, then race should not be a limitation.

 
If you want to see more questions and answers on the book you can follow the tour by linking over to The Leadership Network Books Blog at http://books.leadnet.org

What did I put on the Kindle?

So what did I put on the Kindle?

A few weeks ago I asked the question: To Kindle or not to Kindle?

I got a few responses from the passionate Kindle users, so I used that excuse to blow my tax refund on one.

My youngest daughter has a kindle 1 and she uses it for school and to surreptitiously check her email during class. But I wasn’t crazy about hers.

But the new Kindle 2 is a great improvement. Before I tell you what I put on my new kindle, here is what I like:

1. Saving weight and space. First in my travel backpack and second in my office. It would be pretty cool to not have so many bookshelves. Books are pretty but seem to just gather dust after I am through with them.
2. Ease of buying books. If it’s available on Kindle it’s real easy to hit the “buy” button. Maybe too easy.
3. The free books available. I had no idea so many were free. You will see a few below, but also see what I don’t like number 1.
4. Ability to send Word and PDFs over to it. Makes it easy for me to carry some docs and keep them handy.

5. Battery

   Life. – I went a week without recharging using several hours a day.
6. Type size adjuster – as opposed to the books that sometimes cause me some difficulties. This also speeds the reading for me. (Don’t want to hear any “you are so old” jokes)

Dislikes:

1. Price of the books – When my daughter got hers the max price of any book as around $10. No more. They tend to be very close to the price of bound books.
2. Can’t pass along a book easily. When I get through with a book I am usually through. I keep what I want and pass along the rest. I can’t do that now.
3. Some books not available. In fact quite a few that I have wanted to buy, not there.
4. The cover they sell you is way overpriced and sort of cheap looking. Not worth the $30 but I think the unit does need some protection.
5. The highlighting and note taking is clumsy and doesn’t work well. And I like to make notes.
6. Don’t like that I can’t use it pre-takeoff and the 10 minutes before landing. So you still need something to read in those times.

The first books loaded on there:

I had just met Frank Viola that week and found him to be such a delightful and generous soul that I felt guilty for not reading his books. He has strong opinions but is so gracious, I immediately loaded some of his including Reimaging Church, Pagan Christianity and The Untold Story of the New Testament. I haven’t read them yet but they are there ready to read.

I found out that the ESV Bible translation was free. I didn’t have a copy of that translation so I put it on the kindle. I will say that I am so used to handling scriptures by turning pages that it is quite an adjustment moving to this format. But I am liking the translation so far. Might take the place of the NIV for me.

I put Outside Innovation by Patricia Seybold on there the first day. Another book I had been wanting to buy but not lug around. Haven’t read it yet.

I found multiple P.G. Wodehouse classics available for free. I snagged them immediately. I have to read his humor every week to keep me sane. So I got Psmith, Journalist, The Adventures of Sally, and My Man Jeeves.

I bought Living Brands by Raymond Nadeau. I am half-way through. Don’t waste your time or money.

I bought Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adveturers and Warriors shaped Globalization by Nayan Chada and it is about the spread of globalization through traders and preachers. Fairly interesting.

Finally I bought House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street by William Cohan. I bought it because I heard an interview with the author on the way to the airport. 60 seconds later it was on my kindle so I could read it on the plane.

So look for future entries on “what’s on my kindle? Worth it or not?”

 

To Kindle or not to Kindle?

Need some advice from my blog readers.

My daughter is a proud owner of a Kindle 1. She uses it to read the classics and for her school work. She likes it. I have resisted so far.

But now the Kindle 2's are available and they sure look neat.

I see several advantages for me, primarily in the "saving weight and space" arena. I travel around the country and love to read. Having all those books available would sure be nice. The worse condition for me is when I am flying and have nothing to read. I start to freak.

Ditto a strange hotel room. Always want to have reading material.

And I have stacks of books on my shelves that I would sure like to clean out and up and having a "digital library" on Amazon would sure be handy.

But there are some downsides too that I need help with.

How many books that I read would actually be available?
I read Leadership, Business which I think will likely be available. I read current affairs and those titles seem to be hit or miss. I read history, also hit or miss.

I read Christian Leadership and Church Leader books which so far seem to be sparse on Kindle.

I would like to have my NIV Study Bible on Kindle but so far, no go.

And what about all the publishers that send me books for endorsement, or friends that send along title for me to read? So far all these seem to be in the traditional paper versions.

I know that my daughter uses hers for email as well but my research says that my primary email won't be available via Kindle.

So I am looking for Kindle 2 users that can answer my questions. I mean $400 (cover, taxes, etc) is a lot of money, even for a book lover like me.

So send me your thoughts via comment or email. Thanks much.

Small group haters - Read this

I saw some comments recently in some blogs from some fairly prominent church leaders that said: "Any pastor that tells you they have more than 35% of their people in small groups is a liar." A lot of folks chimed in agreeing with them.

From the source of the comments, I would describe most of their churches as very focused on the weekend services and getting folks "in the door."

At the recent innovation3 conference my buddy Larry Osborne, totally unaware of those recent blog and twitters came up to tell me that North Coast had really hit a growth edge again. Up 1000 people since last year at the same time. (They added three new more venue opportunities this month) But more importantly, the small group launch had 86% of their people enrolled right now.

Now he knows that for the next few weeks that percentage will drop to get down to their "normal" 80%.

North Coast doesn't add venues (the weekend stuff) unless they can maintain 80% in their small groups.

They want to keep and grow people that God is bringing them.

Now, I am not putting down leaders that aren't small group oriented. Perhaps you have some great ways to continue to disciple,teach and grow your people. Great.

But before you start throwing out stats based on your own methods that are not working, why not look at some of those that are?

Fortunately - there is The Sticky Church Conference to help folks along.

http://stickychurch.com/conference
There is one on March 31 in Chicago area and May 11 in Atlanta area.

And do yourself a favor and get the book too.

Sticky Church

(Full disclosure: This is a Leadership Network Innovation Series book and Larry is a long-time friend)

Are you the head fundraiser Part 3

(This is crossposted at www.books.leadnet.org. If you like books, that is the place for lots more reviews)

Last post on this book.

Bottom Line: You are their pastor.

 

As I read Levy’s book I was struck by the similarity between his role as President of Lincoln Center and a good pastor.

 

I was trained as a pastor through my seminary education and my mentors. I didn’t stay in that field long but do work with pastors every day. So I know enough about the work of pastors to understand their points of view.

 

And most great leaders have the same skills as most good pastors.

 

1. They know what is going on in their congregants, or in Levy’s case, prospective donor’s lives. They know when to call to give encouragement and prayer and applause.

 

2. They know the situations where they themselves need help. In the case of a good pastor, they have to be willing to ask for help in specific ways, not just “I need your support.” Ditto the CEO of a nonprofit, they have to define specifically where they need funds, expertise, advice and volunteer effort.

 

3. They know that it has to be face to face. Pastors and Nonprofit directors communicate in many ways. Phone. Email. Blogs. Twitters. But nothing beats face to face. Yes, finding the time to do all that can be draining, but nothing replaces it. Not just in asking for help or support, but just to build the relationship of care and trust.

 

4. They know that the future is just as important as the now. I think this is one of the marks of a great leader. You have to manage the present in order to manage the future. The actions of the present determine the future. And sometimes you make adjustments to the present to get you to your future. But those that are consumed with either the future OR the present don’t get things done. You have to have your eye on both.

 

For a pastor or not for profit leader you are investing in a person now and developing them for the future.

 

Bottom line: If you think of the ideal pastoral skills, you have a pretty good description of what is needed to be a great Nonprofit CEO.

 

 

Dave Travis is Managing Director of Leadership Network.