Financial mentor Dave Ramsey is currently teaching a 3-week series at LifeChurch.tv for churches across the world to use. It’s called Life. Money. Hope.

Dave did an interview about the series (you can watch it below),  here are a few bullet points;

about money…

• When the economy changes, the rules don’t.
• Have an emergency fund.
• Don’t get into debt.
• Live on a budget.
• Diversify.
• Think long term.
• Fear is not a fruit of the spirit.

about leadership…

• Surround yourself with people that share your value system.
• Get good at delegating.
• Know you can trust the people you work with.
• Invest in people (don’t just hire talent)
• Remember your history (what worked, what didn’t).
• Be in unity with others in your organization.

Yesterday this guy said something to me that got me thinking.

“That will never happen” …

We were talking about some of those “what if” kinds of things. Dreaming big.

All these church “experts” are saying “watch out” right now because of the economy, money is tight, some churches are laying people off, others are cutting programs.

But … I choose to believe.

You’re in a jet, flying low over New York City. Both engines have failed. Any idiot can see that everyone on the plane is going to die. The pilot can fly into a building and kill everyone on the plane or he can try to line up on a street and kill the unsuspecting motorists instead. These are his only two options.

Well, I’m on that jet too, and I say this pilot is going to land on the Hudson River and the plane is going to float and everyone will get out safely and then we’re all going to hop onto some big passenger ferries that will be exactly where we need them to be.

Don’t laugh. It could happen.

A history book of ancient Israel tells of a starving city surrounded by an enemy army. “Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’-the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

That story ends happily. Not just for the lepers, but for everyone in the city. Well, not quite everyone. There was one man who insisted that God himself couldn’t save the city. Interestingly, everyone made it safely onto the ferryboats except for that guy. He was the guy screaming hysterically ‘We’re all going to die!’ while the pilot was trying to land the plane on the Hudson.

It’s really an interesting story. You ought to read it.

I keep hearing people talk about kids and their video games like it’s some kind of plague.  But in my opinion, the games kids (and many adults too) are playing are much more than simple distractions.  They are much more social than you would think.

And a new study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project proves it.  Game playing is a social activity.  Only 11% of teens that play video games play them alone.

Video games are just a different type of game than you grew up playing.  Their forts are no longer made of cardboard boxes (Second Life) and are now connected to other players over distances you would have never taken you kids on a play date for.  And some of today’s video games have the ability to teach valuable skills; communications, graphics arts, economics, business administration, etc.

Sure, some games may be too graphic or violent, and you should make sure your kids are playing age appropriate games, but that’s no different than it was when you were a kid either.  Don’t you think a game of house ever went too far in your neighborhood?

[Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked]

He lifted up the name of Jesus without expecting those who do not yet trust him to pretend to do the same thing.

Watch it below…

Thank you, Joel.

When the team doesn’t know, doesn’t understand, or doesn’t agree with the vision of your organization there will be distraction. Why? Because they are not motivated by the same vision you have. And when someone is testing their own actions against a different set of filters, they make different decisions.

Examples:

If someone is thinking more about fixing someone’s idea of theology than helping hurting people, then they will choose debate rather than use their energy to help them.

If someone cares more about what we eat or drink than helping people without clean water to drink, then that’s where they will spend their energy.

If we debate about what we should wear while children around us are naked, then we will buy new cloths instead of trying to cloth the poor.

When we lead an organization, our vision needs to be more than a statement written on our website. It needs to be what we do, where we go, and what we based our decisions on.

At MapleGrove, we say “We Value unity in our vision & purpose and agree to set aside our differences in order to serve people.”  This means we agree not to debate things that distract us from our purpose.  We don’t spend time debating about how we (or others) do things.

This doesn’t mean we always agree on everything, we all have our opinions and experiences, and those are going to influence our decisions, but we agree to get over it and get on with our work. We try not to let our differences distract us.

So what’s the bid deal?  Is a website so important for a church?

Richard Reising, president of Artistry Marketing in Dallas, Texas, and author of the book Church Marketing 101, thinks it is. “Currently, 80 to 85 percent of people are finding their church based on websites,” he says. “Websites are replacing the yellow pages as a key mode of church advertising.”

Yet so few churches take this seriously.  What do you think?

I thought it was a joke when I first heard it. On April 10 the top 8 contestants on American Idol sing “Shout To The Lord”. I have to say this is the best I have ever heard it done.

If you’re not sure how to use this in your church, I suggest reading “Pop Goes The Church” before you make any critical comments.

The video below (click on the video to play) is our Christmas Wish to you and a little of what we have been busy with during this wonderful season of celebration of the birth of Christ. It begins with some comedy by Timothy (now 6), continues with clips from “A Christmas Carol” performed by the Lapeer Community Theater including – Jonathan, Garret, Alexis and Dianne, and ends with a fun version of a favorite Christmas song being performed by the worship team at our church. We hope that you enjoy it!

I know, the bible says “as iron sharpens iron” but I don’t think iron does that by telling the dull sword that he’s dull.

At my church, one of our core values is that we respect others, and it is never appropriate to tear down other people, organizations, or religions. In other words, it’s not our job to tell others what’s wrong with them.

Our words should “taste good” as food is “seasoned with salt” so that we make the most of every opportunity. Does criticism taste good?

I have a very hard time with this sometimes. How do you stay positive when someone is hurting someone? Or when their words or actions are not helping the situation? I have to hold my tong – wait for the right moment, and use positive words or actions to set a good example. I don’t always wait long enough.

What works for you?