This past weekend at Mountainview our message focused on finding strength in our weaknesses. This blog post from Mac Lake is a great addition to the discussion. ***************** If we want to maximize the God given opportunities of our lives then it’s essential that we operate in our strengths. Marcus Buckingham defines a strength as “consistent near perfect performance in an activity.” This is a simple but profound description of a strength. When we operate in our strengths results come easy, our work is almost effortless and we experience a deep sense of satisfaction and joy. While I’m a big proponent of knowing and developing strengths, yesterday I sat down and did an inventory of my weaknesses. It was a very insightful and helpful exercise to begin my week. As leaders there are times we need to focus on our weaknesses…not to develop them but to design systems and structures…
Read More
In this article over at PyroMarketing, the writer has an interesting suggestion: "Have a “Textable Quote” in every worship service and ask members to send it to one person in their life who they think needs to hear it and also to Ping it." What a great idea! The most common way people 25 and under communicate with others is via text messaging. If the church wants to get serious about reaching this generation, we must think about how they think. By giving them a "textable quote," we are equipping them to communicate quickly and easily in the way that is most comfortable to them. Something to think -- or text -- about ...
Read More
I grew up in East Peoria, IL, and just across the river sat a Pabst Blue Ribbon plant. In the 1890's Pabst brewed the most popular beer in the country; in 2001 it closed its last plant and brewed its last beer. But as you may (or may not) know, Pabst Blue Ribbon is certainly not dead. In fact, for the past several years, it has been experiencing a tremendous comeback -- with almost no advertising. The brand has experienced a resurgence among snowboarders, 20-somethings, urbanites and suburbanites alike. When we lived in San Diego, it was one of two beers on tap at one of our favorite pizza places -- the other was Newcastle. The brand is on Twitter, it has a blog ... but it hasn't had a national advertising campaign in over ten years. Yet it continues to rebound. In 2009, it grew by 33%. Retro cool.…
Read More
One of our E4U classes I'm most excited about is our upcoming Financial Peace University class. FPU is about helping learn to manage their money wisely -- and to get out of debt. Created by Dave Ramsey (yes, that Dave Ramsey), FPU is a great tool for singles or couples who need to get a better handle on their finances. Mountainview will be offering FPU on Sunday evenings beginning September 12. You can register for Financial Peace University online.
Read More
Successful leaders, entrepreneurs, or even pastors, are odd mix of two things: hunger and humility. A leader who refuses to settle for the status quo because new ground remains to be gained is hungry. An entrepreneur who is willing to eat Ramen noodles and mac-n-cheese in order to put more money into his business is hungry (in more ways than one!). To be successful, a person must have a hunger for more ... for more growth, more expansion, more quality, more effectiveness, more simplicity. At the same time, they must have a deep humility that recognizes the limits of their own abilities. It takes humility to say, "I don't know" or "I'm sorry." A humble leader will be content to serve in the background while someone else is in the spotlight. Hunger and humility. Do you have what it takes to be successful?
Read More