Dave Travis Now

Dave's Daily Dose and Dump for April 28

• Rumors swirl about a major announcement for new pastor of a prominent church. I think it will be a good match.
• Great to hear the testimonies for two new Board members. Great guys. (PS - we also have three powerful women on our board.) Watch our LN Advance for the formal announcement and their story.
• I am reviewing some of the results of our ongoing Megachurch Senior Pastor survey. It is going to explode a lot of myths. (email me if you are megachurch Senior pastor and need the link)
• Saw my friends Brad Bell (The Well), Scott Wilson (The Oaks) and Jim Kuykendall (Crosstimbers) and a bunch of other leaders in our Multi site Group 6 group in our collaborative studio. They are all kickin some serious kingdom tail.
• Amazed that so many of our Board members are fans of "24". I am not. Comes on opposite the best show on TV - "Top Gear" on BBC America.
• Finally caught the NASCAR highlights yesterday. Loved seeing a small team win the race and cousin Carl's wreck at the end was spectacular. He walked away safely.
• And a new team won the delayed Truck Race too.
• I peeked a few times at the All Access Conference up at Elevation Church in North Carolina. Linda Stanley went up there to be a part. You can see it at www.allaccessconference.com.
• Spoke to Sam Chand by phone last night. He had left his cell at home and I had to talk to him on his hotel phone. Don't we count on these cell phones nowadays.
• My buddy Tiger Dawson, Managing Director of Halftime, brought a great report on our Halftime Program to our board today. You can find out more at www.halftime.org.

Dave's Daily Dose and Dump for April 26, 2009

• Rode over the Dallas last night. Absolutely full plane.
• Talledega Race. Wild finish. Full stands according to Eric Swanson.
• Hard to tell a recession by those two indicators.
• 2 more than average sized church conferences this week after 4 large ones last week. Another "recession" non indicator.
• People are finding ways to make it work.
• Board orientation today and Board Meeting tomorrow for Leadership Network.
• Frustration: Trying to figure out and navigate around those that "see one example" and think that's THE THING instead of seeing the whole landscape and the mini movements and how THE THING fits into a larger picture.
• I used this about a person today: "He's a leader who knows what he doesn't know for the most part."  You can't be perfect in that type of thing but the most dangerous types are those that think they know it all.
• I promise to blog more about this later but I had a call Friday with a reporter. Very smart guy. Informed. And his question: How do nondenominational churches keep from heresy just makes me laugh out loud. I will shoot for Wednesday or Thursday for my answer.
• My buddy Sam Chand is in town but he is at airport and I have to go to Board Dinner tonight.
• Watching the ARC All Access Conference now at www.allaccessconference.com. So proud of my ARC buds and their conference. #arcconf
• Love the fact that they have a "youth choir" up there tonight at their conference.

Dave's Daily Dose - Dump Weekend of April 24

• My friend Greg Lee had a better post on Earth day than me. I like his. Read it: http://greglee.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/earth-day/
• My buddy Eric Swanson is at Talledega this week. Notice how he didn't offer his boss tickets? I did.
• My buds at sticky church conference are announcing a big offer on Monday.http://stickychurch.com/conference
• Now that I am home from Orlando and out of reach of the local constabulary let me say this:

1. I think I have personally paid for that toll road over the past few years.
2. If you have a toll road and require correct change when you exit, you should tell us BEFORE we get on the toll road. It's ok to have toll cashiers.

• All the toll cashiers (at the places they actually had them) were very nice and genial. Except one. I swear that one was either already dead or a Disney automaton
• After seeing all the new church planting group names I have decided to start a new one. Snake Handling Association for Kingdom Expansion. SHAKE. Its for all those that believe all the New Testament. Wanna Join?
• Greg Surratt the funniest story about a Snake in their service at Easter. Get him to tell it to you sometime.
• I actually attended a Snake Handling church 30 years ago. Once. And they didn't bring out the snakes that service.
• To answer the most common question: Rattlers.
• But Like I said, they didn't get them out that night. Thank you Lord.
• Geoff Surratt is known as the funniest Surratt but I think Greg could give him a run for his money. Greg is sneaky funny.
• And Greg's wife is sweet.
• And finally, the Georgia Satellites are playing Snellville Days next week. If you know who they are......you are as old as me. And if you don't, keep your hands to yourself.

Dave Daily Dump Friday April 24th

A generic form of evangelicalism is emerging as the normative form of non-Catholic Christianity in the  United States."
Mark Silk, director of the Public Values Program at Trinity College . The number of Americans identifying as "non-denominational Christian" has increased from less than 200,000 in 1990 to over 8 million today.

This is from the recent ARIS study. More on that in the big blog later.

• http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2009/04/can_we_separate.html

I think this is on to something. I am all for creation care but the ideology that drives some of the environmental movement is counter to the gospel. So this might be a helpful corrective.

•  I was told today I missed Earth Day. Who knew?
• Therapy today to 142 degrees of flexion. That’s smokin for me.
• That means how far the torturer puts you that day. I think a medieval rack would be more humane.
• Just got Reggie McNeal’s “Present Future” in paperback here at the house. It has really sold well in the hardcover, now for less.
• Who isn’t a Simpson’s Fan and needs this map: http://adn.blam.be/springfield/
• Lotsa folks at conferences this week in a down economy – Exponential was over 3000, Catalyst a little north of that number. I heard Together for the Gospel in Chicago was 3300. I got two wildly different numbers from folks at Christian Leadership Alliance and would like some reality there. But lots of folks getting the conference stuff this week.
• Headed to Dallas next week for Board meetings and Board orientation so the Daily Dump may miss a day on Monday.
• Reporter call today was on the growth of Non denominational churches in the US and Why.
• Big new announcement for sticky church conference in Atlanta. See www.learnings.leadnet.org for more of that.

Dave Daily Dump April 24, 2009

·        Saddened to learn of the death of Carl Dudley. A fantastic church researcher not followed much in our circles but he made a great contribution. He was a warm hearted and generous person towards me when I was just a kid. http://blogs.courant.com/susan_campbell/2009/04/i-want-to-tell-you-about-carl.html

• ·        At our LN party last night at Chris and Susan Willard’s house we had about 50 folks. Including the great guys at Westridge Church in Dallas , Georgia. They are planting machines and good guys to boot. I have only known Brian for five years or so but Jim Akins and I go way back.

• ·        Also got to spend more time with Ed Bahler of Aspen and Bill Cochenour of Cogun last night. What great, bright guys.

•       Dave Ferguson introduced Matt Chandler this morning as “the guy Craig Groeschel says is the best preacher America.

·       

• Chandler sung during his talk today. Not bad, but didn’t want to buy the album.

• ·        “When the gospel is clearly communicated the broken, amoral and wicked will gather to hear the good news. That is who the gospel is for.” Matt Chandler.

•   Matt and his wife have new baby girl due soon.

• ·        And Matt kicked serious tail in his talk. His breakout was huge as well.

• ·        He will be on Main Stage at Exponential Conference next year.

• ·        I don’t have a cool enough shirt to be a church planter.

• ·        Hooked up with Mike who has planted a church in Cartersville, Georgia called Oak Leaf. Great news for Cartersville.

• ·        Saw old friends Troy and Janet McMahon of Restore Church in Kansas City area. Starting their second site. Good people and great leaders.

•       Even Frances Chan is overwhelmed by this introduction today at Exponential: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynEeUQhAPp8

Ode to the Yellow Pad

 I was reminded of my love for Yellow legal pads as I read Wayne Cordeiro’s “Leading On Empty” this weekend.

I can’t live without my stacks of pads. Wayne described using his as journals, pouring his heart and thoughts onto those pads.

I use mine in other ways.

First – my preferences:

Although I call it a “legal” pad, it is really letter sized. These fit easier into my backpack and lap.

I do use yellow because it saves my eyes. (Sorry environmental friends)

I like stiffer backs when I can get them but I don’t spring for super expensive ones. Regular office store brands work for me.

I do use a moleskine pocket cahier for quick notes and my larger moleskine for more “keeper” notes, thoughts and memos. Those go with me wherever I go.

Yellow pads are my brainstorm tool.

They are large enough to draw diagrams, chart drafts, tables and the like and allow me to visualize what they might look like in a more finished document.

I have more room when drafting memos or letters to try multiple sentence variations which can be scratched out and rearranged with arrows or numbers to the side to try different order combinations.

I know the digital mafia thinks this can all be done on the computer and sure, it can. And they are probably faster in the long run. But for me the act of putting words and concept to paper with my own hand is emotionally satisfying

If I am handed a loose sheet of paper, I can slip it behind the bound pages in front of the back to keep up with it.

When I use a fountain pen, the soft cushion of the underlying pages helps the ink and thoughts flow.

And I can remove pages anywhere in the pad, pass them along or toss them when I am finished.

My notebooks are for meetings with others and my yellow pads are for meetings with myself.

So thanks Wayne for reminding me of the value of this tool.

How about you? What are your key “analog” tools and how do you use them?

What do you take to a conference?

(this item is cross-posted at learnings.leadnet.org)

Because of my role at Leadership Network I am somewhat of a pro at attending and hanging around at conferences. Each year I learn something new.

 

My pack list:

 

1. My own pen. Yep, I know a lot of conferences give you one but if I am going to take a lot of notes and write them, I feel better using my own pen. (Current model: a cheap Foray ballpoint retractable.)

2. My moleskine notebook – Yep, I know a lot of conferences hook you up with a really cool pad or journal or notebook, but my notebook is not so much about what the speakers say – but about my reactions and applications of what they say. How is this challenging me? What can I apply?

3. My cell phone – set to silent or vibrate so it doesn’t bother folks but lets me keep up with twitters, tweet ups and texts from friends that I want to connect with while there.

4. Business cards – Call me old fashioned. I know that folks like to text and beam stuff around, but biz cards still work for me. Plus I can always write a special note on the back. I pack a bunch and put some in my pocket and some in my moleskine.

5. Comfortable shoes – most of the conferences I go to you can wear anything. I am not a sit down person but more of a stand up hang around type. So good walking and standing shows with soft soles is a must.

6. A light jacket – for me, that is usually a casual blazer but people say I look old that way. Guess what. Don’t care. You never know what the temp is going to be in a facility, plus with a jacket I have extra pockets for all my stuff.

7. Breathe mints or gum- If you are wondering if your breathe stinks, it probably does.

8. Crash Cash – for books, water bottles, coffee. Yeah lots of places will take plastic but lots don’t, so I carry some with me.

9. Laptop – it is sort of a habit with me.  This one is optional.  Sometimes I break it out to blog something or send a message before I forget. I know the smartphone and iphone geeks are laughing at me but sometimes you just have to flip up the screen and get some “real work” done.

10. A hang loose attitude – I find a lot of folks stress out at these deals. I just count it a blessing to hang around some smart folks. Enjoy it like you would a party. Meet some new folks. Reconnect with old friends. Find out what is going on in their world. It makes my life bigger.

 

OK, so what do you carry along with you?

Will I see you at i3? Come and find me and let’s swap biz cards.

Dave Travis

Managing Director

Leadership Network