Rich Kao

We did 4 new things this year as a family that added a deeper level of meaning to Christmas.

1. We had "giving piles" instead of "getting piles."  Instead of everyone gathering their gifts in a pile to open, we made piles of gifts they were giving to everyone in the family.  So Dad had a pile of gifts he gave away, Mom had her giving pile...on down to Matthew.  A simple way to emphasize Christmas is about giving not receiving.  Pastor Steve Murrell put me on to this.

2. We adopted an orphan and a minister to support in China.

3. We gathered up the "gleanings of our harvest" and the "crops in the corner" to give to the poor (Lev. 23:22, Lev. 19:9), meaning we bundled up all our extra clothing, toys, books, electronics to give to families in need.  We had a "Christmas cleaning" instead of a Spring cleaning.

4. We fed the poor and homeless on Christmas day.

We all know the elevator test.  We need able to explain what we're about in 60 seconds.  if we can't do it, we don't have our mission, our purpose, our essence boiled down enough.  While sound bites are many times spoken of in a derogatory way (implying shallowness, catering to short attention span), I think sound bites in the case of communicating mission is critical; the masses won't get a 10 page document on what you're about.  Your church members won't remember a thing about your vision, except that it was ten pages long!  Even your core people and staff will have a hard time remembering what "we're about."  So if there's a way to capture your mission in a short sentence or phrase that REALLY works, and is not just a highly idealized statement, then you should go with it, repeat it regularly, and "brand it."

Here are a couple great slogans, bylines, one phrase summaries. 

Author Guy Kawasaki started an online aggregator site that pulls together the top news and information on nearly any topic you can think of.  But how do you describe that to someone? What's an "aggregator?"  How is this different that an RSS feeder? Isn't this just "push technology" revisited.  It's all goobledegook to most people.  So here's how Guy describes his new business -- "It's an online magazine rack."  Boom!  Concept is totally understood.  Now everyone wants to go to it.

T. Boone Pickens is going wild promoting his wind generation idea as an alternate to fossil fuel sources (oil in particular).  He's started a website.  Started an grass roots organization.  He's going after politicians and getting on talk shows, and yes spending lots of his own money to establish traction.  And how does he communicate the potential of American to change over to wind energy?  He says the US could be the "Saudi Arabia of wind energy."  Bang.  In one phrase, you've got what you need to inspire and mobilize people.  It's clear, and no one will forget it.

Seth Godin puts this REALLY well.  A slogan (or byline or motto or phrase) that describes your mission is your script.  I love this, because that's exactly right.  With one phrase or sentence, you can rift all you need to about your company, your organization.  When the script is in hand, and that script needs to be your one memorable phrase, you establish clarity, laser focus and the basis for a revolution.

At 5 Stones, we have been using this phrase: "We spread God's fame by doing small things with great love."  I like it.  It's a script we can use to talk about all we do, and it conveys an action-centered ethos we want to embrace.

But with new seasons, comes new sound bites, and I think we may have a new "catch phrase" coming soon.

John Maxwell is famous for this statement, probably the defining sentence of his writing and speaking career.  Having been involved with leadership and leadership training at some level for nearly 20 years, I have really dialed into the statement as the key way to catalyze, initiate and impart lessons of leadership.  It's one of those sentences that contain a world of instruction, content and insight.  It's the key that starts my leadership engine, and precipice over which other leadership thoughts flow.

I first read this quote when it was attributed to Jim Wallis, President of Sojourners.  That was about  a year ago.  The force of this thought didn't hit me until recently when I realized budgets are a great way to execute ones value, convictions and vision in a tangible way.  I used to see budgeting as a necessary evil, something I had to do to be a "good steward."  But now I see budgets as a powerful tool to create dialog, sharpen vision, and provide accountability and consistency for what one really wants to get done.  It becomes a servant, not a master.  Hence, the annual budgeting cycles is an exciting prospect of leadership, envisioning and execution, not just creating spreadsheets and passing papers out to the board.  I'm sure many understood this essential connection to budgeting a while ago, I'm just glad to join the crowd.

This article from Scott Thomas, Director of Church for Acts 29 network (the one founded by Mark Driscoll). Great list, great thoughts.  A good pre-vetting list to evaluate yourself if you're called to church planting.  Click here.