Pastor Matt Keller
Get it here...
The Cause within You
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The Cause within You - Book Recommendation
Our new series title at Next Level Church is taken from a new book by Matthew Barnett, founder of the LA Dream Center. I highly recommend this book for every Christian who wants to use their life to live God's greater calling.
Pastor Matt Keller
Get it here...
The Cause within You
Pastor Matt Keller
Get it here...
The Cause within You
Monday, October 10, 2011
Why We're not going to Raise our Price on our Next Level Virtual Coaching Groups
One of the aspects of our ministry that God has been blessing of late is our Pastor's Virtual Coaching Communities that we host online. The simple fact is, every time we launch a group, they fill up and we end up having a Waiting List for the next one!
In fact, they've been so successful that not only are we getting incredible feedback from the Pastors who go through them, but we're beginning to hear from other Coaching Networks and some National Ministries who are interested in what we're doing and how we're doing it.
One of the comments we hear from time to time goes something like,
So here's the answer: From the time we created the Next Level Coaching Company, our heart has always been motivated by a passion to serve those who need our coaching the most, and yet, are the ones who so often can afford it the least. Therefore, we're not going to raise the amount we charge per session to the several hundred dollars / session level. We believe this actually works against the vision God has given us to serve hundreds and even thousands of pastors and leaders who desperately need the tools to take the organizations they lead to the next level!
We are committed to serving "The Little Guy" because after all, not too long ago, in a movie theater not too far from where I'm sitting right now... We were the little guy. And we would have given anything to have the kind of coaching we are now privileged to offer.
So... if you know of a pastor who needs to be in an environment where they can connect with a small group of other pastors who are facing the same struggles and challenges they are, then please send them this link:
http:///www.MyNextLevel.me
We'll do our best to keep creating space and environments where they can get the tools they need and the access they want to take their churches to the Next Level! (This group is 5 sessions @ $40 / session = $200 total)
Also... as you may have heard already, my wife, Sarah is launching her 1st "Pastor's Wives who Lead" Virtual Group this month! It may already be full, but if you know of a pastor's wife who needs this type of environment, be sure to send them here:
http://www.mynextlevel.me/sarah-register
(Sarah's group is 5 Sessions @ $25 / session = $125 Total)
In the future, our goal is to launch other groups that will feature different coaches as well as groups that will center around more specific content such as: What we Learned from Building a Building, Groups for Associate Pastors, Etc.)
We believe in the format of Virtual Video Coaching and are committed to the vision of
"...helping pastors and leaders get the tools they need and the access they want to take their organizations to the Next Level."
In fact, they've been so successful that not only are we getting incredible feedback from the Pastors who go through them, but we're beginning to hear from other Coaching Networks and some National Ministries who are interested in what we're doing and how we're doing it.
One of the comments we hear from time to time goes something like,
"You know that for what you're giving these guys and the quality of your coaching, you should be charging double or triple what you're charging!!!"
Or some have said,
"I have been a part of other coaching networks and you're WAY UNDER PRICED... Like by several hundred dollars!
Why don't you charge more?"
So here's the answer: From the time we created the Next Level Coaching Company, our heart has always been motivated by a passion to serve those who need our coaching the most, and yet, are the ones who so often can afford it the least. Therefore, we're not going to raise the amount we charge per session to the several hundred dollars / session level. We believe this actually works against the vision God has given us to serve hundreds and even thousands of pastors and leaders who desperately need the tools to take the organizations they lead to the next level!
We are committed to serving "The Little Guy" because after all, not too long ago, in a movie theater not too far from where I'm sitting right now... We were the little guy. And we would have given anything to have the kind of coaching we are now privileged to offer.
So... if you know of a pastor who needs to be in an environment where they can connect with a small group of other pastors who are facing the same struggles and challenges they are, then please send them this link:
http:///www.MyNextLevel.me
We'll do our best to keep creating space and environments where they can get the tools they need and the access they want to take their churches to the Next Level! (This group is 5 sessions @ $40 / session = $200 total)
Also... as you may have heard already, my wife, Sarah is launching her 1st "Pastor's Wives who Lead" Virtual Group this month! It may already be full, but if you know of a pastor's wife who needs this type of environment, be sure to send them here:
http://www.mynextlevel.me/sarah-register
(Sarah's group is 5 Sessions @ $25 / session = $125 Total)
In the future, our goal is to launch other groups that will feature different coaches as well as groups that will center around more specific content such as: What we Learned from Building a Building, Groups for Associate Pastors, Etc.)
We believe in the format of Virtual Video Coaching and are committed to the vision of
"...helping pastors and leaders get the tools they need and the access they want to take their organizations to the Next Level."
Friday, October 7, 2011
My wife is Launching a Virtual Coaching Community for Pastors Wives who lead
As my wife Sarah is stepping into a new season of influence in her life and ministry, she's hosting her 1st ever Coaching Community for Pastors wives.
I am so excited for a lot of reasons:
1. She has something to say.
Sarah has a calling to speak into the lives of pastors wives who are called to lead beside their husbands. Her pragmatic philosophy toward all things ministry and family has been a life-changer for our home, church and marriage.
2. This type of group learning in the context of relationship is desperately needed in the Body of Christ today.
There is a void in the church world today for "Small Groups for Pastors." Every pastor is quick to talk to our church people about the importance of small group relationships in their lives and yet finding a small group for pastors is very difficult. Thankfully the Next Level Virtual Video Technology gives us the ability to be face to face even though we are hundreds of miles apart. Perfect for Pastors wives.
3. Pastors wives are some
of the most overlooked people on the planet.
If ever there is a tribe of people Who need this type of thing, it's pastors wives. They truly are a precious gem to any pastor!!!
So if you're a pastors wife who leads or want to recommend one, there is limited space and I know it will sell out quickly, so be sure to register now! The group is slated to begin at the end of October.
Register here: http://t.co/783338Y4
I am so excited for a lot of reasons:
1. She has something to say.
Sarah has a calling to speak into the lives of pastors wives who are called to lead beside their husbands. Her pragmatic philosophy toward all things ministry and family has been a life-changer for our home, church and marriage.
2. This type of group learning in the context of relationship is desperately needed in the Body of Christ today.
There is a void in the church world today for "Small Groups for Pastors." Every pastor is quick to talk to our church people about the importance of small group relationships in their lives and yet finding a small group for pastors is very difficult. Thankfully the Next Level Virtual Video Technology gives us the ability to be face to face even though we are hundreds of miles apart. Perfect for Pastors wives.
3. Pastors wives are some
of the most overlooked people on the planet.
If ever there is a tribe of people Who need this type of thing, it's pastors wives. They truly are a precious gem to any pastor!!!
So if you're a pastors wife who leads or want to recommend one, there is limited space and I know it will sell out quickly, so be sure to register now! The group is slated to begin at the end of October.
Register here: http://t.co/783338Y4
Thursday, October 6, 2011
A Quick Marketing Thoughts for all Catalyst '11 Hallway Vendors #cat11
So the vendor booths at Catalyst are the ultimate definition of Interruption Marketing. There are a million of them; there are a billion people walking by; and the best they can do is offer you one of three things: 1) A flyer you didn't ask for, 2) fun-sized candy, which is fine except every booth has that, or 3) some sort of mini creative swag (like a foam squish ball that you'll take home to your kids or an ink pen).
The one Stand-Out Vendor for me all day was ProPresenter5! They had a microphone and speaker system set up and were giving worship leaders and production guys tours of their latest version of their software to everyone walking by. Brilliant!!!
What was the key?!? THEY ADDED VALUE! This is the key to all marketing today! ADD VALUE, ADD VALUE, ADD VALUE!!! Otherwise you're just shouting mindlessly to the wind while 13,000 would-be customers walk by and pay you no attention.
The harvest is waiting to be reaped for the company, vendor or ministry that will do the exceptional thing: Add Value!
(My tribute to Seth Godin)
The one Stand-Out Vendor for me all day was ProPresenter5! They had a microphone and speaker system set up and were giving worship leaders and production guys tours of their latest version of their software to everyone walking by. Brilliant!!!
What was the key?!? THEY ADDED VALUE! This is the key to all marketing today! ADD VALUE, ADD VALUE, ADD VALUE!!! Otherwise you're just shouting mindlessly to the wind while 13,000 would-be customers walk by and pay you no attention.
The harvest is waiting to be reaped for the company, vendor or ministry that will do the exceptional thing: Add Value!
(My tribute to Seth Godin)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
A Quick Update on the Keller Family - Wednesday, Sept. 28th, 2011 - 6:30pm
I wanted to jump on and give all of you a quick update on Sarah, Alison and the Keller family.
Sarah is as good as I've seen her since the headaches began on Labor Day. She's still very weak and her muscles are "sore, like after you work out," as she would say. I think that's because she was flat on her back for 19 days. She's slowly regaining a little bit more strength every day. What a testimony to God's Faithfulness!
Concerning my mother-in-law, Alison, she saw a surgeon on Tuesday and the great news is, she does NOT have to have surgery as of right now. His opinion was that it could, "cause more damage than good." So she's moving very, very slowly and knows she has a long road of recovery ahead but is so grateful that she doesn't have to have surgery.
Please keep praying for us, especially over this coming weekend, because we are hosting our "Access Granted" Event with 15 pastors and their wives from across the country. They are already arriving and enjoying the sunshine and beaches of Southwest Florida. Our first official event begins Friday Night!
Additionally, we are launching 4 weekend services next weekend, October 8th and 9th, which will position us to reach more people than we ever have before at Next Level Church!
I have a huge anticipation of what God wants to do in so many over the next few weeks and know that "these present and momentary trials," as the Apostle Paul writes in the Bible are working for us a far greater glory in Him!!!
Thanks for your faithfulness to pray and stand with us as we know God is taking our family, our ministry and our voice in our generation to the Next Level.
God bless you all,
Matt Keller
Sarah is as good as I've seen her since the headaches began on Labor Day. She's still very weak and her muscles are "sore, like after you work out," as she would say. I think that's because she was flat on her back for 19 days. She's slowly regaining a little bit more strength every day. What a testimony to God's Faithfulness!
Concerning my mother-in-law, Alison, she saw a surgeon on Tuesday and the great news is, she does NOT have to have surgery as of right now. His opinion was that it could, "cause more damage than good." So she's moving very, very slowly and knows she has a long road of recovery ahead but is so grateful that she doesn't have to have surgery.
Please keep praying for us, especially over this coming weekend, because we are hosting our "Access Granted" Event with 15 pastors and their wives from across the country. They are already arriving and enjoying the sunshine and beaches of Southwest Florida. Our first official event begins Friday Night!
Additionally, we are launching 4 weekend services next weekend, October 8th and 9th, which will position us to reach more people than we ever have before at Next Level Church!
I have a huge anticipation of what God wants to do in so many over the next few weeks and know that "these present and momentary trials," as the Apostle Paul writes in the Bible are working for us a far greater glory in Him!!!
Thanks for your faithfulness to pray and stand with us as we know God is taking our family, our ministry and our voice in our generation to the Next Level.
God bless you all,
Matt Keller
Monday, September 26, 2011
Another Curveball - Keller Family Update - Monday Morning, September 26th, 2011
If there's one thing I've learned over my 20 + years of being in ministry its that Satan will always overplay his hand. Well, he has once again…
Sunday afternoon, my mother-in-law, Alison, (who lives with us and has been helping me hold our family life together) fell and broke her shoulder! Yes, you heard me right, she BROKE HER SHOULDER and is going to need surgery by Tuesday of this week.
Clearly, the enemy is working overtime to keep our family out of commission! But we're not going to be dismayed, discouraged or distracted by any of this!
Here's what we know: The Bible says that "Greater is He that is IN US, than he that is in the world…" In other words, JESUS WINS!!! ALWAYS!!!
We're not afraid, in fact, the battle always rages the worst when the victory is near! And we know that God has us in a position to impact tens of thousands of people IN THE NEXT 7 DAYS alone!
As I write this, (Early Monday Morning) I am in Dallas, TX with Pastor Kyle, teaching a one-day leadership training event with close to 100 pastors and leaders from churches across the Southwest US all day! (Prayers appreciated!)
Additionally, this coming weekend we will be hosting our 4th Annual Pastors & Wives Event called "Access Granted" at Next Level Church. We have 15 couples flying in from across the US to spend a weekend at NLC to learn and take back so many of the principles and ideas that God has allowed us to learn in the last decade!
So… we need to pray everybody!
Yesterday, (Sunday) was the best Sarah has felt in over 3 weeks. Her strength is slowly returning and the headaches are all but gone.
Pray for her to continue to rest this week, even though she's going to be tempted to pick up some of the burden with Access Granted and her mom going down.
Pray for Alison's surgery. We'll keep you posted on the latest details there as they unfold.
Pray for all of the other moving parts of our lives (My mom & dad, the NLC staff, other key leaders) who are stepping up in even greater ways as well! So many of you have been amazing! Thank you.
We have meals covered for the week, so we're good there. And my mom (Jo) is staying at our house with Sarah, Alison and the boys.
We're not defeated, no, we're actually encouraged , because we know that we're on the edge of victory!
Thanks for standing with us, everyone,
Prayer makes a difference,
Pastor Matt & Sarah
Sunday afternoon, my mother-in-law, Alison, (who lives with us and has been helping me hold our family life together) fell and broke her shoulder! Yes, you heard me right, she BROKE HER SHOULDER and is going to need surgery by Tuesday of this week.
Clearly, the enemy is working overtime to keep our family out of commission! But we're not going to be dismayed, discouraged or distracted by any of this!
Here's what we know: The Bible says that "Greater is He that is IN US, than he that is in the world…" In other words, JESUS WINS!!! ALWAYS!!!
We're not afraid, in fact, the battle always rages the worst when the victory is near! And we know that God has us in a position to impact tens of thousands of people IN THE NEXT 7 DAYS alone!
As I write this, (Early Monday Morning) I am in Dallas, TX with Pastor Kyle, teaching a one-day leadership training event with close to 100 pastors and leaders from churches across the Southwest US all day! (Prayers appreciated!)
Additionally, this coming weekend we will be hosting our 4th Annual Pastors & Wives Event called "Access Granted" at Next Level Church. We have 15 couples flying in from across the US to spend a weekend at NLC to learn and take back so many of the principles and ideas that God has allowed us to learn in the last decade!
So… we need to pray everybody!
Yesterday, (Sunday) was the best Sarah has felt in over 3 weeks. Her strength is slowly returning and the headaches are all but gone.
Pray for her to continue to rest this week, even though she's going to be tempted to pick up some of the burden with Access Granted and her mom going down.
Pray for Alison's surgery. We'll keep you posted on the latest details there as they unfold.
Pray for all of the other moving parts of our lives (My mom & dad, the NLC staff, other key leaders) who are stepping up in even greater ways as well! So many of you have been amazing! Thank you.
We have meals covered for the week, so we're good there. And my mom (Jo) is staying at our house with Sarah, Alison and the boys.
We're not defeated, no, we're actually encouraged , because we know that we're on the edge of victory!
Thanks for standing with us, everyone,
Prayer makes a difference,
Pastor Matt & Sarah
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Update on Sarah - Thursday, 9:45 AM, Sept. 22, 2011
Sarah had a good day resting at home yesterday. She's trying to get her medications figured out, as to what she needs, for what, and when she needs to take it, etc. Her headaches are definitely at bay, and the vertigo is lessening a bit.
She's moving very slow, which will probably be the case for the next several days. The boys are sure excited that she's home and we're all relieved that we're on the upswing.
Please continue to pray for her strength to return, the vertigo to disappear and for complete recovery. This has been a crazy and long road, but we know that God has been with us throughout every step of this journey.
Thanks again for all of your prayer and support through this time,
I'm so looking forward to being at Next Level Church this weekend to give an update and thank so many of you in person. It's at times like this that you know why God gave us a local church family.
Next Level Church, you have been amazing! I love being your pastor,
Matt Keller
She's moving very slow, which will probably be the case for the next several days. The boys are sure excited that she's home and we're all relieved that we're on the upswing.
Please continue to pray for her strength to return, the vertigo to disappear and for complete recovery. This has been a crazy and long road, but we know that God has been with us throughout every step of this journey.
Thanks again for all of your prayer and support through this time,
I'm so looking forward to being at Next Level Church this weekend to give an update and thank so many of you in person. It's at times like this that you know why God gave us a local church family.
Next Level Church, you have been amazing! I love being your pastor,
Matt Keller
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sarah's Home!!! - Tuesday Night, 9:30 PM Update, September 20th, 2011
It's Official! Sarah is Home!!!
After 12 days in the hospital, Sarah was released tonight just before 7 pm. She began sitting up at 3 pm and by 4, she was sitting in the chair. Her head feels very good. Although she is still struggling with vertigo quite a bit. The Neurologist was in to see her and wasn't worried at all about that. He said it's just a by-product of lying on your back for as long as she has been.
Though she is home, she is very, very weak and the doctors are telling her that she probably has at least another 3 weeks before she's even remotely feeling normal again.
The prescription at this point is for her to be on bed rest for the next week which means very little movement and lots and lots of rest. One can't underestimate the trauma she's been through with this whole ordeal. But we are thanking God tonight that the headaches are gone. The leak in her spinal sack is apparently healed and we're on the road to recovery!
The boys were so excited to see her walk through the door tonight! They made her a "Welcome Home" banner that is hanging across our sliding glass doors on the back of our family room. They just stayed near her the entire time until they went to bed.
 | |
| The "Welcome Home Banner" |
How to Pray:
- Pray that her body stays headed in the right direction and that her strength will return.
- Pray for the vertigo to be gone and the nausea related to that to dissipate as well.
- Pray that no headaches will return.
Thanks for continuing the journey with us,
Matt and Sarah Keller
Monday, September 19, 2011
Monday Night Update for Sarah - 9 PM - Sept. 19th, 2011
Day 15 since the Headaches began :: Day 11 in the Hospital.
Sarah had her Lumbar Drain removed at about 3:30 pm today. The procedure took 30 minutes and she did very well. They did have to give her a couple of stitches without any numbing medicines so she was a bit sore after that, to say the least.
She has been up to the restroom a couple of times since and her head feels the same as when she is laying down. Which is different than where we were a week and a half ago. The doctors are confident that the lumbar drain has done what we wanted it to do which is to allow the body to heal the leak.
So the plan is for her to spend 24 more hours on her back under observation at the hospital and if all goes well, there is a shot that she could come home tomorrow evening. We're all believing for that.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Now, on a personal note...
Allow me to comment on an observation that I've seen over the past 2 weeks. Sarah and I have been together for over 20 years (5 1/2 years dating & almost 15 years of marriage) and I've always marveled at her ability to have a positive attitude and always be smiling. In fact, one of the #1 complements people give my wife is about her smile. She's always smiling and her smile is infectious.
I have been amazed that over the past 11 days in the hospital, she has never lost that infectious positive attitude and smile. Countless nurses and medical staff have commented about it. The few guests we've had have noticed it and even people on Twitter and Facebook have noticed it from the few updates she's posted.
I am blown away at Sarah's ability to stay positive and focused on getting well. She has truly inspired me through this whole process. I am amazed that she can be the one with tubes hanging out of her, people poking her, noises and distractions all around her and a mask over her eyes because her head is pounding and yet, her spirit is encouraging me!
She truly is a beautiful woman, inside and out, and this whole ordeal has once again proven what we all have already known.
I love you Sarah and am so proud of you,
Love,
Your Husband
I pray tomorrow is the day you get to come home again.
Sarah had her Lumbar Drain removed at about 3:30 pm today. The procedure took 30 minutes and she did very well. They did have to give her a couple of stitches without any numbing medicines so she was a bit sore after that, to say the least.
She has been up to the restroom a couple of times since and her head feels the same as when she is laying down. Which is different than where we were a week and a half ago. The doctors are confident that the lumbar drain has done what we wanted it to do which is to allow the body to heal the leak.
So the plan is for her to spend 24 more hours on her back under observation at the hospital and if all goes well, there is a shot that she could come home tomorrow evening. We're all believing for that.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Now, on a personal note...
Allow me to comment on an observation that I've seen over the past 2 weeks. Sarah and I have been together for over 20 years (5 1/2 years dating & almost 15 years of marriage) and I've always marveled at her ability to have a positive attitude and always be smiling. In fact, one of the #1 complements people give my wife is about her smile. She's always smiling and her smile is infectious.
I have been amazed that over the past 11 days in the hospital, she has never lost that infectious positive attitude and smile. Countless nurses and medical staff have commented about it. The few guests we've had have noticed it and even people on Twitter and Facebook have noticed it from the few updates she's posted.
I am blown away at Sarah's ability to stay positive and focused on getting well. She has truly inspired me through this whole process. I am amazed that she can be the one with tubes hanging out of her, people poking her, noises and distractions all around her and a mask over her eyes because her head is pounding and yet, her spirit is encouraging me!
She truly is a beautiful woman, inside and out, and this whole ordeal has once again proven what we all have already known.
I love you Sarah and am so proud of you,
Love,
Your Husband
I pray tomorrow is the day you get to come home again.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Sunday night update for Sarah's Medical Journey - 11:15 PM - Sept. 18, 2011
Sorry about the late post everybody. I left the hospital late, (which by the way, leaving every night without her is one of the worst feelings ever.)
In terms of where she's at... Today was a very good day. Sarah felt more like herself than ever.
So the truth is, Everything leads to tomorrow. She is scheduled to get the Lumbar Drain removed sometime tomorrow and most probably in the afternoon. Which they've made sound like a minimally invasive deal. Which is great news!
Once the drain is out, they'll let her rest and recover for 4 hours and then gradually begin sitting her up to see how her head feels.
Please pray that her headache doesn't come back tomorrow as she sits up. This will be the huge test. If she passes the test and her headache doesn't come back then it's very likely that she could come home on Tuesday.
If however the headaches do come back then we have a whole other set of decisions and circumstances that we don't need to talk about now.
So all roads lead to tomorrow!
Let's pray for complete healing in Jesus' Name. And a good report of no headaches!
Thanks everyone, we'll keep you posted throughout the day with Twitter and Facebook updates as we go forward.
Twitter.com/MatthewKeller
Facebook.com/MatthewWKeller
God bless you all for carrying this with us,
Matt and Sarah
In terms of where she's at... Today was a very good day. Sarah felt more like herself than ever.
So the truth is, Everything leads to tomorrow. She is scheduled to get the Lumbar Drain removed sometime tomorrow and most probably in the afternoon. Which they've made sound like a minimally invasive deal. Which is great news!
Once the drain is out, they'll let her rest and recover for 4 hours and then gradually begin sitting her up to see how her head feels.
Please pray that her headache doesn't come back tomorrow as she sits up. This will be the huge test. If she passes the test and her headache doesn't come back then it's very likely that she could come home on Tuesday.
If however the headaches do come back then we have a whole other set of decisions and circumstances that we don't need to talk about now.
So all roads lead to tomorrow!
Let's pray for complete healing in Jesus' Name. And a good report of no headaches!
Thanks everyone, we'll keep you posted throughout the day with Twitter and Facebook updates as we go forward.
Twitter.com/MatthewKeller
Facebook.com/MatthewWKeller
God bless you all for carrying this with us,
Matt and Sarah
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Sarah's Medical Update - Saturday Night - 8:15 pm - Sept. 17, 2011
Day 13 of the headache :: Day 9 in the hospital.
It's Saturday night & Sarah's sad that she wasn't at Next Level Church tonight! We miss our NLC family!
Sarah had a great day all in all! She was able to take a 5 minute shower sitting down but she loved being able to wash her hair and put on lotion afterward.
Around 3 pm, The PICC line was installed. The procedure was pretty intense and unfortunately took 2 tries. Which means that it was much longer and more traumatic than we wish it would have been. However it is in and in the right place so she is now able to receive her antibiotics without her veins burning and "on fire."
This afternoon started the experiment of cutting her medications in half. So her headache is back a touch but they said that would be the case. It was gone throughout much of the day but it is creeping back a little this evening.
Sarah is eating well. Which is great and Drew and mommy had cuttle time this morning and he watched a movie while she rested.
Prayer wise it's very similar to last night.
Pray that the tear will continue to heal, and that the headaches will diminish.
The plan as of now is to remove the drain on Monday and then to observe her for a good 24 hours. So most probably the earliest she could go home is Tuesday.
She wanted to make sure you all knew how thankful she was to everyone for the cards, prayers, flowers, chocolate, food for her family and caffeine!
Thank you for believing with us for complete healing.
Matt, Sarah, Will and Drew Keller
It's Saturday night & Sarah's sad that she wasn't at Next Level Church tonight! We miss our NLC family!
Sarah had a great day all in all! She was able to take a 5 minute shower sitting down but she loved being able to wash her hair and put on lotion afterward.
Around 3 pm, The PICC line was installed. The procedure was pretty intense and unfortunately took 2 tries. Which means that it was much longer and more traumatic than we wish it would have been. However it is in and in the right place so she is now able to receive her antibiotics without her veins burning and "on fire."
This afternoon started the experiment of cutting her medications in half. So her headache is back a touch but they said that would be the case. It was gone throughout much of the day but it is creeping back a little this evening.
Sarah is eating well. Which is great and Drew and mommy had cuttle time this morning and he watched a movie while she rested.
Prayer wise it's very similar to last night.
Pray that the tear will continue to heal, and that the headaches will diminish.
The plan as of now is to remove the drain on Monday and then to observe her for a good 24 hours. So most probably the earliest she could go home is Tuesday.
She wanted to make sure you all knew how thankful she was to everyone for the cards, prayers, flowers, chocolate, food for her family and caffeine!
Thank you for believing with us for complete healing.
Matt, Sarah, Will and Drew Keller
Friday, September 16, 2011
Sarah Update - Friday Evening 7:45 pm Sept. 15, 2011
Friday Evening, 7:45pm, September 15th, 2011
Day 12 of the Headaches :: Day 8 of the Hospital Stay
Today has been a day of turn around. Sarah has felt very good every time she's sat or stood up which is a good sign. Her appetite has returned, which for those of you who know Sarah, that's a REAL good sign. Her nausea has been held at bay by the nausea medicine which is a great thing!
She still has a headache, but they're kind of expecting that because of the fact that they're removing the spinal fluid every hour which obviously can cause a headache. But praise God, the medicine is keeping them at a low grade level.
Dr. Fuchs, her surgeon, and his P.A. were both in this morning and said the spinal fluid looked good and the drain was doing what we needed it to do. Dr. Carlin, the neurologist, had the Spinal Fluid tested and ruled out any other major problems or issues including meningitis, etc. which is a relief.
The Dr. did say that she is going to have her good days and her bad days and that we shouldn't expect it to all be up and to the right with the trauma she's been through.
It was a pretty quiet day of resting all in all. She actually felt well enough to turn on her phone and post something on twitter which is a first in a while. Although she still can't look at a screen for more than a couple of minutes, but nonetheless this is a good sign.
The prayer right now is that the tear is actually healing while the drain is in and that she wouldn't get any infection while she has an open area to her body.
She is going to get a PICC line tomorrow morning because so many of her veins have been used for IV's and blood draws. Please pray that that procedure goes well.
All in all her spirits are up. She laughed a couple of times but said that hurt her back.
On the family front, the boys had a great week at school, their grades stayed up and they stayed in good spirits without mom around. They're excited to spend lots of time with mom this weekend and they also like the ice cream that the nurses give them! A special treat.
My mom and dad, Harold and Jo, got back into town this afternoon which gives us a couple more hands on deck to navigate all of the goings-on of the Keller Family.
I personally so thankful for our Next Level Church staff who is carrying the weight of our church with us being out of commission. I can't imagine going through this without them! They've been incredible!!!
Although Sarah is starting to feel better, doctors have emphasized how important rest and hydration is to let her body recover, so thank you for continuing to show your support through cards and notes, rather than visits. She definitely feels your love, support and prayers. We're believing for a complete healing.
Thanks everyone,
Matt Keller
Day 12 of the Headaches :: Day 8 of the Hospital Stay
Today has been a day of turn around. Sarah has felt very good every time she's sat or stood up which is a good sign. Her appetite has returned, which for those of you who know Sarah, that's a REAL good sign. Her nausea has been held at bay by the nausea medicine which is a great thing!
She still has a headache, but they're kind of expecting that because of the fact that they're removing the spinal fluid every hour which obviously can cause a headache. But praise God, the medicine is keeping them at a low grade level.
Dr. Fuchs, her surgeon, and his P.A. were both in this morning and said the spinal fluid looked good and the drain was doing what we needed it to do. Dr. Carlin, the neurologist, had the Spinal Fluid tested and ruled out any other major problems or issues including meningitis, etc. which is a relief.
The Dr. did say that she is going to have her good days and her bad days and that we shouldn't expect it to all be up and to the right with the trauma she's been through.
It was a pretty quiet day of resting all in all. She actually felt well enough to turn on her phone and post something on twitter which is a first in a while. Although she still can't look at a screen for more than a couple of minutes, but nonetheless this is a good sign.
The prayer right now is that the tear is actually healing while the drain is in and that she wouldn't get any infection while she has an open area to her body.
She is going to get a PICC line tomorrow morning because so many of her veins have been used for IV's and blood draws. Please pray that that procedure goes well.
All in all her spirits are up. She laughed a couple of times but said that hurt her back.
On the family front, the boys had a great week at school, their grades stayed up and they stayed in good spirits without mom around. They're excited to spend lots of time with mom this weekend and they also like the ice cream that the nurses give them! A special treat.
My mom and dad, Harold and Jo, got back into town this afternoon which gives us a couple more hands on deck to navigate all of the goings-on of the Keller Family.
I personally so thankful for our Next Level Church staff who is carrying the weight of our church with us being out of commission. I can't imagine going through this without them! They've been incredible!!!
Although Sarah is starting to feel better, doctors have emphasized how important rest and hydration is to let her body recover, so thank you for continuing to show your support through cards and notes, rather than visits. She definitely feels your love, support and prayers. We're believing for a complete healing.
Thanks everyone,
Matt Keller
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Sarah Update - Thursday Night - 8:45 pm - Sept. 15th, 2011
Today marks Day 7 of Sarah's Hospital Stay. It's hard to believe that a week has gone by, and really 11 days since this whole headache thing began on Labor Day. Unreal.
As for today's progress, there is most assuredly a noticable difference in Sarah's countenance from this morning until now. She definitely still has a headache, but the nauseousness has diminished quite a bit. But today was not without its eventfulness.
Throughout the day the doctors and nurses worked to try and find the right medication combination to get her nausea and headache to lessen. Sarah spent most of the day lying flat with her eyes covering the light. She has been able to get up and go to the restroom with the nurse's help which she describes as "the highlight of her day... to be in another room."
One bright spot associated with that is at this point she's saying that there is no difference between the pressure when she's laying down, and when she's sitting up. Which could be related to the Lumbar Drain that they inserted yesterday.
The Lumbar Drain is working as it should and is draining 10 cc's of Spinal Fluid off of her spine per hour. The goal is to lessen the pressure on the spinal fluid tube especially at the base thus giving the body a chance to heal the tear (if there is one... according to the Surgeon.) This will be the procedure for the entire weekend, through Monday as we understand it.
Please continue to pray that complete healing of the tear will take place and that in the immediate all the pain in her head will disappear.
On a family front, Alison is staying tonight in the room with Sarah, because last night was pretty rough for her. The boys are excited about being able to spend the weekend together with her. They certainly are missing their mom. Drew said tonight at the dinner table, "It's just not right that mom's not here..." It's true. It's just not right.
After dinner, the boys were able to go up to the hospital and visit with Sarah for a little while. When they walked in they were greeted by a rather vast array of flowers from so many of you! (Thanks by the way... they're beautifiul) However, the boys wanted me to mention that,
"In leau of flowers, because she has plenty of those, why not tell people that we think mom would appreciate Game Stop Gift Cards, Rays Tickets and Dairy Queen Gift Certificates! Thanks... from the boys!"
Finally, thanks again to everyone for all of your prayers and support throughout this whole ordeal. We know God is with us and His timing is perfect, but are anxious for Him to complete the healing.
Feel free to comment, FB, or Twitter encouragements, they bring hope to Sarah and I and keep our faith strong.
Matt Keller
I want to thank all of you for respecting the NO VISITORS restriction. Its helping Sarah be able to rest and recover in the best way possible.
As for today's progress, there is most assuredly a noticable difference in Sarah's countenance from this morning until now. She definitely still has a headache, but the nauseousness has diminished quite a bit. But today was not without its eventfulness.
Throughout the day the doctors and nurses worked to try and find the right medication combination to get her nausea and headache to lessen. Sarah spent most of the day lying flat with her eyes covering the light. She has been able to get up and go to the restroom with the nurse's help which she describes as "the highlight of her day... to be in another room."
One bright spot associated with that is at this point she's saying that there is no difference between the pressure when she's laying down, and when she's sitting up. Which could be related to the Lumbar Drain that they inserted yesterday.
The Lumbar Drain is working as it should and is draining 10 cc's of Spinal Fluid off of her spine per hour. The goal is to lessen the pressure on the spinal fluid tube especially at the base thus giving the body a chance to heal the tear (if there is one... according to the Surgeon.) This will be the procedure for the entire weekend, through Monday as we understand it.
Please continue to pray that complete healing of the tear will take place and that in the immediate all the pain in her head will disappear.
On a family front, Alison is staying tonight in the room with Sarah, because last night was pretty rough for her. The boys are excited about being able to spend the weekend together with her. They certainly are missing their mom. Drew said tonight at the dinner table, "It's just not right that mom's not here..." It's true. It's just not right.
After dinner, the boys were able to go up to the hospital and visit with Sarah for a little while. When they walked in they were greeted by a rather vast array of flowers from so many of you! (Thanks by the way... they're beautifiul) However, the boys wanted me to mention that,
"In leau of flowers, because she has plenty of those, why not tell people that we think mom would appreciate Game Stop Gift Cards, Rays Tickets and Dairy Queen Gift Certificates! Thanks... from the boys!"
Finally, thanks again to everyone for all of your prayers and support throughout this whole ordeal. We know God is with us and His timing is perfect, but are anxious for Him to complete the healing.
Feel free to comment, FB, or Twitter encouragements, they bring hope to Sarah and I and keep our faith strong.
Matt Keller
I want to thank all of you for respecting the NO VISITORS restriction. Its helping Sarah be able to rest and recover in the best way possible.
Sarah Medical Update - Thursday Morning 8:45 am Sept. 15
I just got up to the hospital at 8:30 this morning. Sarah had a bit of a rough night. Recovery from the procedures yesterday feels like 2 steps backward.
The nausea is back which is really hard. And her headache continues to be constant. So we don't really know what is from the procedure after-effects and what is from the Spinal Leak.
They feel like the Lumbar Drain is doing what it's supposed to be doing which is draining 10 cc's of fluid an hour. So that's good.
We are back to praying for a breakthrough again. Pray for God's healing touch on Sarah today. That the pain in her head would be gone and the nausea would disappear.
Thanks everyone,
Matt
The nausea is back which is really hard. And her headache continues to be constant. So we don't really know what is from the procedure after-effects and what is from the Spinal Leak.
They feel like the Lumbar Drain is doing what it's supposed to be doing which is draining 10 cc's of fluid an hour. So that's good.
We are back to praying for a breakthrough again. Pray for God's healing touch on Sarah today. That the pain in her head would be gone and the nausea would disappear.
Thanks everyone,
Matt
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Sarah Update - Post-Procedure - 2:30 PM Wednesday
The Dr. Just came out and said Sarah did great during the procedure. He did a 2nd blood block and installed the Lumbar Drain which is supposed to drain off 10cc's of spinal fluid per hour. He was talking to her through the entire thing.
The hope is that it will relieve the pressure on the bottom of the spine where they think the leak is. He's going to try her on just Tylenol going forward because he doesn't want her to have a "fuericet withdrawal" headache (similar to a caffeine headache when you haven't had coffee in a while). She hasn't returned to the room yet but will be recovering for the next several hours.
Thanks for praying everyone. Pray that this works.
Matt
The hope is that it will relieve the pressure on the bottom of the spine where they think the leak is. He's going to try her on just Tylenol going forward because he doesn't want her to have a "fuericet withdrawal" headache (similar to a caffeine headache when you haven't had coffee in a while). She hasn't returned to the room yet but will be recovering for the next several hours.
Thanks for praying everyone. Pray that this works.
Matt
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sarah Keller - Medical Update - 9:30 Tuesday Night, Sept. 13th, 2011
Tuesday Night, 9:30 pm Update for Sarah Keller:
Dr. Fuchs, Sarah's surgeon came in today and basically discussed the options with us about where we go from here, because the headache pressure is still there whenever Sarah stands or sits up.
So after consulting with him and he with the Neurologist, they are going to be inserting a "Lumbar Drain" into her back tomorrow (Wednesday) at some point to relieve the pressure off of her lower back where we believe the tear to be. This lumbar drain will be in for 5 days which means she'll be in the hospital on bed rest until at least early next week.
They will also be doing another "Blood Block" tomorrow while they're inserting the Lumbar Drain in the hopes that the blood will find the hole and form a clot and plug the hole. This will be her second "Blood Block." The first was on Friday in the Doctor's Office before she was admitted to the hospital.
We're hoping that this drainage tube and the blood block tomorrow will do the trick and will relieve the pressure enough for the leak to heal. Nobody is acting like any of this is life-threatening or a huge deal, they're just very aware that it's a painful deal that just takes time to heal.
In the meantime, it looks like she's going to be in the hospital for a while. Her spirits are fine. However, the boys and I are waking up to the fact that we're looking at a pretty long stretch without mom at home. Grandma Alison continues to be a HUGE help! And we're thankful to so many of you who have brought us meals and food. You guys are the best.
As I mentioned before, Sarah is NOT permitted to have ANY Visitors at this time.
However, if you would like to send a card or note the address is in the original post.
How you can pray:
* Pray for the leak to heal completely.
* Pray for the headache pressure to heal when she stands.
* Pray for precision and safety during her surgery tomorrow.
Thanks everybody for carrying this with us. I'll update tomorrow as we know more...
Matt and Sarah Keller
Dr. Fuchs, Sarah's surgeon came in today and basically discussed the options with us about where we go from here, because the headache pressure is still there whenever Sarah stands or sits up.
So after consulting with him and he with the Neurologist, they are going to be inserting a "Lumbar Drain" into her back tomorrow (Wednesday) at some point to relieve the pressure off of her lower back where we believe the tear to be. This lumbar drain will be in for 5 days which means she'll be in the hospital on bed rest until at least early next week.
They will also be doing another "Blood Block" tomorrow while they're inserting the Lumbar Drain in the hopes that the blood will find the hole and form a clot and plug the hole. This will be her second "Blood Block." The first was on Friday in the Doctor's Office before she was admitted to the hospital.
We're hoping that this drainage tube and the blood block tomorrow will do the trick and will relieve the pressure enough for the leak to heal. Nobody is acting like any of this is life-threatening or a huge deal, they're just very aware that it's a painful deal that just takes time to heal.
In the meantime, it looks like she's going to be in the hospital for a while. Her spirits are fine. However, the boys and I are waking up to the fact that we're looking at a pretty long stretch without mom at home. Grandma Alison continues to be a HUGE help! And we're thankful to so many of you who have brought us meals and food. You guys are the best.
As I mentioned before, Sarah is NOT permitted to have ANY Visitors at this time.
However, if you would like to send a card or note the address is in the original post.
How you can pray:
* Pray for the leak to heal completely.
* Pray for the headache pressure to heal when she stands.
* Pray for precision and safety during her surgery tomorrow.
Thanks everybody for carrying this with us. I'll update tomorrow as we know more...
Matt and Sarah Keller
Sarah Keller Medical Journey
As many of you know, on Labor Day, Monday, September 5th, my wife, Sarah started experiencing an extreme headache that became worse and worse throughout the week.
On Wednesday, she went to the Urgent Care and was given a prescription of heavy meds, but they didn't touch it.
On Thursday, at the 72 hour mark, she went to the ER at Health Park and was diagnosed with, "Headache, no cause."
And by Friday, she was in the worst pain I've ever seen her in. With that we called the office of her back surgeon (she had back surgery on August 18th) and he wanted to see her.
Believing it could be a "Spinal Fluid Leak" the surgeon gave her a "Blood Block" at noon in his office, which is a common treatment for a Spinal Leak, with the hope that the blood would clot and plug the hole.
By 2 pm Friday, she was admitted into Gulf Coast Hospital with the hope of managing her severe pain and then finding a solution to her headache.
Friday evening, a neurologist came into our room and spent about 15 minutes with us looking at MRI pictures, etc. and basically confirmed the hunch that she had a "Spinal Fluid Leak" and prescribed her to lay at an inverted angle for 24 hours, and strict bed rest with the hope that this would relieve the pressure on the hole in her spinal sack and it would heal.
However, by Saturday at 2 pm she was still not any better. So her surgeon ordered an MRI on her spine to take a closer look at the incision. When the Neurologist came in and she was showing absolutely no improvement he was pretty bleak and honestly stumped. He was fully expecting the upside down thing to work, and when it didn't, he wasn't real sure what to do.
The one thing he did say was that perhaps all of the heavy narcotic painkillers were causing her extreme nausea and then the anti-nausea medicine was making her head hurt, etc. causing a vicious cycle. So, before she left for the spine MRI, she was taken off all Narcotics and put on Fuerisept (sp?) which a strong migraine medicine with lots of caffeine. She was also officially prescribed as much coffee, mountain dew, and chocolate as she wanted in hopes that the caffeine would help the headache and jump start the production of spinal fluid. (Parenthetically: I've known Mountain Dew and Chocolate heal a lot of stuff, for a long time!!!)
So, by the time she got back from the MRI, she was feeling much better and within a couple of hours was sitting up, talking and laughing, like the old Sarah.
What an awesome turning point!!! It was truly a miraculous breakthrough!!!
So, where we have found ourselves since Saturday afternoon is that her headache is gone when she lays down, but anytime she stands up or sits up at all, the headache and pounding comes back within a few minutes which has continued to stump the surgeon.
So, Sarah is at Gulf Coast Hospital.
However, At this time we ARE NOT permitting visitors.
If you would like to send a card or note, the address is:
Gulf Coast Hospital
13681 Doctor's Way
Fort Myers, FL 33912
Thank you for continuing to pray for her and the doctors as we continue to find a complete solution to this whole thing.
Please pray for the boys as well, they're really starting to miss their momma at home, especially at bed time.
I will be posting updates at this website until she's home safe and sound.
We love you all,
Matt & Sarah Keller
On Wednesday, she went to the Urgent Care and was given a prescription of heavy meds, but they didn't touch it.
On Thursday, at the 72 hour mark, she went to the ER at Health Park and was diagnosed with, "Headache, no cause."
And by Friday, she was in the worst pain I've ever seen her in. With that we called the office of her back surgeon (she had back surgery on August 18th) and he wanted to see her.
Believing it could be a "Spinal Fluid Leak" the surgeon gave her a "Blood Block" at noon in his office, which is a common treatment for a Spinal Leak, with the hope that the blood would clot and plug the hole.
By 2 pm Friday, she was admitted into Gulf Coast Hospital with the hope of managing her severe pain and then finding a solution to her headache.
Friday evening, a neurologist came into our room and spent about 15 minutes with us looking at MRI pictures, etc. and basically confirmed the hunch that she had a "Spinal Fluid Leak" and prescribed her to lay at an inverted angle for 24 hours, and strict bed rest with the hope that this would relieve the pressure on the hole in her spinal sack and it would heal.
However, by Saturday at 2 pm she was still not any better. So her surgeon ordered an MRI on her spine to take a closer look at the incision. When the Neurologist came in and she was showing absolutely no improvement he was pretty bleak and honestly stumped. He was fully expecting the upside down thing to work, and when it didn't, he wasn't real sure what to do.
The one thing he did say was that perhaps all of the heavy narcotic painkillers were causing her extreme nausea and then the anti-nausea medicine was making her head hurt, etc. causing a vicious cycle. So, before she left for the spine MRI, she was taken off all Narcotics and put on Fuerisept (sp?) which a strong migraine medicine with lots of caffeine. She was also officially prescribed as much coffee, mountain dew, and chocolate as she wanted in hopes that the caffeine would help the headache and jump start the production of spinal fluid. (Parenthetically: I've known Mountain Dew and Chocolate heal a lot of stuff, for a long time!!!)
So, by the time she got back from the MRI, she was feeling much better and within a couple of hours was sitting up, talking and laughing, like the old Sarah.
What an awesome turning point!!! It was truly a miraculous breakthrough!!!
So, where we have found ourselves since Saturday afternoon is that her headache is gone when she lays down, but anytime she stands up or sits up at all, the headache and pounding comes back within a few minutes which has continued to stump the surgeon.
So, Sarah is at Gulf Coast Hospital.
However, At this time we ARE NOT permitting visitors.
If you would like to send a card or note, the address is:
Gulf Coast Hospital
13681 Doctor's Way
Fort Myers, FL 33912
Thank you for continuing to pray for her and the doctors as we continue to find a complete solution to this whole thing.
Please pray for the boys as well, they're really starting to miss their momma at home, especially at bed time.
I will be posting updates at this website until she's home safe and sound.
We love you all,
Matt & Sarah Keller
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
How to Pray today - Next Level Church's First "Tuesday" Prayer & Fasting - September 2011
Jesus gave us a model for how we are to pray in Luke 11. I would highly recommend taking some time today and reading it through, b/c in these verses, we have a great template for how God wants us to pray:
So, on this First Tuesday (Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day) Prayer & Fasting Day, Here's a template for how to spend time with Jesus today:
(By the way, Here's the Link to watch the Video Message I spoke from this outline a while back... enjoy)
7 Specifics for Prayer:
v. 1 “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’”
v. 2 “He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘Our Father in heaven,’”
1. Have Confidence in your Relationship with God.
A. We’re not praying to a Partner, or Creator, or Judge or even Friend.
- Jesus was keying in on the Role of God as Father in our lives.
B. Prayer starts with a Confidence that God loves us as a Father loves his children.
- The Greek Word: ‘Daddy, or Pappa.’
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
C. The best part of God’s day is letting us off the hook!
- We have grace & mercy through Jesus!
D. Don’t just go straight to business in prayer, Come to God as Father!!! v. 2 “…hallowed be your name…”
- or “holy is your name…” – An act of praise.
2. Love God and Worship His Name.
A. After we approach God as Father, just spend time praising Him for who He is!
- Don’t rush this… just fall into Who God is!
Psalm 103:1 “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
v. 2-3 “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
v. 4 “who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things
v. 5 “so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
B. This is when we change realities.
- Prayer is not getting Heaven to come down, Prayer is getting earth to come up!
- Until the 2 switch place, nothing powerful is going to happen!
- Praise & Worship of God is when that happens!!!
v. 2 “…your kingdom come, your will be done…”
3. Pray God’s Agenda First.
A. God has a prayer list.
- Before we rush into our needs, we need to Seek His Agenda 1st!!!
B. What’s on God’s Agenda?
- The #1 Thing is: The Lost!!!
C. MIP: When we pray God’s agenda 1st, our needs get way smaller! v. 3 “Give us each day our daily bread…”
4. Present your Needs to Him.
A. God wants us to depend on Him for Everything, not just Urgencies!!!
- If all we ever pray for are the urgent things we’re missing a huge opportunity to trust God for the bigger components of what’s going on in & thru our lives!
v. 4 “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.”
5. Get your heart right with God & with People.
A. This is the zone to cleanse your heart before God.
Where do we need forgiveness?
Healing?
Cleasing from bitterness?
Matthew 5:23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
v. 24 “leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
v. 4 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one…”
6. Confront the Enemy.
A. A more accurate translation is: “and do not let us be led into temptation…”
- God doesn’t lead anyone into temptation.
B. There is an aggressive side to prayer where we actually take ground for those we love.
- We are called to do battle in the spirit realms through prayer!!!
Matthew 6:13 “…for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
7. Trust God with Absolute Assurance in His Ability.
A. At the end of it all, we can walk away from our times of prayer with an assurance that no matter what we face,
- or what happens, God is in control & working it all together for His Glory!!!
B. This world all belongs to Him.
- & yes, Satan is trying to reek havoc & destroy lives, but we serve a God who is greater!!!
* Use this as a template.
- At minimum, it’s a 7 minute template.
- What you’ll discover is, 7 minutes will just be the beginning.
The Discipline of Replenishment
As I was reviewing my notes and the audios from the most recent Willow Creek Leadership Summit, I heard Bill Hybels use a phrase that I've heard him say before, but it jumped out at me. He said that, as Leaders, we must practice:
In other words, it's not okay for leaders to burn the candle at both ends. It's not okay for leaders to never stop. To run on the treadmill at a tireless pace and at an endless rate is not okay.
If we're not building in times where we strategically aren't strategic, we're going to do damage to ourselves, our bodies, our emotions, our creative selves, our families, our teams and the people we serve. So here are a few questions to consider in your own leadership:
The Discipline of Replenishment
In other words, it's not okay for leaders to burn the candle at both ends. It's not okay for leaders to never stop. To run on the treadmill at a tireless pace and at an endless rate is not okay.
If we're not building in times where we strategically aren't strategic, we're going to do damage to ourselves, our bodies, our emotions, our creative selves, our families, our teams and the people we serve. So here are a few questions to consider in your own leadership:
- When am I completely turning all electronic devices off and just being quiet and alone?
- When was the last time I took an entire day off? No lists?
- When was the last time I got away for an entire evening with my spouse and didn't check my phone once?
- When was the last time I took my kids out of the city and left my computer at home?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, what pace would my team say I'm running at?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, what pace would my spouse say I'm running at?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, what pace would my kids say I'm running at?
Challenge Question:
When is the next time you're going to proactively practice
the discipline of replenishment?
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Detour leads to unexpected discovery
Galatians 4:13 "As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you."
In this small verse, Paul makes an interesting statement, that the whole reason the church at Galatia exists, the whole reason they know Jesus at all, the whole reason they have had thier lives changed, is because Paul's eyes got sick.
Now, there's a good chance that when it happened, Paul's team was upset, they laid hands on him, prayed in faith for healing and were upset at changed plans. They probably even asked God why he would have allowed such a big detour to happen.
But now we know why! Now we get it. First, there was a group of people that would not have been reached had it not been for the detour. Second, there was a book of the Bible that would have never been written. And third, there are truths that would have never been learned, by us and millions of others, had one guy not come down with a rare eye disease.
It's so tempting to always see the negative side of pain and detours and perceived 'hindrances' in our lives. We curse them, bind them, run from them, pray over them, and want to get through them as quickly as we can, but the reality is God always uses them.
"God, my I have the eyes of faith to see in the midst of a detour, what You're doing. And even when I can't see in the midst of it, may I know in faith that You make all things work together for my good. Amen."
In this small verse, Paul makes an interesting statement, that the whole reason the church at Galatia exists, the whole reason they know Jesus at all, the whole reason they have had thier lives changed, is because Paul's eyes got sick.
Now, there's a good chance that when it happened, Paul's team was upset, they laid hands on him, prayed in faith for healing and were upset at changed plans. They probably even asked God why he would have allowed such a big detour to happen.
But now we know why! Now we get it. First, there was a group of people that would not have been reached had it not been for the detour. Second, there was a book of the Bible that would have never been written. And third, there are truths that would have never been learned, by us and millions of others, had one guy not come down with a rare eye disease.
It's so tempting to always see the negative side of pain and detours and perceived 'hindrances' in our lives. We curse them, bind them, run from them, pray over them, and want to get through them as quickly as we can, but the reality is God always uses them.
"God, my I have the eyes of faith to see in the midst of a detour, what You're doing. And even when I can't see in the midst of it, may I know in faith that You make all things work together for my good. Amen."
Thursday, August 11, 2011
So there's this verse in Proverbs that's been messin' with me...
Proverbs 24:11 "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter."
It's our responsibility to actively and aggressively go after those who are headed in the wrong direction. We can't just sit by and let them fall off a cliff of sin or poor decision-making, or complacency. I recently had a friend who jumped off a moral cliff and blew up his family, his ministry and did permanent damage. The amazing thing is, when I was with him about a month before everything blew up, I sensed a distance in my spirit, and had this overwhelming burden to go and talk to him. But I didn't.
Instead, I excused it by thinking, "We're just not as close as we once were. I don't have the relational tokens with him right now."
I wish I would have said something, perhaps things could have been different...
It's our responsibility to actively and aggressively go after those who are headed in the wrong direction. We can't just sit by and let them fall off a cliff of sin or poor decision-making, or complacency. I recently had a friend who jumped off a moral cliff and blew up his family, his ministry and did permanent damage. The amazing thing is, when I was with him about a month before everything blew up, I sensed a distance in my spirit, and had this overwhelming burden to go and talk to him. But I didn't.
Instead, I excused it by thinking, "We're just not as close as we once were. I don't have the relational tokens with him right now."
I wish I would have said something, perhaps things could have been different...
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Never underestimate the power of encouragement
I met with a guy today who's thinking about church planting. It was the highlight of my day to be able to encourage him. Never underestimate the power of a spoken word, a gift, or a piece of advice. It just might be the thing that someone needs to make their day and keep them inspired in the path God has them on.
Just a thought,
By the way, it's great to be back.
Matt
Just a thought,
By the way, it's great to be back.
Matt
Friday, May 27, 2011
There's Nothing like Indy! (A Tribute to my family tradition that is the Indianapolis 500)
Each Memorial Day, for 25 years I've been in the same place... hearing the same words...
I've literally grown up hearing those famous words spoken over the loud speakers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, followed by 500 of the most exhilarating miles of auto racing in the world! This year marks the 25th anniversary for what has become a tradition for the Keller family.
May 1987
It was 1987, I was just a few days away from my 12th birthday and I had just finished my 5th grade year in school. I remember my dad coming home from work one day and asking me if I'd be interested in going to the Indy 500 with him. It sounded great and so that Memorial Day weekend, we took off in our little family motor home, drove the 2 1/2 hours to Indianapolis and spent the night in someone's yard a mile or so from the track. I still remember my dad telling me over and over again, "Don't tell your mother what you saw tonight..." as we drove past the throngs of people partying in the streets around the track.
Al Unser Sr. won his fourth race in 1987. His fourth victory represented our first in a family tradition that would forever bond my father and I. The Indianapolis 500 represents so much more than a race to me. It represents a marking of time throughout my life. It is one of a few common shared experiences I can count on each year.
Race Day... A Tradition Itself
Though the years, we've weathered rain & shine, hot and cold, and even a tornado a few years back. Once we got rid of the motor home, we began waking up at 3:30 am and driving to Indy the morning of race day in our minivan. Dad and I always loved getting to the track early while the air was cool, the bleachers weren't crowded and we could watch the track come to life. Our tradition remains the same. Park at 21st Street and Auburn in somebody's yard. (Parking Prices have went up since we first began...) And carry our cooler full of soda, sandwiches and snacks the 1 mile walk to the track. (We tried taking ice cream one year but it didn't really work...)
There truly is nothing like race day at Indianapolis.
The sounds of people and police cars. Vendors calling for your attention and someone interviewing a driver over the loud speaker. The first glimpse of the track, as we crest the stairs of Paddock A, always brings tears to my eyes. I can't help but hear Jim Neighbors in my head singing, "Back home again in Indiana."
It always seems that each year as dad and I reach our seats, we turn, face the track, put our arms around each other and he says, "Well son, we made it. Another year..." There truly is nothing like Indy...
The Teen Years at Indy
My Junior High and High School years at Indy, became a bit of a yearly rite of passage. What began as just my dad and I added my older brother Nick, as well. (For years Nick always went to the race with a friend who took an entire tour bus.) Race weekend became a special time of celebration we would share together as another school year ended, another birthday for me was around the corner, and our lives were moving forward. It was also during my high school years at the track that we added another member to our party...
I remember the first year I took my high school sweetheart, Sarah. (she's now my wife, by the way...) I remember telling her that when they drop the Green Flag and you see 33 cars flying down the front straightaway at 230 MPH, it will be one of the most exhilarating experiences of your entire year! Her disbelief of that statement a few weeks before, turned to pure joy and utter amazement moments after she saw that first Green Flag fly!!! And yes, she's been hooked ever since.
A Changing Tradition
The race weekend tradition changed in 2002, when I moved my family to Fort Myers, Florida to start the church we now pastor, Next Level Church. Unfortunately, we launched the church on Mother's Day which was just a few weeks before race day. I remember saying to my wife upon realizing that the church would only be 4 Sunday's old on Memorial Day weekend, "Honey, what am I going to do about the race?" To which she promptly replied, "Well, you're not going... of course."
My response to her was a solemn, "I know." The year we started our new life in Florida was the only 1 of the 25 years, that I have ever missed the Indy 500. I remember coming home from church that day and turning on the race, only to turn it right back off again. It was just too painful to watch. I made the right choice, but it was a hard one.
By the next May, the church was strong enough that I could afford to miss a Sunday, and therefore resumed my annual sojourn to the Speedway. But now it would have to be by Airplane, not car, motor home, or minivan. 5 years ago, mom and dad retired and moved to Florida with us. But distance can't keep us from Indianapolis on race weekend. Whether by plane, train or automobile, we'll be there on Race Day.
The Tradition Continues
This year, our 25th year, marks yet another turning of the page at the race track... For the first time, I'm bringing my son.
My oldest son, Will, graduates from 4th grade on Friday, & therefore will be deemed a 5th grader, thus making him old enough to attend the race. (At least according to his grandpa...) And so, this year the baton will be passed to yet another generation. I can't imagine the emotion I'm sure I will feel this weekend as the Green Flag drops and I hold my son up on the back of the bleachers of the front straightaway. I remember like it was just yesterday my dad holding me there.
I have grown up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, seated next to my dad, watching the cars, cheering the drivers each Memorial Day. It thrills my heart to no end to think that this year while I'm seated next to my dad, my son will be seated next to his dad watching the green flag fly. I'm sure it will be the most exhilarating moment of our year.
Happy Race Day Everybody. Here's to traditions...
Matt Keller
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!"
 | |
| The 33 Cars "Going Green" |
I've literally grown up hearing those famous words spoken over the loud speakers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, followed by 500 of the most exhilarating miles of auto racing in the world! This year marks the 25th anniversary for what has become a tradition for the Keller family.
May 1987
It was 1987, I was just a few days away from my 12th birthday and I had just finished my 5th grade year in school. I remember my dad coming home from work one day and asking me if I'd be interested in going to the Indy 500 with him. It sounded great and so that Memorial Day weekend, we took off in our little family motor home, drove the 2 1/2 hours to Indianapolis and spent the night in someone's yard a mile or so from the track. I still remember my dad telling me over and over again, "Don't tell your mother what you saw tonight..." as we drove past the throngs of people partying in the streets around the track.
 | |
| Al Unser Sr.'s Car - I remember it like it was yesterday! |
Al Unser Sr. won his fourth race in 1987. His fourth victory represented our first in a family tradition that would forever bond my father and I. The Indianapolis 500 represents so much more than a race to me. It represents a marking of time throughout my life. It is one of a few common shared experiences I can count on each year.
Race Day... A Tradition Itself
Though the years, we've weathered rain & shine, hot and cold, and even a tornado a few years back. Once we got rid of the motor home, we began waking up at 3:30 am and driving to Indy the morning of race day in our minivan. Dad and I always loved getting to the track early while the air was cool, the bleachers weren't crowded and we could watch the track come to life. Our tradition remains the same. Park at 21st Street and Auburn in somebody's yard. (Parking Prices have went up since we first began...) And carry our cooler full of soda, sandwiches and snacks the 1 mile walk to the track. (We tried taking ice cream one year but it didn't really work...)
There truly is nothing like race day at Indianapolis.
 | |
| The View from our Seats |
The sounds of people and police cars. Vendors calling for your attention and someone interviewing a driver over the loud speaker. The first glimpse of the track, as we crest the stairs of Paddock A, always brings tears to my eyes. I can't help but hear Jim Neighbors in my head singing, "Back home again in Indiana."
It always seems that each year as dad and I reach our seats, we turn, face the track, put our arms around each other and he says, "Well son, we made it. Another year..." There truly is nothing like Indy...
The Teen Years at Indy
My Junior High and High School years at Indy, became a bit of a yearly rite of passage. What began as just my dad and I added my older brother Nick, as well. (For years Nick always went to the race with a friend who took an entire tour bus.) Race weekend became a special time of celebration we would share together as another school year ended, another birthday for me was around the corner, and our lives were moving forward. It was also during my high school years at the track that we added another member to our party...
I remember the first year I took my high school sweetheart, Sarah. (she's now my wife, by the way...) I remember telling her that when they drop the Green Flag and you see 33 cars flying down the front straightaway at 230 MPH, it will be one of the most exhilarating experiences of your entire year! Her disbelief of that statement a few weeks before, turned to pure joy and utter amazement moments after she saw that first Green Flag fly!!! And yes, she's been hooked ever since.
 | |
| Our Seats are up under the canopy. 50 Rows Up, between the start/finish line and the scoring pole on the right! |
A Changing Tradition
The race weekend tradition changed in 2002, when I moved my family to Fort Myers, Florida to start the church we now pastor, Next Level Church. Unfortunately, we launched the church on Mother's Day which was just a few weeks before race day. I remember saying to my wife upon realizing that the church would only be 4 Sunday's old on Memorial Day weekend, "Honey, what am I going to do about the race?" To which she promptly replied, "Well, you're not going... of course."
My response to her was a solemn, "I know." The year we started our new life in Florida was the only 1 of the 25 years, that I have ever missed the Indy 500. I remember coming home from church that day and turning on the race, only to turn it right back off again. It was just too painful to watch. I made the right choice, but it was a hard one.
By the next May, the church was strong enough that I could afford to miss a Sunday, and therefore resumed my annual sojourn to the Speedway. But now it would have to be by Airplane, not car, motor home, or minivan. 5 years ago, mom and dad retired and moved to Florida with us. But distance can't keep us from Indianapolis on race weekend. Whether by plane, train or automobile, we'll be there on Race Day.
 | |
| On the Track on Race Day w/ My dad and brother |
The Tradition Continues
This year, our 25th year, marks yet another turning of the page at the race track... For the first time, I'm bringing my son.
My oldest son, Will, graduates from 4th grade on Friday, & therefore will be deemed a 5th grader, thus making him old enough to attend the race. (At least according to his grandpa...) And so, this year the baton will be passed to yet another generation. I can't imagine the emotion I'm sure I will feel this weekend as the Green Flag drops and I hold my son up on the back of the bleachers of the front straightaway. I remember like it was just yesterday my dad holding me there.
I have grown up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, seated next to my dad, watching the cars, cheering the drivers each Memorial Day. It thrills my heart to no end to think that this year while I'm seated next to my dad, my son will be seated next to his dad watching the green flag fly. I'm sure it will be the most exhilarating moment of our year.
Happy Race Day Everybody. Here's to traditions...
Matt Keller
Monday, May 23, 2011
The Power of Saying "NO" - A New Leadership Article by @MatthewKeller
I was recently reminded of the power of saying "NO" in a book I'm reading called, Rework. In it, the authors, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson make the statement:
"It's easy to say yes. Yes to another feature, yes to an overly optimistic deadline,
yes to a mediocre design. Soon the stack of things you've said yes to grows so
tall you can't even see the things you should really be doing."
When I read this, I couldn't help but think of so many leaders of church plants and churches. In our desire to build a great church and win people to our cause, too often we find ourselves saying "YES" to things we really should be saying "NO" too.
1. Saying NO is never easy.
I'm not going to deceive you into thinking that telling people no is fun or easy or a flippant thing in any way. Just the opposite, it's actually really hard! Especially when your church or organization is small! The last thing in the world you want is for someone to leave because you wouldn't care for their legitimately "good" idea.
However, if we don't protect and fight for the purity of the culture we're trying to create in our churches, we'll end up watering down who we are to such a degree that in the end it does more harm than good.
2. Saying NO won't make people happy.
Inevitably, when we say no to someone's "good" idea, someone's feelings will get hurt. People won't always understand why we're making the decision we're making and some will leave mad. This is just a function of the leadership journey. As a leader, making the right decision for your organization is what you get paid to do, and it times it will come with a price.
However, I have found that most people are pretty understanding when they know the why behind our decision. Not always, but a lot of the time. When we share our logic and heart, people can accept that and move on. It has been my experience that people don't want to be right as much as they simply want to be heard. As leaders, it's our job to listen sincerely, explain our perspective and then make the wise decision for the organization that we ultimately lead.
3. Saying NO protects you, your family and your organization.
As our organization has grown, my responsibility to say NO has increased significantly. Because let's face it, in a bigger organization, there's money, facilities and the perception that we could accommodate more "good" things.
But I have had to learn the art of saying NO in order to protect my family, my schedule, my time, and my energy. Yes I'm a leader, but I'm also still a human being. And I must be wise enough to understand that I'm the only guy who can care for my wife (well, there are others, but we'd all agree, we don't want that!!!) I'm the only guy who can be dad to my 2 boys, and I'm the only guy who can show up every weekend and share life-giving, vision oriented, engaging messages that allow the Holy Spirit to change lives.
If I'm not prioritizing those things, then I'm not doing my job. That IS my #1 Priority.
4. Saying NO allows you to stay focused on what you do best.
At the end of the day, when you say NO to something "good" you position your organization, your staff and your teams to focus on the best.
There's something freeing about the word NO. Unfortunately, far too many leaders use it far too infrequently.
Application:
If you HAD to identify 3 things that you MUST say no to, what would they be? In the next 24 hours, do the hard but right thing and say NO to them. In the end, you know you'll feel better about it!
Just a thought,
Matt Keller
"It's easy to say yes. Yes to another feature, yes to an overly optimistic deadline,
yes to a mediocre design. Soon the stack of things you've said yes to grows so
tall you can't even see the things you should really be doing."
When I read this, I couldn't help but think of so many leaders of church plants and churches. In our desire to build a great church and win people to our cause, too often we find ourselves saying "YES" to things we really should be saying "NO" too.
1. Saying NO is never easy.
I'm not going to deceive you into thinking that telling people no is fun or easy or a flippant thing in any way. Just the opposite, it's actually really hard! Especially when your church or organization is small! The last thing in the world you want is for someone to leave because you wouldn't care for their legitimately "good" idea.
However, if we don't protect and fight for the purity of the culture we're trying to create in our churches, we'll end up watering down who we are to such a degree that in the end it does more harm than good.
2. Saying NO won't make people happy.
Inevitably, when we say no to someone's "good" idea, someone's feelings will get hurt. People won't always understand why we're making the decision we're making and some will leave mad. This is just a function of the leadership journey. As a leader, making the right decision for your organization is what you get paid to do, and it times it will come with a price.
However, I have found that most people are pretty understanding when they know the why behind our decision. Not always, but a lot of the time. When we share our logic and heart, people can accept that and move on. It has been my experience that people don't want to be right as much as they simply want to be heard. As leaders, it's our job to listen sincerely, explain our perspective and then make the wise decision for the organization that we ultimately lead.
3. Saying NO protects you, your family and your organization.
As our organization has grown, my responsibility to say NO has increased significantly. Because let's face it, in a bigger organization, there's money, facilities and the perception that we could accommodate more "good" things.
But I have had to learn the art of saying NO in order to protect my family, my schedule, my time, and my energy. Yes I'm a leader, but I'm also still a human being. And I must be wise enough to understand that I'm the only guy who can care for my wife (well, there are others, but we'd all agree, we don't want that!!!) I'm the only guy who can be dad to my 2 boys, and I'm the only guy who can show up every weekend and share life-giving, vision oriented, engaging messages that allow the Holy Spirit to change lives.
If I'm not prioritizing those things, then I'm not doing my job. That IS my #1 Priority.
4. Saying NO allows you to stay focused on what you do best.
At the end of the day, when you say NO to something "good" you position your organization, your staff and your teams to focus on the best.
There's something freeing about the word NO. Unfortunately, far too many leaders use it far too infrequently.
Application:
If you HAD to identify 3 things that you MUST say no to, what would they be? In the next 24 hours, do the hard but right thing and say NO to them. In the end, you know you'll feel better about it!
Just a thought,
Matt Keller
Monday, May 16, 2011
From Leading Followers to Leading Leaders
An important shift that takes place along the leadership journey is the move from
In the early stages of a new company, organization or church the emphasis is on leading followers. Just getting people to show up, fill a slot and be present is success.
However, as an organization grows, so must a leader's emphasis and priority shift from a "Whosoever Will" mentality to a "We need you exactly to..." mentality.
Here are a few things I've learned about making this all important mindset shift as a leader:
1. Start seeing the Organization differently.
In order for you to change your perspective from leading followers to leading leaders, you have to begin to see the organization you're leading from a different perspective. It's a little like parenting. At every phase of parenting I have this moment where I look at my child and think, "Wow, when did they get so big?!?"
And the same thing is true of our organizations. There comes a moment where we have to step back and see that the organization we're leading is bigger now. And bigger is not better or worse, it's just different. A bigger child requires different things from their parent. And a bigger organization requires different things from it's leader.
2. Start seeing People differently.
As an organization grows, a leader must change their perspective on the people who fill the leadership seats. Good hearted, well-intentioned people only go so far when it comes to leading at a higher level. If someone is good hearted and insufficiently skilled, they'll hold an organization back.
As a leader, its your job to keep your eyes open for those people in your organization who have the skills and potential to lead at a higher level.
It will also be necessary to move good-hearted, well-intentioned people who lack the skills and capacity to lead at a higher level into new seats on the bus that better fit their skill set. I believe this is one of the most difficult decisions a leader must make. But it's also one of the most important to the long-term health of the organization.
3. Start seeing Yourself differently.
As an organization grows, a leader must begin to see themselves differently as well. With more at stake, a leader must know and understand the role they're required to play and be willing to face their own insecurities and fears for the sake of the good of the organization.
Leading at a higher level requires boldness, confidence and clarity that leading a smaller organization does not. The leader who is unwilling to see themselves through a new lens will struggle to lead well as the organization grows.
At the end of the day, developing the ability to lead leaders not just followers will set up our organizations for success long-term, and it all has to do with changing the way we see.
Just a Leadership Thought...
Matt Keller
Leading Followers to Leading Leaders.
In the early stages of a new company, organization or church the emphasis is on leading followers. Just getting people to show up, fill a slot and be present is success.
However, as an organization grows, so must a leader's emphasis and priority shift from a "Whosoever Will" mentality to a "We need you exactly to..." mentality.
Here are a few things I've learned about making this all important mindset shift as a leader:
1. Start seeing the Organization differently.
In order for you to change your perspective from leading followers to leading leaders, you have to begin to see the organization you're leading from a different perspective. It's a little like parenting. At every phase of parenting I have this moment where I look at my child and think, "Wow, when did they get so big?!?"
And the same thing is true of our organizations. There comes a moment where we have to step back and see that the organization we're leading is bigger now. And bigger is not better or worse, it's just different. A bigger child requires different things from their parent. And a bigger organization requires different things from it's leader.
2. Start seeing People differently.
As an organization grows, a leader must change their perspective on the people who fill the leadership seats. Good hearted, well-intentioned people only go so far when it comes to leading at a higher level. If someone is good hearted and insufficiently skilled, they'll hold an organization back.
As a leader, its your job to keep your eyes open for those people in your organization who have the skills and potential to lead at a higher level.
It will also be necessary to move good-hearted, well-intentioned people who lack the skills and capacity to lead at a higher level into new seats on the bus that better fit their skill set. I believe this is one of the most difficult decisions a leader must make. But it's also one of the most important to the long-term health of the organization.
3. Start seeing Yourself differently.
As an organization grows, a leader must begin to see themselves differently as well. With more at stake, a leader must know and understand the role they're required to play and be willing to face their own insecurities and fears for the sake of the good of the organization.
Leading at a higher level requires boldness, confidence and clarity that leading a smaller organization does not. The leader who is unwilling to see themselves through a new lens will struggle to lead well as the organization grows.
At the end of the day, developing the ability to lead leaders not just followers will set up our organizations for success long-term, and it all has to do with changing the way we see.
Just a Leadership Thought...
Matt Keller
Monday, May 9, 2011
Do you buy the book? A 90 second leadership challenge for the rest of us...
I've had an interesting observation recently at events where I've been speaking...
Surprisingly few people buy the books.
First, a couple confessions:
1. I'm an avid reader. I read 4 to 6 books at a time, in different categories, and with different reasons in mind. Therefore, I'm always on the lookout for new content that I can get my hands on. I subscribe to the idea that, "The more you put in, the more sticks and the more you have to give later." I'm a teacher. It's just who I am.
2. I'm an author. I am willing at this point, to concede the fact that at several of these events recently I've had one of the books that's available for sale.
Now back to the question:
Why are so many people moved in a teaching session, and yet so few want to add to their learning beyond the event?
A Few Possible Answers:
1. They think they've already learned all the author has to share.
2. They aren't willing to commit to extending their learning.
3. They weren't really that impacted by what was taught in to begin with.
4. They have the wrong perspective.
One of my leadership Buzzwords is Teachability. It's something that I've made a life's purpose; To be teachable. It's something I think there's just too little of in leadership circles.
I am convinced that so often, we attend a conference, leadership event, a class, or even just a church service and something inside us wells up right at the moment where we're challenged to change. However, instead of leaning in to change, we actually lean out just far enough for us to miss the opportunity to become something greater in our life or leadership.
So what about you? When was the last time you "bought the book" or "took the step" or "made the change?" Are you willing to lean in or are you more likely to lean out?
Just a thought...
Matt Keller
Surprisingly few people buy the books.
First, a couple confessions:
1. I'm an avid reader. I read 4 to 6 books at a time, in different categories, and with different reasons in mind. Therefore, I'm always on the lookout for new content that I can get my hands on. I subscribe to the idea that, "The more you put in, the more sticks and the more you have to give later." I'm a teacher. It's just who I am.
2. I'm an author. I am willing at this point, to concede the fact that at several of these events recently I've had one of the books that's available for sale.
Now back to the question:
Why are so many people moved in a teaching session, and yet so few want to add to their learning beyond the event?
A Few Possible Answers:
1. They think they've already learned all the author has to share.
2. They aren't willing to commit to extending their learning.
3. They weren't really that impacted by what was taught in to begin with.
4. They have the wrong perspective.
One of my leadership Buzzwords is Teachability. It's something that I've made a life's purpose; To be teachable. It's something I think there's just too little of in leadership circles.
I am convinced that so often, we attend a conference, leadership event, a class, or even just a church service and something inside us wells up right at the moment where we're challenged to change. However, instead of leaning in to change, we actually lean out just far enough for us to miss the opportunity to become something greater in our life or leadership.
So what about you? When was the last time you "bought the book" or "took the step" or "made the change?" Are you willing to lean in or are you more likely to lean out?
Just a thought...
Matt Keller
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Follow the Leader:: A Life Lesson...
In Leadership, people follow the leader far more than they follow a vision statement, strategy, or bottom line.
When it comes to leading our organizations, are vision statements, flow charts, spreadsheets and strategies important? Yes, but at the end of the day, what too few executives fail to remember is that...
Which challenges every one of us who are in a leadership position with 3 questions:
Let's be honest for a second...
Can your team trust you? Does your team really believe that you have their best interest and the best interest of the organization in mind when you're making leadership decisions? Or do they know that we're secretly in it for our own gain?
People follow people they can trust. After all, if they take a paycheck from you, then on some level they're trusting the well-being of their family to you. Leadership is a trust. And people follow people they can trust.
In our day and age, it's not enough for people to just follow a vision statement or a set of company core values, people want to know the leader they're willingly following. And here in lies the risk.
As leaders, we must risk opening up and letting people in. The people we lead want to know us. How we think, what we're feeling, how we process information and how we make decisions. The more our people can know us, the more likely they will be to follow our leadership.
At the end of the day, people want to follow someone that they want to be like. Of course every person wants to be unique in their personality, their style, etc. But...
And let's be honest, none of us will follow long-term, someone that we don't want to be like on the inside.
When we get to know someone more deeply and don't like what we see, over time, we'll begin to pull away from that person. So the challenge for us as leaders is this: Am I living my life and leading in such a way that people will want to emulate what they see? At the end of the day, people follow leaders they can emulate.
As leaders, we don't have to know everything, but we must know ourselves, because people will follow us far more than they follow our vision statement, strategy, or bottom line.
Application Question: How am I doing at leading myself well?
When it comes to leading our organizations, are vision statements, flow charts, spreadsheets and strategies important? Yes, but at the end of the day, what too few executives fail to remember is that...
People Follow People!!!
Which challenges every one of us who are in a leadership position with 3 questions:
1. Am I a Leader people can Trust?
Let's be honest for a second...
Can your team trust you? Does your team really believe that you have their best interest and the best interest of the organization in mind when you're making leadership decisions? Or do they know that we're secretly in it for our own gain?
People follow people they can trust. After all, if they take a paycheck from you, then on some level they're trusting the well-being of their family to you. Leadership is a trust. And people follow people they can trust.
2. Am I a Leader people can Know?
In our day and age, it's not enough for people to just follow a vision statement or a set of company core values, people want to know the leader they're willingly following. And here in lies the risk.
We must risk being vulnerable.
As leaders, we must risk opening up and letting people in. The people we lead want to know us. How we think, what we're feeling, how we process information and how we make decisions. The more our people can know us, the more likely they will be to follow our leadership.
3. Am I a Leader people can Emulate?
At the end of the day, people want to follow someone that they want to be like. Of course every person wants to be unique in their personality, their style, etc. But...
When it comes to who we are on the inside, everyone of us are looking for people to emulate.
And let's be honest, none of us will follow long-term, someone that we don't want to be like on the inside.
When we get to know someone more deeply and don't like what we see, over time, we'll begin to pull away from that person. So the challenge for us as leaders is this: Am I living my life and leading in such a way that people will want to emulate what they see? At the end of the day, people follow leaders they can emulate.
As leaders, we don't have to know everything, but we must know ourselves, because people will follow us far more than they follow our vision statement, strategy, or bottom line.
Application Question: How am I doing at leading myself well?
Monday, May 2, 2011
6 Reasons I'm Excited about Prayer & Fasting Today!
On the 1st Monday of every month, we, at Next Level Church, dedicate the entire day to prayer & fasting. It's our way of recalibrating our hearts with the Lord and giving God the first work day of the month. (More Info Here)
I'm especially excited to pray today for a number of reasons. I hope you'll dedicate all or some portion of today to spending some time with God as we begin the month of May together.
6 Reasons Why I'm Excited to pray today:
1. Prayer changes things. I really believe that what the Bible says is true. In I Chrionicles 7:14 it says that, "If my people will humble themselves and pray... I will hear from Heaven and heal their land." Let's believe for God to heal our land today.
2. Prayer recallibrates my heart. Over the course of a month, my heart can drift off of what is most important to the heart of God. I'm excited to hit the reset button today by fasting and praying.
3. Fasting causes me to turn my hunger for earthly food on God. When I skip a meal or two, I get hungry. And when I do, it becomes a tangible reminder for me to focus my heart, attention and affection on God.
4. I love seeing a new month as a clean slate. Prayer and Fasting day is a reminder that the Bible says that, "God's mercies are new every morning." God is truly faithful and I'm reminded of that when we pray.
5. I love knowing I'm not alone. It's so energizing for me to think of dozens and even hundreds of Next Levelites who are all praying across Southwest Florida in a unified way. I love that! There's strength in numbers, especially when we pray.
6. Praying makes me want to be more like Jesus. When I set my heart on things above rather than things of earth, I have this overwhelming desire to be like Jesus all over again. Prayer and Fasting Day propel me to be like Jesus.
So whether you've fasted in the past, or have never fasted and prayed before in your life. I want to strongly encourage you to take some time, set it aside and focus on God today.
I promise you, you won't regret it.
Thanks for praying with us today,
Pastor Matt
I'm especially excited to pray today for a number of reasons. I hope you'll dedicate all or some portion of today to spending some time with God as we begin the month of May together.
6 Reasons Why I'm Excited to pray today:
1. Prayer changes things. I really believe that what the Bible says is true. In I Chrionicles 7:14 it says that, "If my people will humble themselves and pray... I will hear from Heaven and heal their land." Let's believe for God to heal our land today.
2. Prayer recallibrates my heart. Over the course of a month, my heart can drift off of what is most important to the heart of God. I'm excited to hit the reset button today by fasting and praying.
3. Fasting causes me to turn my hunger for earthly food on God. When I skip a meal or two, I get hungry. And when I do, it becomes a tangible reminder for me to focus my heart, attention and affection on God.
4. I love seeing a new month as a clean slate. Prayer and Fasting day is a reminder that the Bible says that, "God's mercies are new every morning." God is truly faithful and I'm reminded of that when we pray.
5. I love knowing I'm not alone. It's so energizing for me to think of dozens and even hundreds of Next Levelites who are all praying across Southwest Florida in a unified way. I love that! There's strength in numbers, especially when we pray.
6. Praying makes me want to be more like Jesus. When I set my heart on things above rather than things of earth, I have this overwhelming desire to be like Jesus all over again. Prayer and Fasting Day propel me to be like Jesus.
So whether you've fasted in the past, or have never fasted and prayed before in your life. I want to strongly encourage you to take some time, set it aside and focus on God today.
I promise you, you won't regret it.
Thanks for praying with us today,
Pastor Matt
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Gratitude & Thankfulness from our Communities Downtown (A BeOrange.me Update)
From time to time I will have someone ask me if the residents of our 2 Communities downtown (Palmetto Courts & Sabal Palms) ever say thank you for what we're doing there. And the answer is a resounding "YES!"
On Saturday, dozens of Orange Shirted NextLevelites invaded our communities with the Love of Jesus to host an Easter Egg Hunt and Pictures with the Easter Bunny Event for the families and children of our community. And I probably had a dozen different conversations with moms, dads, and even kids who told me "Thank you for doing this!" (Check out the NLC Facebook Page for pics, etc.)
One grandmother told me, "Other than when you guys come down here and do things like this, the kids in these neighborhoods have nothing to do, so they end up getting into trouble. You have no idea how much it means for us to have you here."
That one brought tears to my eyes! Because we just don't know how much of an impact we're making in the hearts and minds of these children and families. I responded by telling her that we feel like these 2 communities are part of our church family.
So, Next Level Church, on behalf of the hundreds of kids and families we're showing light to in an otherwise very dark place, thank you. Thanks for serving the hurting, broken, and forgotten of our city. May they feel forgotten no more!
Plain and Simple, that's the goal!
I love serving with you, Next Level Church, we're making a difference.
Pastor Matt
On Saturday, dozens of Orange Shirted NextLevelites invaded our communities with the Love of Jesus to host an Easter Egg Hunt and Pictures with the Easter Bunny Event for the families and children of our community. And I probably had a dozen different conversations with moms, dads, and even kids who told me "Thank you for doing this!" (Check out the NLC Facebook Page for pics, etc.)
One grandmother told me, "Other than when you guys come down here and do things like this, the kids in these neighborhoods have nothing to do, so they end up getting into trouble. You have no idea how much it means for us to have you here."
That one brought tears to my eyes! Because we just don't know how much of an impact we're making in the hearts and minds of these children and families. I responded by telling her that we feel like these 2 communities are part of our church family.
So, Next Level Church, on behalf of the hundreds of kids and families we're showing light to in an otherwise very dark place, thank you. Thanks for serving the hurting, broken, and forgotten of our city. May they feel forgotten no more!
Plain and Simple, that's the goal!
I love serving with you, Next Level Church, we're making a difference.
Pastor Matt
Monday, April 18, 2011
How am I doing? In a word... Sensational!
So I'm just reeling again after another great weekend at Next Level Church. Week #2 in the new space was great. All 3 services had a great spirit and vibe to them. I loved the people on Saturday night! It was such a mix of every facet of NextLevelite. It was great to see young families, single people, middle aged people. Just a great feel.
The 9:30 & 11:30 on Sunday were exactly what we thought they would be... full & fun. It's always interesting to me how the 9:30 is a little more alert (aka laughs at my jokes) and the 11:30 crowd seems to be a bit more reserved (aka or asleep, i don't know...).
All in all it was a great weekend!
The biggest celebration of the weekend, hands down, was the result from Feeding Fort Myers! We crushed our goal of 15,000 cans this year with over 28,000 cans for CCMI, our local Soup Kitchen we support downtown. The report is that this will stock their shelves for the next 3 months in both of their locations: Cape Coral & Downtown Fort Myers!
Click here to see the NBC-2 News Story!
Gosh, I love it! That's what it's all about for me. Serving and blessing the forgotten of our cities. They serve over 500 families / month between the 2 locations! I was there just last week and got to shake the hands of the volunteers & look into the eyes of the kids in the Pre-School. We are blessed to play a small part in touching these families.
Needless to say, I'm so proud of the way you guys, the people of Next Level Church step up each year. You host parties, collect cans, mobilize your neighborhoods and workplaces and it works! God shows up, adds His blessing to it and a miracle takes place! So from the bottom of my heart, thanks!
Holy Smokes, our Easter services this weekend are going to be amazing! We are going to celebrate the new life we have in Christ all weekend long. And I'll say it again... Don't come alone! Make sure you bring someone with you this weekend. You do what you can do, which is invite them, & we'll do what we can do which is present the Gospel in a relevant, easy to understand, & simple to apply way!
Here's what I'm asking for this weekend:
So if you serve on a serve team, or have flexibility of any kind in your schedule, please come to Saturday night or the 8 am service on Sunday morning.
Our heart is to make sure everyone who attends this weekend has a chance to experience Christ in a Distractionless way! And you freeing up a seat could be just the thing that allows someone else to do that.
Thanks in advance for serving, giving, praying & believing in the vision of Next Level Church. Together we're changing lives across Southwest Florida and beyond!
See you this weekend,
Matt Keller
The 9:30 & 11:30 on Sunday were exactly what we thought they would be... full & fun. It's always interesting to me how the 9:30 is a little more alert (aka laughs at my jokes) and the 11:30 crowd seems to be a bit more reserved (aka or asleep, i don't know...).
All in all it was a great weekend!
The biggest celebration of the weekend, hands down, was the result from Feeding Fort Myers! We crushed our goal of 15,000 cans this year with over 28,000 cans for CCMI, our local Soup Kitchen we support downtown. The report is that this will stock their shelves for the next 3 months in both of their locations: Cape Coral & Downtown Fort Myers!
Click here to see the NBC-2 News Story!
Gosh, I love it! That's what it's all about for me. Serving and blessing the forgotten of our cities. They serve over 500 families / month between the 2 locations! I was there just last week and got to shake the hands of the volunteers & look into the eyes of the kids in the Pre-School. We are blessed to play a small part in touching these families.
Needless to say, I'm so proud of the way you guys, the people of Next Level Church step up each year. You host parties, collect cans, mobilize your neighborhoods and workplaces and it works! God shows up, adds His blessing to it and a miracle takes place! So from the bottom of my heart, thanks!
Now for the latest thing on the radar... Easter Weekend!
Holy Smokes, our Easter services this weekend are going to be amazing! We are going to celebrate the new life we have in Christ all weekend long. And I'll say it again... Don't come alone! Make sure you bring someone with you this weekend. You do what you can do, which is invite them, & we'll do what we can do which is present the Gospel in a relevant, easy to understand, & simple to apply way!
Here's what I'm asking for this weekend:
*** If you're a regular attender of Next Level Church, we need you to make every effort possible to attend one of our "Off-Peak" Service Times.
Either Saturday night @ 5:30pm or Sunday morning @ 8am. We are anticipating our 9:30 & 11:30 times to be slammed.***
So if you serve on a serve team, or have flexibility of any kind in your schedule, please come to Saturday night or the 8 am service on Sunday morning.
Our heart is to make sure everyone who attends this weekend has a chance to experience Christ in a Distractionless way! And you freeing up a seat could be just the thing that allows someone else to do that.
Thanks in advance for serving, giving, praying & believing in the vision of Next Level Church. Together we're changing lives across Southwest Florida and beyond!
See you this weekend,
Matt Keller
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Grand Opening:: Next Level Church:: Funky Thoughts
I've spent the last couple of days trying to decompress and process through the emotions of our Grand Opening Weekend at Next Level Church. I have to confess that it was perhaps one of the greatest mountaintop experiences of my life, and probably not for the reasons you might think. Allow me to explain...
1. Feeding Fort Myers Weekend. Sat & Sun, April 16 & 17th.
This is one of the highlights of our entire year as hundreds of you host parties and collect thousands of cans for hungry people in our community. Don't miss the celebration this weekend in all of our services. Sat - 5:30 & Sun - 9:30 & 11:30.
2. Easter. April 23 & 24th.
This year Easter is going to be amazing as we launch our 1st series in the new facility called, "Starting Line." Trust me when I say, you do not want to come alone on Easter weekend. I'm excited to look at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus from a perspective that you've probably never seen before! It's going to be creative, engaging, & life-changing!
* We have 4 service options for Easter Weekend. Saturday - 5:30 & Sunday - 8:00, 9:30 & 11:30.
If you can come Saturday night or Sunday morning at 8 am that would be great to make space for guests at 9:30 & 11:30. Oh yeah, and be sure to get there early to make sure you have a seat!
3. Mother's Day Weekend. May 7 & 8th.
Mother's Day is always a special weekend as we celebrate mom's and dedicate children to the Lord. If you've never been apart of praying over families and children, it's truly a special time. Make plans to attend now... and bring your mom because we'll have a special gift for every mother in attendance.
Next Level Church, we are in a season of the miraculous! Thanks for making it possible! Let's keep building people together,
I love being your pastor,
Pastor Matt
- My excitement had nothing to do with the Bricks & Mortar itself. For 9 years, we have always held the view that buildings are simply tools to build people! And that's what God gave us! A fabulous building to build people. And for that I'm so thankful.
- I was deeply moved by the amount of ownership you, the people of Next Level Church, took in the facility. I saw a deep, godly pride about creating a place where we could more effectively build people in so many of your eyes.
- I was moved by your trust to invite so many of your friends, family, co-workers and classmates. We had somewhere between 500 and 600 visitors attend one of our 3 weekend services which is just crazy! Thanks for trusting us with presenting your friends with the Gospel.
- I was blown away by over 200 hands that were raised to say Yes to a relationship with Jesus this weekend. I personally have never played that role before where God has touched so many for salvation at one time! It was amazing to see entire rows of people, whole families, throwing their hands up to say yes to God! Amazing.
- I was excited to know that our facility could effectively accommodate 2,000 people in 3 services. None of our environments were just maxed out and overflowing and crammed. Things were full, but not uncomfortable which is great!
- I was humbled to see hundreds of Next Levelites serving in 1, 2, and even all 3 services this weekend! You get the vision and you knew what it would take to see it come to pass. Thanks for sacrificially giving of yourself to make it all possible.
- I am surprised that we get to do it all again! We didn't have to tear it all down and we don't have to set it all up again next weekend. It's all there for us to use and leverage to see so many more lives touched in the coming days!
3 Things you don't want to miss:
This is one of the highlights of our entire year as hundreds of you host parties and collect thousands of cans for hungry people in our community. Don't miss the celebration this weekend in all of our services. Sat - 5:30 & Sun - 9:30 & 11:30.
2. Easter. April 23 & 24th.
This year Easter is going to be amazing as we launch our 1st series in the new facility called, "Starting Line." Trust me when I say, you do not want to come alone on Easter weekend. I'm excited to look at the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus from a perspective that you've probably never seen before! It's going to be creative, engaging, & life-changing!
* We have 4 service options for Easter Weekend. Saturday - 5:30 & Sunday - 8:00, 9:30 & 11:30.
If you can come Saturday night or Sunday morning at 8 am that would be great to make space for guests at 9:30 & 11:30. Oh yeah, and be sure to get there early to make sure you have a seat!
3. Mother's Day Weekend. May 7 & 8th.
Mother's Day is always a special weekend as we celebrate mom's and dedicate children to the Lord. If you've never been apart of praying over families and children, it's truly a special time. Make plans to attend now... and bring your mom because we'll have a special gift for every mother in attendance.
Next Level Church, we are in a season of the miraculous! Thanks for making it possible! Let's keep building people together,
I love being your pastor,
Pastor Matt
