Mental Post-Its

Thoughts, Notes, and General Mental Mayhem

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The Justice Conference 2015: My Favorite Quotes

Justice Conference StageLast week I attended The Justice Conference in Chicago with a couple of friends. This was my second year, and yet again, it provoked so many thoughts about social justice and pricked my heart for reconciliation in the hard places.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes. I hope you enjoy them too. May they lodge themselves in your mind, and propel you toward creating a better future for us all.

 

Cornel West

Scholar, Activist, Servant and Lover of Music

  • May the God of justice bless you with discomfort.
  • Have the audacity to make Jesus your choice.
  • Look back before you move forward.
  • Love your way through the darkness.
  • If the Kingdom of God is in you, you should leave a little bit of heaven wherever you go.
  • Following Jesus means you’re welcoming a proximity to pain.
  • Quoting Samuel Beckett, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”

Eugene Cho

Pastor, Writer, Visionary

  • Justice must be part of our worship of God.
  • Everyone loves justice until there is a cost.
  • John 4: Jesus HAD to go through Sumeria. He was compelled. He went to the hard places to make people’s lives better.
  • Even good things can become idolatrous.
  • Everything we do should be a response to God’s love.
  • Justice must always be humble.
  • Be careful that you don’t become self-righteous. Otherwise YOU may be the mountain God wants to move.
  • Our hope is not in our Savior Complex.

Louis Dooley

Illinois Regional Director, Set Free Ministries

  • Get out of the Christian bubble.
  • Get your hands dirty.

Bob Goff

Best-Selling Author and Speaker

  • Love everybody, always.
  • God makes people. And people make issues. But people aren’t issues.
  • Let people get justice because they know you.
  • You’ll be known for your ideas, but remembered for your love.

Ken Wytsma

Teacher, Entrepreneur, Author

  • Faith lives in a climate of doubt.
  • It’s not the quality of faith that matters, but the presence.

Jenny Yang

Vice President of Advocacy and Policy at World Relief

  • We are all called to be advocates.
  • There is a limit on charity, but there is no limit to transformational relationships.

Ann Voskamp

Author, Blogger, Farmer’s Wife

  • We need to become the Esther generation, advocating for those outside the gates.
  • Accept the invitation to cross boundaries.
  • When your heart breaks for justice, pray to stay broken.

Jonathan Merritt

Columnist and Author

  • We should nurture bravery, humility, empathy and diversity.
  • Learn how to disagree well. It usually involves more listening.

Rev. Traci Blackmon

Pastor, Member of the Fergusson Commission

  • Many of us are blind to our privilege.
  • Privilege is an “othering” of people.
  • Look for God’s image in everyone.
  • Nobody gives up privilege willingly. Are you ready to pay the cost?

Louie Giglio

Pastor of Passion City Church, Founder of the Passion Movement

  • Be quietly worshipful and noisily grateful.
  • Your core identity must be Jesus. Anything else, and heaven will be a disappointment.
  • You’re a Jesus worshipper first, not a job or activist or anything else.
  • Justice isn’t a career path. It’s a theological imperative. It’s rooted in everyone, woven in divinity and reconciliation.
  • If you aren’t at peace, your going to be asking your mission to validate you.

Neichelle Guidry

Preacher and Worship Curator

  • In the presence of Jesus, character is revealed.
  • Jesus only spent 25% of His time in church throughout recorded scripture.
  • Perhaps its not enough to just have a heart that’s in the right place.
  • Growth always comes with growing pains.
  • Your comfort comes at someone else’s discomfort.
  • Grow up. Become Kingdom-minded. Choose.
  • If you’re going to live in the Kingdom of God, you need to give up your addiction to convenience and comfort.

 

And here’s the highlight video for a peek inside the event.

The JUSTICE Conference 2015 Highlights from The JUSTICE CONFERENCE on Vimeo.


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Leadercast Conference Highlights

The Brave OnesLast Friday I attended Leadercast for the first time. I looooove being at conferences, and was especially excited to be a newbie at this event. The funny thing is that I was there at the same Arena just a week earlier for my company’s conference. But it was really cool to see how differently they used the space, and what they had going on that we could learn from.

The theme, “The Brave Ones,” was awesome and inspiring. It was definitely what I needed to hear right now, and I was also excited to share it with friends who came to mind as I sat there in my seat.

Here are some of my takeaways. I hope they can help you to be more brave too.

Andy Stanley

  • Bold leadership isn’t just for bold, fearless, super-talented or ultra smart people. Bold leaders have clarity, focus, be stubborn and stay resourceful.
  • Bold leadership is the clarity around an unreasonable commitment to what should be.
  • Bold leaders refuse to be cowed by “how.” You can “how” an idea to death.
  • Ask yourself this question from Joel Backer’s book, Paradigm, ” What do I believe is impossible in my field, but would fundamentally change my business or industry?”
  • Think about Nehemiah. His work was almost interrupted by a meeting. But he said, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.”

Bill McDermott

  • Don’t obsess over your competition. Obsess on the areas they can’t or won’t cover. Do it better.
  • Trust is the ultimate currency.
  • The best part of you is you—your uniqueness.

Commander Rorke Denver

  • Limit your field of view and you’ll actually see more.
  • Make bold corrections.
  • Bravery doesn’t have to be a solo experience.
  • Choose the amount of work you’re going to take on wisely.
  • Don’t avoid the pain. Bravery is there. Lean into it. It’s a growth opportunity.

Malala Yousafzai – THIS is who I came to see, and she didn’t disappoint!

  • This war will be fought with books and pens, not swords and guns.
  • I still believe in a happy ending.
  • If I didn’t speak out, I thought I might have to live that way forever.
  • Don’t wait for the fight to be taken up by someone else. Why not you?
  • In every field of life we find brave people. Bravery has no limit.
  • It’s your duty to speak up for what’s right or just.
  • We are all living here together. We must think of others as brothers and sisters. We must speak up from all sides.
  • We can all make a better world. Everyone has a role to play.

Peyton Manning

  • If you wait for someone else to make the change, you are a follower.
  • Learn to thrive on uncomfortable situations.
  • Invest in a coach.
  • Set personal goals that contribute to the team’s overall success.
  • Understand the power of your influence, but realize your accomplishments are never made alone.
  • Surround yourself with people who will give you honest feedback.
  • Earn your platform.

Seth Godin

  • Bravery isn’t just for other people. It’s for us too.
  • We don’t need people who copy. We need people who create.
  • To make art, you must be all in.
  • When Gutenberg launched the press, the illiteracy rate was 93%. He didn’t wait until he had a market for it. He had a dream that he pursued.
  • It’s always too soon. We can be prepared, but we can never be ready.
  • We can make change, but we can’t change everyone.
  • Change creates: Tension, obsession, connection, direction and compassion.
  • Treat every opportunity like its your last.
  • Do work that matters.
  • Own your unreasonableness.

Ed Catmull

  • Creativity is the process by which we solve problems.
  • Focus on the dynamic of the team, not the ideas.
  • Create shared ownership.
  • Give good and honest notes.
  • Failure is necessary for something new.
  • To be successful, you must be wiling to take the first step.
  • Creative people usually discover their talents over time, by continually being wiling to take the hard problems.

Aja Brown

  • Bravery is a decision to live not just exist. Brave leaders just make the decision and do what needs to be done.
  • Peace is one of the most powerful things that cannot be bought.
  • Brave leaders ask the basic question, “If not me, who?”
  • Be brave enough to believe in a different future.
  • Brave leaders overcome the fear of failure. It’s not that brave leaders never fail, it’s that they never quit. the worst case is not failure, but it’s living in the invisible prison of fear.
  • Elevate your expectations in order to elevate your organization. If your team lacks momentum, elevate your vision.
  • Dream a vision that’s too big for you to achieve by yourself.
  • Brave leaders serve for the purpose, not the praise.

Rudy Giuliani

  • One of my rules of leadership is to always go to the scene of the incident.
  • People who succeed have strong beliefs and big ideas.
  • To be a leader, you have to be an optimist. Be a problem solver. Every problem may not have a solution, but every problem comes with perspective.
  • To be a leader, you have to have courage. If you’re not afraid, something is wrong with you.
  • Relentless preparation takes the fear out of leadership.
  • Teamwork—it’s never about you.
  • If you want to be a leader, you have to communicate. People cannot know what you think and want. You have to tell them, and you have to tell them again.


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The Orange Conference Live Stream—It’s FREE!

Screen Shot 2013-10-08 at 8.02.48 PM

Over 6,000 of you will be joining us in Atlanta next week! And while we’d love for everyone reading this to be here in person, we realize that’s not always possible. So, we’d like to offer you the next best thing: tune in online! FOR FREE! You’ll be able to see on- and off-stage action, including session streaming, speaker interviews, mayhem and hi-jinx, resource updates and giveaways—and maybe even win a ticket to OC15!

Be sure to RSVP for the Live Stream to receive additional information and special offers. We will not spam you, or sell your info. That’s just rude.

And don’t forget to invite your friends to watch with you!

A full Live Stream schedule will be posted just prior to the conference on this blog.

And if you’re super excited about the Live Stream, but tend to get a little distracted, text “LIVE” to 404-445-2198. We’ll send you text updates about what’s happening, reminders and important info. But we promise not to message you like a sixth grade girl at a One Direction concert.

The Orange Conference, a conference for entire family ministry teams, will be held April 30–May 2, 2014, in Atlanta. Over 5,000 key influencers—senior, next gen, student, children’s and preschool leaders—will gather to experience the power of “Yes,” and learn new insights into influencing the faith and character of the next generation. For more information, please visit www.TheOrangeConference.com.

 

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM ORANGE LEADERS.


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Social Ecclesia Conference Highlights

Screen Shot 2014-04-17 at 6.44.24 PMLast month, I attended a nifty new conference called Social Ecclesia with a few of my co-workers. The premise of the event is to help churches with their social media strategy. I think it’s a pretty great idea. These one-day mico-conferences are being held several times per year right now, and are well worth your time and effort if you are a church leader looking to learn more about developing a social approach to sharing the hope of the gospel.

Here are some of the notes I took away from the day.

Justin Wise

  • Authority in the social media age is determined by “who’s around” not “top down”
  • Media is interactive. It’s relational. Engage.
  • Just because people are seeing content doesn’t mean it’s working.
  • A new media culture values customization (iTunes, Netflix, DVR, Twitter, FB, etc.). You can tell when you put content in front of them that they don’t want. They check out.
  • Offline and online is blurred. Teens see social media as a regular part of life.
  • Social media is the new greeter at your church.
  • The FB generation doesn’t want to go to a church that works like a corporation. They want a flexible, interactive community with a cause.

Carrie Kintz at Focus on the Family

  • Van Gogh: I feel there is nothing more artistic that to love someone.
  • People are expressing their brokenness on social media because they don’t feel welcome at the church.
  • “We’re all stories in the end.” – Dr. Who
  • People who volunteer somewhere have happier lives. We are made to serve.
  • To feel loved we must feel known.
  • The church has hope. We need to share it more on social media. (Matt 5:14-16)
  • Don’t let disaster be the first time someone hears from you or your church.
  • Interact with your city’s hashtag.
  • Pray.

Matt McKee

  • Questions change the conversation.
  • How do we leverage social media for the sake of the Gospel?
  • Does the promise meet the practice? If it doesn’t, we fail. This is super important for churches to understand.
  • Online communication should drive offline conversations.
  • Church isn’t limited to an hour each week. Do you have a strategy for both?
  • Ask what problem are you solving?
  • Online presence: 70% interaction 20 content, 10 stats

Tony Morgan

  • Your communication doesn’t matter if you don’t know what a devoted follower looks like and can’t help move them there.
  • People can’t handle too many options. It gets confusing.
  • Increase church activity doesn’t equal spiritual growth.
  • Do your programs reach people outside the church or only satisfy insiders? Ask, “Which ministries is God blessing?”
  • Are your steps clearly communicated?
  • People are attracted to environments where life change is happening.
  • People generally go where they are invited.

Haley Veturis at Saddleback Church

  • Saddleback.com/weaps – their social media plan
  • 3 out of 4 Americans use social media
  • 2/3 of the global population uses social media
  • 13 hour sof video uploaded every minute on YouTube
  • 100K YouTube videos viewed per day
  • 3 million Tweets per day
  • 5 million minutes per day spent on FB
  • Saddleback social media strategy: Connect. Teach. Share.
  • Engage with the people you care about first. Educate community with great content from teachers and speaking pastors. Expose the community to ministry opps.
  • Follow your followers!
  • Go above and beyond when you can. (Disney does this well.)
  • Keep a pulse on the heartbeat of your community.
  • Empower others to be your advocates.
  • 5 Steps in 5 Minutes
  • 1. Identify a social media champion for your church.
  • 2. Check for consistency across channels.
  • 3. Identify your audience on each channel.
  • 4. Follow your followers.
  • 5. Unlink FB/Twitter accounts.

Dave Willis

  • Do people think your phone is your god because you never put it down?
  • Don’t use social media to impress people, use it to impact people.
  • Choose to be an encourager.
  • If you don’t intentionally pull away from social media periodically, then you’re living your life in a digital prison.
  • The impact of your influence will be determined by the effectiveness of your methods and the purity of your motives. Psalm 19:14
  • Criticism is the price of influence. (Luke 6:26, Rom 12:18)
  • Show respect, even to those who don’t deserve it, not as a reflection of their character, but of yours.
  • The best way to build credibility with people is to consistently practice generosity.
  • Always be more interested in gaining followers for Jesus than you are in gaining followers for yourself.

James Andrews

  • The power has shifted from corporations and institutions to individuals and communities.
  • Customer service is the new PR. Effort matters.
  • Social media is the new main street.
  • Create conversations
  • Start with goals before tactics.
  • Be great listeners.
  • PR/Marketing role is to create, monitor, participate and filter
  • Influences and audience aren’t necessarily the same thing.
  • Be you.
  • Remember there are NO rules.
  • Don’t focus on numbers.
  • Convert social connections into real connections.
  • Give something back. Don’t just take.
  • Experiment continuously.
  • Make it easy for people to create data.


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February Atlanta Events

459993477Ah, amore! It’s may be cold outside, but hearts remain warm inside. However, whether you’re flying solo or part of a duo, there are plenty of things to keep you busy in February.

Stay cozy out there!