We played a fun game in a meeting today. Sitting around a table, we identified the characteristics of Sucky, So-So or Sweet Leadership.

Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to guess which category a leader would prefer their initiative be described. But the reality is… many leaders aren’t hitting their ’sweet’ spot in leadership. Could be for a number of reasons. Today we made an attempt to identify some of those reasons in our peers. Going around the table, each ministry leader had opportunity to voice sucky, so-so, and sweet leadership characteristics in each other.

The funny thing is… if we’re all honest with ourselves, any shortcomings someone identifies in you should not come as a surprise. Most of what I heard was only confirmation of what I already knew.

Where am I strong?

Vision. I love the 30,000 foot perspective. Any chance I can to share the vision of kids ministry… the vision of what God could do in my community… the vision of what is possible within the family. In these moments my thoughts are clear, words come naturally, thoughts are intensely focused.

Where am I weak?

Details. Oh my word! Anyone that knows me knows the details are not my strength. They make my head spin. Thoughts are jumbled. When forced to dive into details and ‘get in the weeds’, it is a very unnatural venture.

So I own it. I have sucky leadership in the area of details. I have sweet leadership in the area of vision.

The question is how do I capitalize on my strength while shoring up my weakness?

I’ve structured my team with detail-driven people to ensure that the details are covered despite my aversion to them. But it is difficult to tell if I’m delegating details because I am legitimately not the best person to handle them OR am I off-loading the details simply because I don’t want to be stretched that much.

That’s right! It was ‘Mommy/Josie Date Night’ last night.

But wait! Before anyone thinks that is terribly sweet… let me confess. It wasn’t exactly a date centered around my daughter.

We got our nails done. Pedicures, to be exact.

Well… actually, I got a pedicure. Josie got her nails and toes painted.

I got to sit in the massage chair. Josie spun around on a salon chair.

I got the foot massage. Josie danced in the center of the salon.

She picked out her nail polish, sat at the table and had a lively conversation with the young woman painting her nails and toes.

She had fun. She didn’t know the difference. In her mind, she got the better end of the deal because mommy only got her toes painted. She’s 5 years old.

Won’t be long before she’ll figure that one out!

I read a great post from Eric’s blog ‘The Coliseum’.  A great reminder of how amazing… and ridiculous… my God really is.  Thanks Eric.

…or in training. They are an important part of today’s church. In today’s selfish, ‘its all about me’ mentality, we may have passed the point of no return in our ability to welcome children back into our sanctuaries to worship with us. Or to let them actually lead us in worship.” Dr. Wess Stafford, Too Small to Ignore, pg 35

I just spent the past week with 650 LifeKIDS at summer camp. I could write a book on all that I learned. But the overarching theme to this week is that God is glorified through the worship of His children regardless of age. If you gave me a choice of worshiping through song with adults or kids, I’d choose kids every time. There is a raw openness that most adults no longer possess. Kids lack the skepticism that hinders them from raising their hands, closing their eyes and singing to God out of tune.

Don’t get me wrong. Raising your hands and closing your eyes is not the only way to express worship to God through song. But too often I find that there is a “that’s not cool” factor that adults must overcome in order to participate in worship in this way.

Summer camp is the highlight of my year because I experience church in a way that few people ever do.  What a blessig it is to learn from kids 25 years my junior!

We’re headed into the 2nd weekend of Sammy’s Sleepover in Toon Town.

Last weekend was a great time. (Though it was strange wearing pj’s to church)

We looked at some tidbits of the movie Cars and talked about how selfishness really doesn’t work. In fact, the phrase of the day was…

“If you’re too full of yourself, there’s no room left for anything else.”

I’m looking forward to this weekend. We pushed the kids to invite a few friends over, bring them to Toon Town, then go home and have a slumber party! We’ll see if it catches on.

Sorry posting is slow.  We’re headed to summer camp next Tuesday (17th)!

Much to do… not much time left.
I can’t wait!

Today we launch the 2007 installment of At the Movies.

ATM is our summer series we launch every July. Read more here. While that is happening in ‘Big Church’, LifeKIDS has their own version of At the Movies. In Toon Town, we’ve got a 4-week series called Sammy’s Slumber Party. We’re encouraging the kids to have a sleepover on Saturday night and bring their friends to Toon Town. Sammy and her friends will review a new movie every week. We’ll pull biblical truths from each movie and show the kids how they can apply them to their lives. All our Toon Town volunteers will be clad in PJ’s and slippers! Should be fun.

Please pray for this series. Pray for all the kids we will see over the next few weeks. Here is the specifics to prayer for this week.

That every adult would have a ‘take a knee’ mindset and get EYE LEVEL with every kid that comes across their path. We can’t validate, uplift and speak into their lives while staring down at them. Take the time, bend the knee and look them straight in the eye. That gesture alone speaks volumes to the importance of that one child!

Thanks for praying! It’s awesome to have a community of people from all parts cyberspace available to pray for what is happening in Edmond, Oklahoma. I’ll keep you updated.

For those of you that serve as a volunteer or work on a church staff…

Click the link, take the survey, tell the truth… make a difference.

I confess. I am the Christian Gigolo.

You know what I’m talking about. The right look. The right hair. The ‘holier-than-thou’ pick up line.

“You know, as I sat reciting Romans 6 in my prayer closet before sunrise I heard the Lord speak to me…”

I talked up the need for authenticity.

“We just gotta’ get real, man!”

I touted the necessity of real community. Yet when people shared their challenges, their struggles, their messy lives… I took a step back, gave them a wink, and shot them the classic line…

“Hey, good luck with that. I’ll be prayin’ for ya’.”

Makes me sick.

I spent Monday night at Freedom Farm. A rehab place that houses 12 guys. All have a history of drug and alcohol abuse (to start). All are facing potential prison sentences when they leave. All are followers of Christ.

Kyle and I sat and listened to these men sharing their stories. Everyone of them believes God saved them from destroying their lives, brought them to Freedom Farm where they met Jesus and are now growing in their relationship with Him. I found myself sorely convicted by the safety at which I live my life. The boundary that I set between myself and others.

Jesus, remove the boundaries!