The 80/20 Principle
Here at Saddleback Church we teach the 80/20 principle when it comes to one's work/ministry. 80% of your job should be spent doing things that you either "Love To Do" or "Like To Do" and 20% of your job should be spent doing the other stuff. (i.e. things that you could "Live Without") The philosophy is that God has wire us each with a unique SHAPE and that we need to embrace our work utilizing our SHAPE. However, at the end of the day we are called to serve God no matter what - so 20% of the things need to get done regardless of whether they align with our SHAPE or not.
Remember the post from awhile back on SHOW UP - PALMS UP? It's kind of like that!
Remember the post from awhile back on SHOW UP - PALMS UP? It's kind of like that!
WHAT IF...
C.L.A.S.S. 301
We held a very uniue version of C.L.A.S.S. 301 this past weekend. As you may or may not know, all of our C.L.A.S.S.es here at Saddleback (101, 201, 301, and 401) are held on Sunday afternoons from 3pm to 7pm. Our team recently decided to try a Saturday morning version (8:30am to 12:30pm) to see if offering something different might benefit some who, for whatever reason, will never be able to attend a Sunday afternoon class.
Well, our hunch was correct. We had 115 people attend the CLASS, and surprisingly, they were more alert than any other class before! It was truly a great time. I think people loved the opportunity to start their day/weekend off discovering a little more about themselves and how God has uniquely created them.
My encouragement to you is to try something new with CLASS this year. A new time? A new video? A live testimony? Something to help shake things up a bit. I know that we sometimes do things around here "because that's the way it's always been done," but every now and then we need to challenge the status quo.
If you don't offer something like the C.L.A.S.S. system for your members, I would encourage you to at least offer a quarterly seminar (or something on a semi-regular basis) to help your members discover how God has uniquely created each one of us to serve Him.
Well, our hunch was correct. We had 115 people attend the CLASS, and surprisingly, they were more alert than any other class before! It was truly a great time. I think people loved the opportunity to start their day/weekend off discovering a little more about themselves and how God has uniquely created them.
My encouragement to you is to try something new with CLASS this year. A new time? A new video? A live testimony? Something to help shake things up a bit. I know that we sometimes do things around here "because that's the way it's always been done," but every now and then we need to challenge the status quo.
If you don't offer something like the C.L.A.S.S. system for your members, I would encourage you to at least offer a quarterly seminar (or something on a semi-regular basis) to help your members discover how God has uniquely created each one of us to serve Him.
Staff vs. Volunteer
Sorry for the lack of posting recently. (consider us back!) As you may, or may not know, we just recently held the 3rd annual WOW Awards here at Saddleback Church and our team is completely responsible for writing/producing/hosting and executing the entire event; which is all about honoring and appreciating all of the volunteers here at Saddleback Church. This video was our opening video which helped set the mood that volunteers really are the lifeblood our church! (and I'm willing to bet that they are at yours too!) Enjoy!
Brazil - We're Back!
Jason and I are back from Brazil and it is nice to be home. We had a great time working alongside a local church in San Jose de Campos (about an hour away from Sao Paolo) spreading the message of S.H.A.P.E. and "Every Member a Minister." Approximately 600 Senior Pastors flooded the worship center of Primera Igreja Baptista de San Jose de Campos each of them appearing eager to learn. The translation, which we thought would be difficult and time-constraining, couldnt have been more smooth and the hospitality and friendliness of the folks over there was second to none!
Our favorite part of the trip came on our last night in Brazil. Jason and I finished teaching around 5pm or so (local time) and the church began preparing for an encore performance of their Easter Musical. Jason and I had already seen it on DVD early in the week, so we asked to go back to our hotel to relax, nap, freshen up, etc. We were scheduled to have dinner with the entire group of folks who had brought us in, and they said that they would pick us up 10pm. (yes, you read that right - they eat dinner SUPER late in Brazil)
Our translator/driver/host/new best friend Hugo (pictured above) showed up at 10pm to pick us up for dinner, but to our surprise he was without the rest of the group. He quickly notified us that something had come up and that all of the pastors of the church were being gathered for a meeting. Needless to say, we were a little disappointed, but still excited to hang out and enjoy a delicious Brazilian Barbecue with our friend Hugo. As we sat at dinner and got to know one another better, Hugo quickly revealed that,on average, he works 16-20 hour days and that sometimes he doesnt sleep at all.
It was apparent that at 29 years of age, (with a wife and three small children) Hugo was already showing signs of burnout! Hugo has a full-time job as the Bass Trombone player for the Sao Paolo Orchestra, as well as a part-time job at the church as one of their Music Directors. He told us that the orchestra job is what pays the bills, but that his role at the church is what fills his heart. He longed to be with his wife and children, yet the constraints of work and ministry filled the hours of his day.
It was apparent that at 29 years of age, (with a wife and three small children) Hugo was already showing signs of burnout! Hugo has a full-time job as the Bass Trombone player for the Sao Paolo Orchestra, as well as a part-time job at the church as one of their Music Directors. He told us that the orchestra job is what pays the bills, but that his role at the church is what fills his heart. He longed to be with his wife and children, yet the constraints of work and ministry filled the hours of his day.
Apparently this is the culture of much of Brazil. The work days are long for those in business, but the work days are even longer for those in ministry. Please stop and pray for Hugo, and our brothers/sisters in Brazil. Brazil is a country which is in desperate need of our Saviour and we have friends there who are working hard to spread the news!
Is there a God?
Recently, our Pastor (Rick Warren) sat down with Sam Harris (a well-known atheist) to discuss life's biggest question: Is there a God? At NEWSWEEK's invitation, they met in Warren's office and chatted, mostly amiably, for four hours. Jon Meacham moderated. You can read the article in it's entirety here, but for now here is an excerpt.
JON MEACHAM: Rick, since you're the home team, we'll start with Sam. Sam, is there a God in the sense that most Americans think of him?
SAM HARRIS: There's no evidence for such a God, and it's instructive to notice that we're all atheists with respect to Zeus and the thousands of other dead gods whom now nobody worships.
JON MEACHAM: Rick, what is the evidence of the existence of the God of Abraham?
RICK WARREN: I see the fingerprints of God everywhere. I see them in culture. I see them in law. I see them in literature. I see them in nature. I see them in my own life. Trying to understand where God came from is like an ant trying to understand the Internet. Even the most brilliant scientist would agree that we only know a fraction of a percent of the knowledge of the universe.
Continue reading the article here.
JON MEACHAM: Rick, since you're the home team, we'll start with Sam. Sam, is there a God in the sense that most Americans think of him?
SAM HARRIS: There's no evidence for such a God, and it's instructive to notice that we're all atheists with respect to Zeus and the thousands of other dead gods whom now nobody worships.
JON MEACHAM: Rick, what is the evidence of the existence of the God of Abraham?
RICK WARREN: I see the fingerprints of God everywhere. I see them in culture. I see them in law. I see them in literature. I see them in nature. I see them in my own life. Trying to understand where God came from is like an ant trying to understand the Internet. Even the most brilliant scientist would agree that we only know a fraction of a percent of the knowledge of the universe.
Continue reading the article here.
Sweet Spot
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Col. 3:23-24 (NIV)
In the world of sports, the “sweet spot” is that place on a baseball bat, tennis racquet, or golf club that strikes the ball with maximum effectiveness and with little or no negative effect. Hitting the sweet spot is one reason athletes like Barry Bonds, Andre Agassi, and Tiger Woods swing so effortlessly, yet with such force.
God designed you with a sweet spot too. It’s the area in which your S.H.A.P.E. is best expressed - typically recognized in those moments when others comment on your special ability to do something. When you operate in this area, you - like Bonds, Agassi, and Woods - are very effective and efficient. More important, when you are serving others within your sweet spot, you feel little or no negative force in your life because you are being true to who God made you to be.
So, your Serving Sweet Spot is where your God-given STRENGTHS and PASSIONS intersect. And you will know you have hit a sweet spot when your service becomes EFFECTIVE, EASY and EFFORTLESS all at the same time.
In the world of sports, the “sweet spot” is that place on a baseball bat, tennis racquet, or golf club that strikes the ball with maximum effectiveness and with little or no negative effect. Hitting the sweet spot is one reason athletes like Barry Bonds, Andre Agassi, and Tiger Woods swing so effortlessly, yet with such force.
God designed you with a sweet spot too. It’s the area in which your S.H.A.P.E. is best expressed - typically recognized in those moments when others comment on your special ability to do something. When you operate in this area, you - like Bonds, Agassi, and Woods - are very effective and efficient. More important, when you are serving others within your sweet spot, you feel little or no negative force in your life because you are being true to who God made you to be.
So, your Serving Sweet Spot is where your God-given STRENGTHS and PASSIONS intersect. And you will know you have hit a sweet spot when your service becomes EFFECTIVE, EASY and EFFORTLESS all at the same time.
S.H.A.P.E.
S = Spiritual Gifts
H = Heart
A = Abilities
P = Personality
E = Experiences