I was on the INCM website today (preparing for our fall board meeting this week) and saw that their new site is alive! Be sure to surf over to www.incm.org. If you haven’t signed up for CPC, now’s a good chance!
Author Archive for Ryan FrankPage 3 of 21
Yesterday Mark and Steve, from the Lads, drove up from Nashville to spend a few hours with me. We went to lunch and hung out for an hour at the KidzMatter offices. Who are the Lads? They are a worship band called to lead children and families in worship. They moved to America from New Zealand three years ago. They have four CDs, a kid’s TV show, comic books and more coming! We talked about some exciting things that I hope to share with you soon.
When the Lads sent me a copy of their CDs a few months ago, I put one in my car and absolutely loved it. It’s all I listened to for a few weeks. Their music is geared toward tweens, has an edgy sound and a great message. These guys are creative, passionate about God and worship, and really love kids. Look for their products soon on KidzMatter and some other cool things coming down the road.
One more thing: they will have a booth at CPC in San Diego. Make sure and say hi to them if you are there.
Tip #11: Conquer Worry and Manage Stress
“You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so.” This wisdom comes from Dale Carnegie who also devised a simple formula for holding anxiety in check. Give it a try and you’ll discover it really works.
1. Try to compartmentalize worry so that it doesn’t carry over from one day to the next.
2. Ask yourself what is the worst that could happen.
3. Prepare to accept the worst.
4. Try to improve on the worst.
5. Remind yourself of the toll worry can take on your health.
6. Remember that ninety percent of what you worry about never happens.
“If you want to develop courage, do the thing you fear and keep on doing it until you have a record of successful experiences behind you. That is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear. You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.” Dale Carnegie
“Finish each day and be done with it… You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it well and serenely.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Last week I was invited to speak at a children’s pastor network lunch in April, 09. It’s a network in the Indianapolis area which I didn’t know about. They meet once a quarter for lunch and discussions at various churches. Very cool. It so happened that the next meeting was the following day. Although I learned about it in time, my schedule would not permit me to go. I went ahead and emailed some children’s pastor friends in the area and told them about the network and upcoming meeting schedule.
Tina Houser was able to go. They met at College Park in Indy (a very cool church with a very cool domain name) and had a great time. There were about 25 people at the meeting. She passed out K! Mags (thanks Tina!) and found someone that was reading her new book.
Friday I met Tina and another children’s pastor for lunch. I asked Tina to give me the 411 about the networking lunch. Her first words, “The men outnumbered the women!” If there’s anything that’ll put a smile on this guys face, it’s hearing that the guys outnumbered the girls at the children’s pastor gathering! Way to go guys.
This morning I intentionally found a few men in our children’s ministry and paused to thank them for serving in our children’s ministry. It’s not just for the girls, can I hear an amen?
This tip from Dale Carnegie will help your leadership go from good to great. Develop habits for improved performance.
1. Clear your desk of all materials except those relating to the immediate task.
2. Do things in the order of their importance.
3. When you face a problem, solve it right away if you have the information needed to make a decision.
4. Learn to organize, delegate, and supervise.
I heard a pastor say that every man was his teacher. There is something you can learn from everyone. Here’s another tip from Dale Carnegie: Learn to solve problems.
Here is the four-question approach. This deceptively simple formula will amaze you. Try it.
1) What is the problem?
2) What are the causes of the problem?
3) What are the possible solutions?
4) What is the best possible solution?
Once you’ve discovered the best possible solution, take action! The key is not to be overwhelmed by problems.
Last Sunday Beth and I started a new Sunday School class. Actually we are now calling them Adult Bible Fellowships (ABF’s). We have a lot of new people in our church (in their 30’s) who haven’t connected in a small group. We decided to start a class and target these people. I sent invitations to 24 people in the mail. I set up 24 chairs but hoped for 20. On Saturday, I called everyone from my cell phone to make sure they received my invitation. Much to my surprise (oh ye of little faith) we had 32 our first Sunday!
I decided to try LifeWay’s MasterWorks for our curriculum. What I like about it is that the class members take their books home and do lessons during the week; then on Sunday we come back and discuss them. So the lesson is is really a discussion of the stuff everyone has been thinking about at home all week.
I wonder if this concept would work in children’s ministry? What if someone wrote books that kids worked on during the week and discussed with a teacher on Sunday? What if you moved from the books and created an interactive website? Would it work? Tell me what you think.
Ready for tip #8? Start networking!
Networking ideas that make a difference:
1) Offer to help others. End meetings and calls by asking: Is there anything I can do to help you?
2) Communicate your unique knowledge and expertise to others.
3) Share your own personal contacts judiciously.
4) Be approachable.
5) Write personal thank-you notes to people who help you.
5) Follow through on your commitments - always.
Everyone needs to be appreciated. Leadership tip #7 from Carnegie is Express Appreciation.
Appreciation: It’s one thing we can never get enough of! In fact, one of the most powerful ways to build lasting relationships is to let people know about the strengths you see and admire in them. Be generous in expressing your appreciation. And remember to be specific about the strengths you observe.
Four Key Points:
1. Give honest, sincere appreciation.
2. Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain.
3. Make the individual feel important.
4. Give the person a fine reputation to live up to.
“You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.” Dale Carnegie
Here’s another tip from Dale Carnegie that will energize your leadership: Practice Good Communication.
Whether you’re speaking to one person or communicating with a large audience, you can deepen the impact of your message by following these simple guidelines:
1. Be excited about the topic.
2. Convey ideas enthusiastically.
3. Animate your presentation with voice and gesture.
4. Speak directly to the audience.
5. State your points clearly and concisely.
6. Keep in mind that anecdotes are essential to strong presentations.
7. Summarize your main points often.
8. Get people involved in your presentation.