Big Is The New Small

The local church is such a beacon of hope for every local community, It doesn’t get much better than being connected to your local church.  The local church has tremendous responsibility and I believe Pastor Bill Hybels says it best when he said this, “The local church is the hope of the world and it’s future primarily rests in the hands of its leaders.”  That is such a true statement and it also demands a great deal of responsibility for the local church.

Ministry leaders must understand that The LifeLine Of The Church is engaging the people and the entire family.  By engaging the entire family, the church can ensure that generations of Christ follower will continue to be raised up.  The church can also ensure the church will be a growing thriving place of hope for the lost and the community at-large.

Ministry leaders not only have the responsibility of leading, discipleing, shepherding, teaching and developing their congregants, they must also put the proper systems in place to steward the people and financial resources that God has placed in their care.

For church leaders to adequately serve the families and individuals that call their church home they need an accurate and complete picture of the people and their involvement in the church. If the information is incomplete, inaccurate, or stored in several different systems, it makes it nearly impossible to customize your care based on their needs.

A comprehensive church management system like Fellowship One provides a comprehensive, 360 degree view of the families and individuals involved in your church. You will have up-to-date information just one click away including their name, age, and contact details; the names and ages of their children; the latest notes and communications between them and the church; a graphical view of their involvement as a participant or volunteer in the church’s activities; and with the proper security, their donation history.

As a Ministry Leader, I personally love having Fellowship One not only available on my computer but also on my iPad and iPhone.  Fellowship One is the foundational system that helps us to stay connected with our volunteers, small groups, children, students and attenders.  It’s a simple solution that just makes sense.  My boys have even learned to appreciate the system, last time we went on vacation in Florida, we attended another church that also used Fellowship One.  My youngest son said, “Dad, their check-in system is just like the one at home.  Look, they even have the same name tag stickers.”

You are called to serve the people, it doesn’t matter whether you are a church plant or a church with a huge congregation, Fellowship One has a comprehensive management system for you.  The People and The Families are The LifeLine Of The Church… Ministry Leaders have a responsibility to manage them.

Share your thoughts and experiences with Fellowship One and the importance of a church management system.

As a leader it’s important to set the tone for your team or organization, especially as it relates to handling difficult or crisis situations.  If the leader wigs out, stresses out, worries or has a heart attack during high stress or crisis situations; there will always be undertones of that stress transferred to the rest of the team.

As you can imagine running a prison presents the daily opportunity for high stress, crisis and potentially life & death situations.  During my tenure as a young prison Warden, I realized that The Stress Of Leadership Is Self-Induced.  I had the personal choice of whether or not I allowed events or people to stress me out.  I would watch the previous Warden get stressed out by the most trivial things.  Realizing that it was up to me, I developed philosophy and mindset to handle these potentially high stress or crisis situations.

The philosophy was simply this,  ”There is nothing that we can’t begin to fix in 5 Minutes and 5 Phone Calls.”    I trained my Chief of Security and my Officers to not sweat the small stuff and embrace the fact that crisis situations will happen… it’s not about the situation it’s about how you handle the situation.

If there was a full-blown prison riot the process within the first 5 Minutes would be to make the following 5 Phone Calls:

• Call Local Law Enforcement
• Call Me “The Warden”
• Call The Department of Corrections Liaison
• Call Vice President of Operations
• Call Media/PR Representative

This mindset puts all situations, including crisis situation into perspective.   The bottom line is that we will face problems and potentially stressful situations on a regular basis.  It doesn’t matter if the problem that we face is work related or personal, what matters is there is the beginning to a solution around the corner.  Stop Wiggin’ Out, Tell Your Boss To Stop Wiggin’ Out and embrace the fact that every situation, including Life & Death one’s can begin the “fixing process” in 5 Minutes and 5 Phone Calls.

Once a leader comes to the realization that The Stress Of Leadership Is Self-Induced, they can embody Albert Einstein’s version of 5 Minutes and 5 Phone Calls. Einstein says it this way, ”Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.”

What do you think?  Share your thoughts and experiences of how leaders handle stressful situations.

Time is such a precious resource, unfortunately often times we don’t treat it as such.  I am a huge proponent of maximizing your time.  Anyone who has ever worked for me or as a peer knows that I Can’t stand Meeting Monkey’s, because more times than not, meetings are a waste of time.

Meetings are definitely not the only thing that kills this precious resource; however in the business world it’s often at the top of the list.  Below are a few more time killers that you need to Stop.

STOP…

• worrying about what other people think.  – You can’t control it, Time Is Killing You!
• surfing the web that doesn’t have any waves. — Would you surf in the ocean if there were no waves? Don’t spend unnecessary time on the web.  The web has a purpose, make sure that purpose yields a ROI. Time Is Killing You!
• trying to be like so and so. — You were not made to be so and so, Time Is Killing You!
• being Negative Nancy and Jealous John. — Negative energy breeds negative energy, Time Is Killing You!
• settling for being normal. — It Sucks Being Normal, you were created for more, Time Is Killing You!
• focusing on the things that really don’t matter and sweatin’ the small stuff. — Evaluate your life from the standpoint of this question: “Does this really matter?” Time Is Killing You!

It’s time to view the phrase “Killing Time” from a new perspective.  Killing time is a good thing, it means you are positively directing this precious resource that we call Time.  On the other hand, if Time Is Killing You… You Are Wasting Your Time.

Are You Killing Time or is Time Killing You?  Stop Wasting Your Time!

There is nothing better than a great worship tune, that comes from true worship leaders out of the local church.  The names that come to mind for me include: Kari Jobe, Israel Houghton & Hillsong United. For more than two decades, Integrity Music has introduced new worship songs emerging from churches around the world including Gateway, New Life and Lakewood in the U.S. and Hillsong in Australia.

Integrity’s latest discovery is Abundant Life Ministries a dynamic, multi-cultural church based in Bradford, England and led by pastor and renowned speaker/author Paul Scanlon.  One thing is for certain is that Integrity knows how to find some of the best talent in the world and shares their music with the world.  I got my copy of ALM UK’s new CD titled “Name Above All Names” a couple of weeks ago when it released.  It’s definitely a great CD with tracks that will grab you personally and will play well in a corporate worship setting.  Some of my personal favorite tunes on the CD are Be Glorified, Name Above All Names, My God Reigns and First Love.  You can grab your copy directly from Integrity here or on iTunes here.

If you would like to win a copy, Integrity has given my 10 copies of this CD to give away.  Winning is as easy as 1-2-3:

• Watch the video above.
• Leave a comment stating that you would like to win a copy of the CD.
• Re-Tweet my tweet about winning a copy, or simply copy and paste this tweet info. to your Facebook status if your aren’t on Twitter.  If you don’t have Twitter or Facebook, simply leave a comment letting us know, and we will pray for you to move into the new media generation.  :-)  Seriously leave a comment and let me know that you don’t have  either Facebook or Twitter.  Here is the tweet or you can simply find @scottwilliams on twitter and re-tweet it: Win A FREE Copy Of ALM UK’s CD — A Hot New Worship Band from @IntegrityMusic http://bit.ly/almuk1

I will randomly draw 10 Names from those who complete steps 1-2-3 by 11:59 pm central time tonight 7/2/10. Integrity Music will promptly send winners their FREE copy of ALM UK’s CD.  Good luck and share this info. with your friends.   Ready, Set, Go!

UPDATE WINNERS: Below are the 10 random # Winners.  I used the random # selector from random.org to select.  If your comment is one of the numbers below, you will receive an e-mail and a free copy of this amazing album.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

6
13
23
7
5
10
24
26
22
1

I am still in the debate on whether or not I should get the iPhone 4.  My family all have the iPhone 3G’s on T-Mobile. I can’t seem to get myself to move to AT&T with everyone that I talk to complaining about dropped calls.  On the other hand, I’m an Apple fan and having the latest greatest face-time device has tempted me to make the switch.

As I was pondering my wait, I saw video that my man @chaselayman shared.  This is basically a little mini short film that was all sot and edited on the iPhone 4.  If this phone can create a finished video product like the one featured above, it’s a no-brainer.  This just minimized me having to roll out my Flip or Creative Vado video cameras.

If you have an iPhone 4, this video will inspire you to maximize it’s video potential.  I you don’t have an iPhone 4, This Will Convince You To Get An iPhone 4.  Now if we can just get the no contracts, e-bay, craigslist prices to drop.

Share your thoughts on the video, your iPhone 4 experience and your decision whether or not to get one.

As of today, it’s been 3 years since I launched this random blog that you have come to know as BigIsTheNewSmall.com. The name for this blog was inspired by Mr. Blogger himself Seth Godin and his book Small Is the New Big; I wonder if Seth will stop by and say Happy Birthday?  (Insert: Name Drop) I’ve shared some conversations w/ Seth and I love all of his books. Seth’s book Tribes was definitely a game changer for me.

BigIsTheNewSmall.com stats and Highlights:

• 3,500+ Subscribers
• Church Relevance’s Top 100 Bloggers
• 16,000+ Unique Visitors last month
• Great Conversations & Great Debates
• Some amazing companies are now sponsors

The reason that I share the numbers above is to say, “Those numbers and milestones wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for you… the faithful BigIstheNewSmall.com readers and blogging community. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.”

I’m looking forward to all that God will do through this little blog with a BIG name in the upcoming years.  I have some projects coming up that I hope you will get excited about (Insert Tease: I can’t share them at this time). Seriously, God has given me a story to share and I can’t wait to share it.

Blogging Tips:

Be Consistent-  Be consistent with your content, whatever consistent means for you.  What would you read more- a good newspaper that came every day, or a great newspaper that you were never sure was coming?

Find Your Voice- Find your writing/blogging voice and not the voice of your favorite blogger. Who are you? and How are you gonna share your content specialization in the unique voice that God has given you?

Know Your Purpose- It’s important to write for the right reasons.  Write because you have something to share, to create discipline, because you enjoy doing it…  If you write for influence alone, it’s a tough hill to climb.  If you write for the right reasons, the readers and influence will follow.

Make It Worth Reading-  Remember “Content Is King!”

Don’t Give Up- Keep writing and don’t give up.

A Look Back:

What have been some of your favorite posts, comments and interactions on BigIsTheNewSmall.com?

A Look Ahead:

What types of posts and content would you like to see more of in the future?

Thanks again for reading and remember you can now subscribe via e-mail and RSS, the buttons are located in the header.

All of us have heard the phrase, “It’s what’s on the inside that matters.” This phrase is uttered to children as early as grade school to help build them up from the negative comments from their elementary school peers. This same phrase finds it’s way weaving and bobbing through the various streets of life all the way to adulthood.

Let’s be honest and answer this tough question, “Is What’s On The Inside What Really Matters?”  I mean seriously we live in a world that screams what’s on the outside matters, appearance matters, bigger-better-faster matters and simply talking a good game matters.

Scripture teaches us otherwise, God doesn’t focus on what’s on the outside. It is what’s on the inside that matters most to Him. The Bible tells us that God’s focus is on developing what’s inside of us.  “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

It’s important to look at this scripture not only from the standpoint of beauty, but also from the perspective of having the heart of a winner.  It doesn’t matter if the cards of life are stacked against you and outwardly you would appear to have a limited shot at success.  If you have heart and inner determination, you will succeed.  Deep down inside you have to believe these words at their core, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

My 11 year old son is generally the smallest kid at every track meet, b-ball and and on the football field… he still fights like a scrappy Big Dog.  He competes, because he has heart.   Because of what’s on the inside, he sometimes forgets that he’s the smallest kid in the game.

What Do You Do When The Odds Are Stacked Against You? You have to do like my son and many others, forget the odds even exist, go Against All Odds.  It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, It’s the size of the fight in the dog. Go Fight… Against All Odds!

Share your Thoughts!  What Do You Do When The Odds Are Stacked Against You?

Criticism is a one of those words that seems to cut most people like a knife.  Although the knife doesn’t seem as sharp when we put the word “constructive” in front of the word criticism; none-the-less the word still seems to pierce.

When I was growing up my mom would always tell me: “Son, you can’t control or worry about what people say… you can only control what you say and what you do.”  Later on in life, as a young leader I had a mentor that would always say “If you’re doing something worthy of people taking shots at you… they will.  I would much rather have a leader that people don’t always understand and who are occasionally criticized, than a “leader” that no one ever talks about.”   I’ve heard my pastor say something like “If you want to find the leader, look for the one with the arrow in their back!”

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes criticism is necessary.  It’s important to have the people closest to you speak candidly into your life and seek wise counsel from those who will shoot you straight.  It’s important to view criticism as neutral… “It Is What It Is!”  This neutral mindset allows you to be comfortable with, “Eating The Meat and Spitting Out The Bones!”  If you don’t want to be criticized, I have some advice for you: Say Nothing, Do Nothing & Be Nothing! If you want to silence the critics, be yourself and do the right thing.

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” ~Theodore Roosevelt

I don’t ever want to find myself in the place with those “Cold and Timid Souls.”

Silence The Critics!

Share Your Thoughts?

There are tons of iPad Cases on the market; however I believe the DoDo Case is the best one.  Do your homework, search around and it hands down has the most consistently positive reviews.   You can add my review to the list of positive ones.  I really digg my DoDo Case, enough so that I decided to share it with you guys!

You can follow DoDo here: @dodosays and their website is DoDoCase.com.

What is your favorite iPad Case?  What are you looking for in a case?

There are a number of strategies that can help take your blog to the next level; however in my opinion there are three crucial things that a blog must focus on.  It’s almost like you have to look at your blog like a well crafted automobile. Focusing on these three ingredients below will Drive Your Blog to The Next-Level.

Let’s Take A Test Drive:

• The Paint- (The Look) Having a blog design that looks good is important.  This can range from a free clean theme, purchased theme, customized theme to a fully customized blog.  The bottom line is it should look good.  I have always had a theme that I tweaked a little bit, until my recent design.  My current design a a fully customized Standard Theme.  There was a lot of work that went into the coding and detail of this design.  My man Kyle over at EightDay Studio did a great job with the design.
• The Motor- (What’s Under The Hood) I was guilty of having a decent design, but what was under my hood definitely wasn’t a HEMI.  Now that I have the Standard Theme, I can ensure that my motor is running like a Lamborghini.  My Standard Theme car engine is, SEO-optimized (so people can more easily find me), load-speed is great, it’s cross-browser compatible, it uses valid technical standards (e.g., XHTML/CSS, PHP, advanced asynchronous analytics, etc.), has great advertising options, it allows for bread crumbs and it employs the best practices for making it easy to virally share the content.  That’s why you should probably get the Standard Theme and customize your blog to it.  The fully customiseable option is only $99, definitely money well spent.
• The Driver- (The Content) Everyone successful blogger knows that above all, content is king. There is no better way to get Drive Your Blog to The Next-Level than writing quality consistent content.  Above anything else… quality, helpful, entertaining and consistent content trumps everything.  If you had a newspaper subscription and they didn’t deliver it consistently, wouldn’t you cancel it?   A blog is no different, except for the fact that there are thousands to choose from and they’re  free; therefore making Consistent Quality Content of high importance!

If you want to get a copy of the Standard Theme you can do so here.  Better yet, if you want to win a copy of the Standard theme, I will be giving away a copy right here at BigIsTheNewSmall.com.  Here is how you enter for a chance to win:

• Leave a comment below, stating that you would like to win a copy of the Standard Theme.
• Tweet or Facebook this info: Learn How To Drive Your Blog To The Next-Level and Win a FREE Copy of the Standard Theme: http://bit.ly/bl2nl

Happy Driving!

UPDATE WINNERS: Below is the 1 random Winners.  I used the random # selector from random.org to select.  If your comment is the number selected below, you will receive an e-mail and a free copy of the Standard Theme.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

5