Check out this video tour of SoChurch. This will give you a taste of what the solution does and what it looks like.

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By the way, that’s me on the SoChurch advisory board. I think you’re going to love what’s heading your way.

It’s good to be back in Ohio for a couple of days. I was born here. I was raised here. Hard to believe I’ve now been gone almost longer than I was here.

Aside from my family, there are several things about my birth state that bring back happy memories. I thought I’d use this “Fun Friday” post to share:

10 Things about Ohio that I Miss

1. Cheering for the Kardiac Kids
2. Playing pickup basketball games at Fountain Park in Piqua
3. Pisanello’s Pizza in Bowling Green
4. Surviving the Great Blizzard of 1978 (probably why I hate snow to this day)
5. Buckeye trees
6. Listening to Joe Nuxhall and Marty Brennaman call games on the radio for the Big Red Machine
7. Roaming the campus of Bowling Green State University
8. Sledding on my grandparent’s property in Peninsula
9. Marching band competitions with the “Pride of Piqua“
10. The beach on Lake Erie at Maumee Bay State Park

Lots of good memories. Wish you could have been there.

Last week in my coaching network we spent a lot of time talking about the power of a clear vision. The funny thing is there are lots of churches with vision statements, but I don’t think there are very many churches that really have a vision statement that clarifies who they are as an organization. Among other things, a solid vision:

• Clarifies the purpose of the organization
• Pursues a preferred future
• Inspires people to engage
• Makes it easier to define what the organization won’t do

Even with that, you may be wondering whether or not your organization has clearly defined and communicated its vision. Here are two surefire ways to know whether or not you’ve accomplished the goal:

• A clear vision that is properly communicated will rally people. People will look at the present situation and agree together that there’s a better future that must be pursued. People will give their time, energy, prayer, financial resources, talents and gifts to help accomplish that vision. Lots of people will do that. If people aren’t attracted to your church, your vision either isn’t strong enough or it hasn’t been communicated clearly.
• A clear vision that is properly communicated will repel people. Think of the most successful businesses or churches — Apple, Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Willow Creek, Saddleback, Billy Graham, etc. Each of these businesses or ministries have experienced huge success. If you were to Google the names of each of these organizations and the word “haters”, you’ll also find there are plenty of people who consider these organizations evil. Clarifying your vision will help some people determine they don’t want to be a part of your cause. (And, don’t be surprised if some attack.) If people aren’t leaving your church, your vision either isn’t strong enough or it hasn’t been communicated clearly.

The purpose of this post isn’t to help you establish your vision and values. I want to challenge you to think about the purpose of your ministry. Does it rally people to your cause? And, does it repel some people? Of course, a healthy vision worth pursuing must attract many more people than it turns away; however, a strong vision will always help some people determine, “That’s not for me.”

If your sense is that you have a vision that makes everyone happy, you don’t have a strong vision.

This is only the second time in two weeks, so it’s not a habit or a tradition yet. But it could be. Here are some random thoughts for this week:

• Had the opportunity to visit Oak Leaf Church on Sunday. Love what’s happening there…and their new website.
• Here’s an interesting article from Jonathan over at SoChurch. Invest time and energy in social networking, but remember that email is still the killer app.
• Seth Godin shares some insights on why change is so difficult in organizations.
• Jacob and I have a fantasy football team, and we’re now in first place. Brian’s team is leading the other division. They’re a bunch of fantasy football sissies, and I mean that with the utmost respect.
• DVDs are dying. So are books.
• I’m heading up to Ohio on Friday to do some staff and volunteer training at Northampton UMC. That also gives me an excuse to spend some time with my grandma. (She’s a diehard Cavs fan.)
• We’ve had snow the first four winters in the South, but apparently La Nina may break that streak. One snow is enough for me.

Interviewing Brian this morning at our West Ridge staff meeting. (Hopefully he doesn’t read this post before that interview.)

Those of you who know me fairly well know that I’m somewhat obsessive about keeping an empty email inbox. Whenever I’ve tried to use my inbox as a to-do list, it has ended up in failure. Tasks get dropped, and I spend way too much time rereading messages to figure out what needs to be done next.

Since I use Gmail, I’m hoping that Google will eventually improve Google Tasks to fulfill my needs. In the mean time, I’ve stumbled upon Producteev. It’s the tool I use to track everything I need to do at home and at work. Here’s why it works for me:

• It’s an online solution, so I can access my task list from any web-connected device.
• The Astrid app for Android integrates with Producteev so I can take my task list wherever I go. (There’s also an iPhone app for you people stuck on the AT&T network…you poor, unfortunate souls.)
• I can invite team members to participate. (That’s code word for “delegate” tasks.)
• There’s a Gmail gadget available to incorporate task management into my inbox.
• I can create new projects, labels and recurring tasks until I’m so organized that I’m giddy.
• And, it’s free for the first two users in your group.

So, if you’re still using your email inbox as your to-do list, quit that. Instead, run right over and try out Producteev, and let me know what you think.

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P.S. — The folks at Producteev aren’t paying me a dime to promote their solution. I’m sharing this because I care about you, and I want you to be investing more time doing stuff that really matters.

Our friend, Julie Rape, shared her story recently, and we included it in the service this past Sunday. I think you’ll be both encouraged and challenged by her story. Check it out here:

As I read the headlines in recent days, I’m reminded about how vulnerable our legacies may be. It’s challenging to see ministries that once had a huge impact finding themselves marginalized or on the verge of extinction.

I started to think about some of the similarities that appear to be consistent in these stories. Like the “check engine” light in your car, these may be warning signs that your legacy is at risk:

• You are talking about leadership, but you’re not being intentional about leadership development. Attending (or speaking at) conferences and reading (or writing) leadership books is not enough. Is there a path in place to help young, gifted leaders grow and gain responsibility and authority over time?
• Your success rests on the shoulders of one personality. As I get older, I become more and more convinced that God designed us to be in community and for ministry to be accomplished in teams. That includes leading the ministry. Is there any one person who would put your organization at risk if they left for an extended period of time?
• You begin making decisions based on past success rather than present reality. Rarely do organizations spend themselves into a turnaround. If your ministry isn’t having the same impact it experienced in the past, are you addressing leadership, vision or strategy gaps or are you trying to buy a better future?
• You avoid the truth about the health of your organization. It’s one of the risks of never considering “the numbers”. If you ignore or explain away trends over time, how in the world will you know if what you’re doing is actually working?
• You would rather close your doors than make uncomfortable changes. It truly amazes me. I routinely see churches holding on to practices that aren’t prescribed in Scripture even if it jeopardizes their very existence. Except for rare instances, personal preferences almost always trump ministry impact. Are you avoiding changes that might make your church uncomfortable?
• You invest more effort in public perception than in private integrity. It doesn’t matter how gifted the leader or how God-ordained the vision or how effective the strategy — in the end, our personal and relational health will make or break our legacy. Are your disciplines and priorities in your personal life establishing the foundation for future ministry impact?

One generation of ministry doesn’t make a legacy. What are you doing to prepare the next generation for continued impact?

Brian continued the Identity series at West Ridge today. This is a vision series on our core values as a church. Here are some of the highlights from Brian’s message, “Biblical Authority”:

• “West Ridge Church will always stand on the authority of God’s word.”
• “What kind of authority should this book have over your life?”
• “This book is relevant for today.”
• “The Bible claims to be without error.”
• “The Bible has the power to change your life.”
• “You can be the greatest speaker in the whole world and not see life change. The power isn’t in the speaker — it’s in the Holy Spirit and in the authority of this book.”
• “It doesn’t matter how good I am. It’s the power of God.”
• “The Bible revives your soul.”
• “The Bible can serve as a guide for our lives and the church.”
• “We hear it. We read it, but we don’t put it into practice.”
• “This book not only tells us what to do — it tells us how to do it.”
• “Everything we need to live a victorious life is found in this book.”
• “One of the reasons some of us are so defeated is because we have not given this book authority over our lives.”

You can view the entire message and the remaining messages in this series on WestRidge.com.

My friends at SermonCentral.com refreshed an article that Tim and I wrote several years ago. It includes a list of 10 ways to wake up your church. Here’s an excerpt:

“Many excellent ministries may fit your church’s mission and vision, but if God hasn’t also helped identify a leader for that ministry, it’s probably not the right time to launch. Often, ministries begun prematurely end up on a staff person’s plate. Unless you plan to remove another ministry function from your or your staff’s responsibilities—and that’s a valid consideration—don’t commit to starting a program without first selecting a leader…

“Identifying leaders before starting new programs forces you to focus on the Church’s primary purpose—to fulfill the Great Commission. Don’t just evaluate every ministry proposal, weighing whether or not it fits the church’s mission, vision, and values; determine if there’s someone to effectively lead this ministry.”

Check out the top 10 list and the full article on SermonCentral.com.

Today there will be folks from Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Missouri and Georgia gathered in my basement “conference room” for the second installment of this season’s coaching network. What makes this coaching network unique is that we focus almost entirely on ministry strategy. (That’s my gig.)

Among other things today, we will be:

• Sharing ministry updates
• Reviewing, Church Unique by Will Mancini, this month’s reading assignment
• Discussing growth strategies including multi-site
• Introducing a new strategic planning tool
• Talking about last month’s “homework” assignments
• Hitting any current pressure points
• Setting an action plan for the coming month

Wish you could be here to join the fun. Email me if you’d like to be included on the waiting list for next time.