Finish Strong!

As this year comes to a close, I'm sure all of us are feeling those feelings of,   
     "Wow, another year gone!" 
     "Where did the time go?" and
     "Did I make the most of it?"

For the final article of the year here on MattKellerOnline.com, I want to challenge everyone of us to do 3 things during this last week of the year and make 1 recommendation to finish our year strong and begin 2013 well.

3 things Every Leader Needs to do at Year's End:

1. Take time to Celebrate.

     If there's one thing we don't do enough of in our fast paced leadership lives, it's celebrate. Take time this week to celebrate how far you've come, the ground you've taken and the impact you've made. Even if this year wasn't the greatest year in your history, celebrate that you ain't dead yet!!!

     Somebody bring in some cupcakes, buy some balloons, high five each other, you've worked hard. You deserve to pat each other on the back and celebrate for a few minutes.

2. Create Clarity.

     During times of change, people are more open new ideas than usual. Capitalize on this season of the new year to create clarity in your organization in 2 ways:
          First, in Departmental and Personal Goals. Your team will always appreciate clarity. When they know what's expected, they rise to those expectations. Help your team set goals for the new year.
          Second, in the culture of your team. If we want our teams to be healthy, we have to tell them and show them what we mean. In other words, we have to define what health looks like to us. Take some time in the new year to tell your team what health, communication, trust etc. look like on your team. Everyone will benefit from the few minutes it takes to gain clarity in your team culture.

3. Remember, what got you here, won't get you there.

     If last year was the best ever, don't rest on that. And if it was horrible, don't rest on that either. As the leader, you get the privilege of leading your team boldly into the new year. Go confidently. You are the right person to lead your company, team or department where it needs to go. Lead well in the new year. We will all be better for it.

Finally, I want to leave you with one final recommendation of a book written by a friend of mine, Rob Ketterling. (@RobKetterling) I believe it's a great book for every leader who desires to do more, be more and reach their full potential in the new year.

It's called, "Change Before You Have To." And it's available in bookstores and online everywhere.

I hope you'll read it this January. It won't disappoint.

 

Order it Here.

Here's my official endorsement for the book...

"In Change before You Have To, Rob takes a 'slap you in the face with truth, then hand you a cup of hot cocoa' approach that is both refreshing and challenging like crazy! This book will cause readers to do what's right and best for their lives now instead of later. This book will change families, career paths, and destinies! Rob is a friend, a mentor, and most of all, Rob lives what he teaches."

Matt Keller - Lead Pastor, Next Level Church, Fort Myers, FL

 Happy New Year everyone,

#AddingValue

@MatthewKeller

8 Great Questions to Ask This Christmas!

Over the years, I worked hard at "Learning the Art of Asking Great Questions," so...

for the week before Christmas I thought I might offer up some helpful (and fun) Conversation Starters for your Christmas Gatherings in the next couple of weeks:

Enjoy...

#1: Where Have you Been that you'd love to visit again? Why?

#2: What book have you read in the last year that's impacted you in some way?

#3: Tell us the story of how you and your significant other met?

#4: What was your favorite TV Show in the 90's?

#5: What teacher impacted your life the most and why?

#6: What was the 1st movie you ever watched on a VCR? DVD? A Computer? Etc.

#7: What is your most special Christmas Memory?

#8: What Traditions did you have in your family at Christmas as a child?

Merry Christmas everyone,

#AddingValue

@MatthewKeller

How we Assimilate People at Next Level Church - Our Discover Events

The Next Level Church Discover Events

One of the most Frequently Asked Questions we get from pastors across the country is:

? How do we assimilate people into the life flow of Next Level Church?
At Next Level we have two-part Assimilation process called our Discover Events.

We do our Discover Events monthly on the 2nd and 3rd Sunday nights of the month. We have learned that most holiday weekends fall on the 1st Weekend of the month, which usually makes it more difficult for people to attend a special event outside of our normal weekend worship services.

Over the years, we have tried all sorts of variations of this process and finally we settled our strategy around 2 questions:

• “What do people really need to know to make an educated decision about whether they want to make Next Level Church their home?”

And…

• “How do we make it as simple as possible for people to get involved in the life of the church?”

Here are our two events in a nutshell:

First Event: Discover NLC

·      2nd Sunday night of the month from 5pm-7pm.
·      Free dinner (Pizza on treys on round tables).
·      Free childcare.
·      2 teachers (1 main personality, rotate other staff for the 2nd).
·      Very Casual environment
·      For every 7-8 people signed up we have a staff member or a high caliber volunteer present.
·      We teach on:
                 1.) What is NLC?
                 2.) Who is the Leadership of NLC?
                 3.) Why is NLC Here?
                 4.) Frequently Asked Questions
                 5.) What is Next for NLC

§  BREAK for Dinner

                 6.) How we define Growth and Health at NLC.
                 7.) How We Grow as followers of Jesus.
                 8.) Now that you have Discovered NLC… What’s Next?

Our Goal for Discover NLC is that in two hours we have given people new to our church the past, present and future of our church. We have answered most of the questions they might have and showed them how to get involved and continue growing at our church and in their relationship with Jesus Christ.


Second Event: Discover Your Place 

·      3rd Sunday night of the month from 5pm-7pm

·      Free Dinner (Subs from Jimmy John’s).

·      Free Childcare

·      1 teacher

·      Very casual environment

·      Staff - All department heads or key leaders from departments

·      We teach on:
                What the Bible says about serving

                Show the 7 primary places to serve on a weekend.

                         Kids

                         Middle School / High School

                         Hospitality

                         Worship

                         Production

                         Parking & Security

                         Prayer

               Teach through our 3 things to know about yourself before choosing a place to serve:

                         Passions

                         Personality

                         Strengths

§  BREAK for Dinner

·     All of our department heads or key volunteers come and share 2 minutes of the vision behind their department and the areas to serve.

·      Everyone chooses 1-2 department heads to have a conversation with about shadowing in the next two weeks.

Our Goal for Discover NLC is that in two hours we teach people to find their place to serve using all three areas of passions, personalities and strengths. We let people shadow the next week.

We have found that the quicker and easier we make it for people to find out about NLC and get involved serving on the weekend, the more people stick at NLC.

We love hearing stories of people who have been at our church for less than 6 weeks and are already serving on a team somewhere in our five services. After all, at the end of it all, it's about people Discovering who God has made them and how they fit into what God is up to at their church!


For more information about our teaching guide please email Joelle@NextLevelChurch.com We'd be more than happy to show you how we do what we do.

http://www.nextlevelchurch.com/discoverevents

#AddingValue

@MatthewKeller

The NLC Expansion

Hey everyone,

If you haven't heard by now, Next Level Church is going East baby! East of I-75 with our next campus!

Here's the short version:

We have found 7.3 acres of land on Gateway Blvd. that we are purchasing with cash. This land will serve as the home of our 2nd Campus. The vision is to build a 20,000 sq. ft. facility much like our existing location on Plantation Rd. The new facility will seat 500 people / service and have all the appropriate kids, foyer, restroom, cafe and parking necessary to serve that many people at one time.

Here are 2 videos to give you more information.


The NLC Expansion Final v2 from Next Level Church on Vimeo.


To watch the Vision Weekend Message w/ full detail go here:

http://www.NextLevelChurch.com/visionweekend


Please be praying over our "NLC Expansion Offering" happening this weekend, December 8-9, 2012 in all 5 of our services.

If you're apart of the NLC family, come prayed up, prepared and ready to participate. The goal is $350,000 to purchase the land and get the project started in the new year!

We believe if we all listen to God, the need will be met...

Thanks for believing with us,

Pastor Matt

@MatthewKeller

Wisdom for Leaders from MLB Players

As I'm sure you know by now, two of my great loves are Leadership and Baseball. This week's article pairs the two beautifully. It is written by Kyle Jackson, our Associate Pastor at Next Level Church. 

Wisdom for Leaders from MLB Players

@KyleJackson1

    I have 2 friends that I played college baseball with that are making their way through Minor League baseball on the way to the Bigs. I had the opportunity to talk with both of them on the phone recently as they were finishing up Spring Training in AZ. and was blown away by some of the answers they gave me to some questions I was strategically asking about baseball but listening to their answers with a Ministry mindset.

     Lance Zawadski (Triple-A for the St. Louis Cardinals) played several games for the Padres a year or two ago before being traded to the Royals, Braves and now Cardinals. He is a switch hitting SS/2B that is a phenomenal defensive player and hits for power from both sides of the plate. (Lance's Bio)

     Brad Coon (Double-A for the Tampa Bay Rays) just finished his 7th year of Minor League ball. He was with the Angels, Nationals, Dodgers and Rays. He is a speedy left-handed center fielder that hits lead-off and steals 30-40 bases a year. (Brad's Bio)

Questions I asked Lance and Brad:

1. What is the biggest difference between Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball?

Amazingly they gave the exact same answer: 

Lance Zawadski

“The biggest difference is in Minor League Baseball you can get away with certain weaknesses, but in the Majors, every weakness you have will be EXPLOITED and it will be exploited quick. In Minor League baseball only a few teams know your weakness, in the Majors EVERYONE knows your weaknesses!”

     As a leader in ministry, the larger your ministry gets the more your weaknesses are going to be EXPLOITED! You can get away with some things in the Minors that only a few people know about, but in the Majors your weakness WILL be known and they WILL be exploited quickly!

2. What is the difference in preparing for a Double-A game and a Major League Game?

Again, they gave the same answer:  

“You can show up at the park 3 hours before a minor league game and stretch, Take BP, throw and be successful. In the Majors you have to prepare daily! You have to do your research on everything and chances are you still want have a “great” game! You have to be so mentally tough or you will get run over!”

     As a leader in ministry, the more influence you have the more ready you have to be to answer questions, take the heat, be challenged by others and more. You can’t just show up at the park and half way prepare, you have to be prepared daily.

3. What has been the toughest challenge for you after moving up to the Big Leagues?

Lance: ”Learning the day-to-day routine of being a Major League player. It’s so different being in the spotlight. Everything you do or say people are ready to pounce on you! You have to be mentally tough.”

Brad: “Thinking I have to change who I am as a player after one bad at bat or one bad game. I think I have to change everything about my stance and swing after one bad day. I am a singles hitter, that steals bases and plays good defense. That’s what got me here. I don’t have to be something I’m not!”

     WOW…Let both of those answers sink in a little! In the ministry sometimes you feel like people are just waiting for you to do or say the “wrong” thing. Everyone has their opinion of what you should do or who you should be. Be who you are and do what got you to the place you are in. Don’t be afraid to change, but always revert back to who you are at a heart level. Know who you are and what you do well and stick with it!

4. What is the biggest misconception about Major League players?

Lance: ”People think that just because we are Big League players we slack off. The biggest surprise to me was watching from the dugout some of the best players in the game consistently running on and off the field hard and running out ground balls hard. People see what they want on TV and assume what they want from a distance. It is not always true.”

Brad Coon

Brad: ”That we are all the same! Cocky, Above the law, non-appreciative guys. So untrue. There are unhappy people everywhere in life no matter what you do! That does not mean everyone you work with or everyone in your profession is the same. People believe what they want and make their own opinions about you without even knowing you.”

     The more influence you gain, the more scrutiny you will take! People will  make their own opinions about you when they have never met you. They will watch from a distance and try to tear you down.

As Leaders, What Can We Do: 

•  Get accountable about your weaknesses so they will not get Exploited. 
•  Prepare Daily. 
•  Know who you are at a heart level. 
•  Don’t worry about the misconceptions about who you are.

#AddingValue

@MatthewKeller