History in the Making

The Trouble With Advice

There's a problem with advice...

We don't usually like each other's ideas.

Seriously.

I wouldn't have written your book... or started your kind of church... or branded your event that way... you get the drift. So when we ask each other for advice, we're getting a pretty biased perspective. All advice ought to end with "if you like that sort of thing."

Take comfort in knowing that great ideas are unrecognizable before they're executed.

In other words, it's okay if people don't like your ideas. They're not supposed to. Otherwise, they'd be their ideas. So go for it. Defy popular opinion.

All The Extraverts at Innovation3

All The Introverts at Innovation3

New Speakers Added to Catalyst West

It's getting clooooooser..... First-ever Catalyst west coast at Mariners Church in Irvine, CA on April 22-24. We're throwing a before party on the night of April 22 that will be worth coming for alone. And Erwin McManus and Mosaic are doing an Origins event for day one of the experience. Plus, Rick Warren, Luis Palau and Ravi Zacharias have all signed on. Super early bird deadline is this Thursday.

The Creative Art of Faking it

Eight years ago, I had an experience that sucked all of the enchantment out of magic and illusions for me.

My wife Ainsley and I had arrived early for a David Copperfield show at Washington, DC’s Warner Theater. We were sitting in a quickly filling theater, snacking on soft pretzels and soda, when a Copperfield staffer dressed in black tapped Ainsley on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, miss,” she said.

“Yes?” my wife responded cautiously.

“Would you like to be in one of David’s illusions?”

“Heck yeah!” I yelled, as I pulled Ainsley out of her seat and smacked her on the rear in excitement.

[Read the entire virtual magazine article on page 81...]

Oh, You Guys Are Gooooood. Too Good.

So I get this e-mail last week that made me feel really special. I was BEING INVITED to join John Maxwell and 50 other leaders at a round-table in Florida! Wow! And if I wanted, I could join John and a few others for a round of golf. Amazing. Honored. Floored.

So I walk into Brad's office: "Hey, did you get an invitation to join John Maxwell down in Florida in March?"

Brad: "Huh-uh. No, why?"

Ben: "Oh (awkwardly), well... I got this invitation... and, well, just wondered if you did. (Stammer, stammer, more awkwardness, slink away)

So I go back to my computer and look further into it.

Oh crap.

There it is.

(thoroughly embarrassed)

Ben: "Hey Brad, remember that Maxwell invitation I told you about?"

Brad: "Yeah?"

Ben: "$2,500. Mass e-mail."

Brad: (spews Diet Coke all over the floor in laughter)

How embarrassing...

Partying at Catalyst

Today is Sally Heffner's birthday - our marketing chief and all-around great gal. Celebrated at nearby Monterey's for lunch... good times.

Caffeinated Nostalgia

Got this pic from my good friend Jason Roberts this morning, who pastors Cross Current Church in Va Beach. This is a mug from the church we started 8 years ago in Reston, Va called History Church... now Reston Community Church. Maybe only 20 of these mugs left in the world.

Talk about full circle... the design firm that created this logo (reversed in this image obviously) - is the same design firm that is creating all of our marketing for Catalyst west coast. And you'll notice their logo isn't anywhere on this mug. How about that. =)  jib jab

Who Gets Credit for Your Website?

So you pay a nice fee to have someone build your website. You're hoping it will make your organization look more professional. Compelling. Innovative.

But there it is.

At the bottom of your site.

It's subtle. But it's there.

The website designer has linked his own website at the bottom of your site. It may not be large, but it's there. Advertising space that he built into your site so he can attract more clients.

Kill it. Ask to remove it. If you paid for it, you deserve to have a site that appears to be proprietary.

When Not to Use a Gatekeeper

When it serves to protect our egos rather than our schedules.

Friends don't use gatekeepers to book lunch with each other. Even leaders at the highest levels offer a private number... or a special e-mail address. When we book appointments through our gatekeepers, we are essentially saying, "You are not on my level. I am doing you a favor."

And, hey, that's okay. But I just want to be clear about it. =)

On Matt Chandler Trying to Get People Lost

Saw John Piper's intriguing comments about Matt Chandler on Church Relevance...

"Matt Chandler is in a church that is growing wildly with people who claim to be Christians. But he doesn't think they are. So he's trying to get them lost so he can get them saved."

I love that.

Dare You to Move

It is entirely possible to start a job in your sweet spot, but gradually find yourself out of place as the organization evolves, changes or grows. The ground can shift beneath your feet.

You'll know it when it happens. You'll repeatedly wake up unenthusiastic. You'll find yourself straining to be one of the effective ones at work. Your job will be a stress, not a pleasure.

Trouble is, you won't want to let other people down by leaving. You'll continue to struggle in an effort to "be faithful." And you'll unknowingly hold back the organization from all that it could be.

But worst of all, you'll miss out on the feeling of being the best at what you do... the sweet taste of effectiveness... and the joy of going to work every day.

Catalyst's New Emcees for West Coast

Jud Wilhite is anchoring the west coast event, but Tripp & Tyler will be providing color commentary. Thought I'd share  a little video footage of them this morning to help you get acquainted. =)

Stinks to Be in DC This Week

Unless you're Mark Batterson, and your office overlooks Union Station... one block from the Capitol. Crowded streets; frigid weather; too few porta-johns; no parking spaces; tight security; over-priced hotel rooms; poor views... =)

10.10.10

Such a great date. But what to do with it. But - what - to - do... hmmmm.

Great Preachers who are Mean

We're coming to a dangerous place where we only listen to opinions about the church from leaders with big churches. The truth will most likely come from someone else... like John Eldredge:

"We'll keep a pastor on staff because he's a great Bible teacher, but off-time, out of the pulpit, he's mean he's self-centered, he's incredibly prideful and arrogant, and he's brutal on his staff. And we don't see that as a serious, serious issue because he's so good in the pulpit, he teaches the Bible so well. Jesus says that's horrifying. That's the opposite of what I want. You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you're a disaster. I want  a heart that's for me. I want a heart transformation."

Great Ideas Are Numbers with Skin On

Even at the highest levels of creativity, all great ideas have to pass through the filter of the spreadsheet. Great ideas are numbers with skin on. My two platforms for dreaming are 1. my Moleskine, and 2. Excel.

For the Love of All That is Good and...

It's like we can't live without them.

I Like My Macro Twitter

Sitting in a Catalyst west programming meeting. Jud Wilhite on iChat.

Something Every Pastor Needs to Hear

Yesterday, the leaders of Heartland Church visited the Catalyst offices. Such an amazing story. Ten years ago, Mark Bankord (on right) approached friend Bill Hybels about using Willow's teaching videos to launch a church. Six months later, they were running 1,100 people. Today, around 8,000.

But Mark said something that every pastor needs to hear.

At a time when Willow had a "dream team" of teachers, people were still telling Mark that they "weren't being fed."

At first, he was put-off, offended, told them to "take a lap," so to speak. But when it didn't stop, he realized they must really be saying something else.

He finally figured out that people were simply trying to take the next step spiritually. They weren't trying to insult the teachers. So he created a discipleship program that could be customized for every person.

Man, I wish I'd understood this when I was a pastor...