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

The London Olympics Got It Right! (A Leadership Principle)

One of the things I have been most impressed about (and there have been many) watching the London 2012 Summer Olympics is the overt thread of belief and optimism about the next generation.

During the Opening Ceremonies, when it came to the infamous torch lighting pomp and circumstance, often awarded to past greats and legends, they took a more holistic approach. I loved how David Beckham was visible but not even in the building, then the legendary runner carried the torch in to the stadium, through 500 construction workers (Average Joe's and Jane's) who built the facility.

Once the torch entered the stadium it was passed to 7 members of the Next Generation who each took a turn as they circled the stadium. Once they made it around, they stopped and handed the torch to 7 past legends (sponsors) in their particular sport. What a great way to honor those who have gone before them and paved the way for them.

Then... in an unexpected twist, the sponsors handed the light back to the young athletes as if to say, "The future is not ours to carry... its your turn now!" At this, the future athletes then ran past the 10,000 current olympians and made their way to the center where they, together, lit the torch. Which was made up of the 204 individual nation's copper bowls.

As I sat on my couch watching the cauldron illuminate, I couldn't help but say out loud: "They got it right!!! They trusted the next generation with the most important part!!!"

What We Can Learn:

The symbolism built into the Opening Ceremonies that night contains a powerful message for everyone of us who are leaders in anyway today. Here are a few key applications that jump out at me...

1. It is necessary and right to honor those who go before us.

     I am a HUGE proponent of giving honor to whom honor is due. There is a generation who paid a great price for the life and opportunities we have. We must never forget to honor them every chance we get. We stand on their shoulders. We reap where they sowed. We have success where they had struggle. Thank you older generations for the price you paid for us. We are better because of you.

2. It is right to honor those who sacrifice and serve behind the scenes.

     I love that the construction workers were invited in to the celebration. So often, those who sweat and bleed and sacrifice behind the scenes never get invited in when the vision is complete and the celebration happens. What can we do to honor those who serve our vision faithfully behind the scenes?

3. It is right to trust the young generation with the Important Stuff, not just the trivial stuff.

     When it came down to the actual lighting of the torch with 1 Billion (that's 1,000,000,000) people (1 out of every 7 people alive on planet earth today) watching, they didn't relent with their belief in the next generation.
     Too often, we in leadership circles, have been guilty of saying we believe in the young generation, saying we trust them, saying we want to empower them, but then when it comes to the big moments, we hold on to the ball.
     If 7 young people can successfully light the Olympic flame in front of 1 Billion people, it probably is conceivable to think the young leaders in our organizations can carry more than we think they can.

PERSONAL STORY ::
     Once upon a time, I was a young leader, bursting with vision and potential and leadership. What I wanted more than anything was for someone in the older generation to give me a shot. When that shot didn't come, I graciously took my talent, energy, ideas and potential and went somewhere else.
    Today, I am so grateful to lead an organization built on empowering young leaders. There is no greater joy for me today then to create opportunities that develop and stretch young leaders and make them better and stronger. I am committing the rest of my leadership life to empowering young leaders and giving ministry away!
     At Next Level Church, we're not waiting for them to be perfect. We're trusting them now. What we're discovering is, when given true belief and opportunity, they rise to the occasion. And even when they fall short of the mark, they're amazingly thankful and teachable because of the chance we were willing to take.
     In conclusion, I can't think of a downside to empowering the young generation. Thank you London 2012 for getting it right and leading the world into a new day! May we leaders follow behind you.

#AddingValue

@MatthewKeller

3 Apps I use Nearly Everyday

In a world of hundreds of thousands of Apps, sometimes my iPhone can feel a little overwhelming. So over the past few weeks, I've tried to pay attention to the Apps I really use, and the ones that are more occasional in my world.

Here are 3 that I find myself living in, several times a day:

1. Twitter App.
     In my opinion, the twitter app is the easiest, most user-friendly way for me to "Read the Newspaper" of my life. Twitter for me is like reading the newspaper and all my friends and heroes are in the headlines. Complete with Pictures, editorials and comments.

     Additionally, and honestly, quite surprisingly, when I want to find out some piece of breaking news that I've heard about, I don't go to google, or my internet browser, I actually go to the search feature in the Twitter App. Amazing! I think I like the "bite sized" version of things that Twitter forces you to have.

     To hear more on my philosophy of who I follow, don't follow and why, go here.

2. Hootsuite.
     I LOVE Hootsuite for one primary thing: I can time release tweets!!! This is the single greatest feature ever, because inspiration doesn't always strike at equally spaced times. And I never want to overwhelm followers with 4 or 5 tweets in a row. I know personally, I always skip over those in my news feed.

     So the best thing is to input them and time release them for later in the day or even on other days. Seriously, I probably have close to 200 tweets scheduled to release right now. Thank you Hootsuite. Life changing for those of us with a message to share and inspiration to give.

3. Evernote.
     The final App that I'm just living in right now is Evernote. I think their mission is to be like a One-stop-shop for Data Collection. I love Evernote for a number of reasons.
             1. It's free. Come on free app lovers!!!
             2. It can record audio and saves it in mp3 form.
             3. Its SUPER EASY to email audio and other files to others.
             4. It sinks with my iPhone, iPad and computer. Like seriously, when I'm done recording something, within a few seconds it shows up on my phone. Unreal.
             5. You can share folders, etc.

      Honestly, I haven't even begun to fully utilize Evernote like it has the ability to be utilized. Michael Hyatt did a whole article on it, you can see it here.

? What Apps are changing your world right now?

I would love to hear your thoughts...

#AddingValue

@MatthewKeller

  

Audio from my session at ChurchPlanters.com on Building Buzz

Many of you have been asking where you can find the audio from my Building Buzz session from the ChurchPlanters.com conference last week.

The best place to find it is by downloading their app which is free in the iTunes store. Just search "Church planter." All the sessions are available on there.

Also, I have made it available for you to download here:

Just trying to "Add Value!" Feel free to pass it along to anyone you think could benefit.

http://www.mediafire.com/?9e67hcy1cf3bh6u



@MatthewKeller

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...

• 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:

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

A Prophetic Word for our Relationships

This weekend at Next Level Church, we're concluding our "The Big Game" series. For 6 weeks, we've been talking about how we win at our relationships. In part 1, I introduced a concept that has been sparking quite a bit of buzz:

Conflict in our relationships is the #1 tool God uses to shape us into His image.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Click here to listen or watch the message or go to www.NextLevelChurch.com/videowww.nextlevelchurch.com/video.

You can also download the podcast on iTunes, by searching for Next Level Church.

I believe this idea could be a prophetic word for our relationships. If we'll not run, but we'll commit and grow, imagine what is possible!?!

Question: Who do you need to have a hard conversation with? A Parent? A Spouse? A Co-Worker? The Boss? A Teacher? What's stopping you?

What Summer Slump?!?

For 8 years now, we have refused to buy into the whole Summer Slump theory at Next Level Church. Instead, we've worked under the theory that if people are home, then why not give them a reason to come to church & bring someone else w/ them? (After all, in this economy, stay-cations are becoming more popular & people are looking for something fun to do.)

This year we declared May & June "A Season of Sabbath" but then, on July 11th, we launched 1 of our big 3 series that we do all year (Easter & October being the other two) called "Who Do You Think You Are?"

We went with a 70's theme complete w/ an NLC Staff 70's photo shoot for the internal mailer that went out to our entire mailing list (1600 homes) of people that have attended at least once in the last 12 months.

In the first 3 weeks of the series, we've seen 50 1st time families!!! In the middle of summer, baby! We know that if we can grow now, we'll have some crazy momentum heading into fall.

To see some of what we did, go to: http://nextlevelchurch.com/video

Additionally, I know of several other churches that we coach who did a big summer series & have literally broken attendance records this summer!

I'm so glad we don't give in to the Summer Slump theory.

...just something to think about...

Matt

Not Willing to Forget the Forgotten - 3rd Saturday Serve Day Reflections

I gotta be honest w/ ya, every time we go downtown to the communities we've adopted, it just pumps me up on a lot of levels.

First, God wrecks me for the kids. I had a little girl, probably 8 years old, run up to me and give me the biggest hug today! You could just see the joy on her face because we were there. We have no idea what these kids go home to when they leave our activities. My heart breaks for them.

Another little boy, probably 7 or 8 years old again, came up to me and when I asked him his name, he said, "You know my name!" to which I replied, "Why don't you remind me..." and he said, "My name is ROARRRRR!!!"

So from then on I called him "Roar" all day. (He finally told me his name but it was useless after that!)

Second, God wrecks me every time we go downtown, for the parents and adults. There are so many moms and so few dads. Men are clearly absent in the lives of their kids and the mothers of their kids. Additionally, so many of the moms are clueless about the stuff of life. Like love & acceptance & worth. It is absolutely heart-breaking to me because I want to be able to tell them there is a better way to live and have life.

Third, God fires me up for our people. I absolutely get tears in my eyes when I see the people of Next Level Church serving and loving and praying and smiling and hugging the kids and residents of our communities! NLC, you gotta know that I am so proud of you & God is pouring out His blessing on us because we're willing to not forget the forgotten ones that are so precious to Our Heavenly Father!

How I Give Encouragement

One of the most important things a leader does is give encouragement. Encouragement is to leadership, what Oxygen is to the soul. The people we lead cannot survive without it. Something within every human being makes us desperate for encouragement. Things die when there is no encouragement. When a married couple stops encouraging one another, their relationship begins to die. When teammates stop encouraging each other, the team begins to die. When leaders in organizations stop encouraging the people they lead, the organization begins to die.

So this week we're going to zero in on how I give encouragement... (I hope it encourages you! Get it?!?)
1. Give Encouragement Sincerely.

Nobody likes a fake. And the young generation emerging around us can see an imposter coming a mile away. When it comes to encouragement, we can't fake it.
People need our Sincere Encouragement.

When I was young in the faith, during my teenage years, I had a leader in my life who was the worst at this. Whenever we would be in a public setting somewhere, this person would begin throwing out untrue compliments to me. He would be praising things I HADN'T done! It was embarrassing because I couldn't correct them and I couldn't call this person on them.

This shaped my leadership in a profound way as a teenager because I learned I never wanted to do that to anyone else! I didn't like the way it made me feel, & I didn't want anyone else to have to feel that way either. I could see that what they really wanted was for someone to compliment them.

? How are you at encouraging? ? On a scale of 1 to 10, How would the people around you rate you in the realm of encouragement? ? Do you give encouragement sincerely?

Just a bloggish thought,

matt

5 Words I Use to Describe my Team - Part 5

"Priceless..."

The final word I would use to describe the Team at NLC is Priceless. We've all seen the MasterCard commercials where they list off any number of things that cost money, and then at the end, they show an experience of some kind and finish the commercial with, "Priceless..." You truly can't put a figure on the experience it is to be apart of such a great team at Next Level Church.

1. They make me more successful than I ever could be on my own. Everyday, I am all too aware that my success as a leader, speaker, pastor, & writer is directly related to the strength of our staff. They truly set the stage for me to play to my strengths and be used by God to impact so many lives. For that I'm forever grateful.

2. They make my dreams a Reality. I am humbled to see so many people who willingly serve, sacrifice, give and commit in order that the dreams and visions God has placed in my heart can become a reality. I am so grateful, and I never want to take that for granted.

3. They prefer me, honor me and submit to my leadership in an unbelievable way! Those things are truly beyond measure for me. I watch my friends, choose everyday to serve with me as their boss and leader. Words truly can't describe the gratitude I feel in my heart for them.

Thanks team for giving me the ability to live the dream, everyday. There's no one else on the planet I would rather go to work with each day! You guys are the best!

I love you guys!!!

When was the last time you thanked your team for all they do and are to you?

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

Adrenaline Addiction - Part 5

#5: 3 Ways to Combat "Adrenaline Addiction:"

As leaders, we are always going to be tempted to become addicted to the Adrenaline of Progress. I want to conclude this series of blogs with 3 ways to Combat it:

1. Protect your Sabbath. Taking a day off means shutting off the phone. No e-mail. No Voice-Mail. Saying No to Progress for 24 hours. This will be hard for some of us who are addicted to progress. God understood this and made the people of God trust Him as their source, not their own hard work or efforts for 1 whole day. Do it.

2. Ask yourself, "When was the last time we intentionally rested as an organization?" If you can't think SPECIFICALLY of the season or time period, then you didn't. Every church should plan in 3 times a year where the focus IS NOT growth.

3. Block out a half a day and be silent.

• You'll be amazed at what you'll hear.


• You'll be amazed at how loud God's voice gets.


• You'll be amazed at how tired you feel.


• You'll be amazed at what you think about.

Final Question: "What if God is just as Present in the stillness as He is in the Adrenaline?" How would that change the way we lead?

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

What I'm Listening To Right Now!

Worship Music is one of the greatest tools of encouragement in my life. There are so many times when worship songs say exactly what I'm feeling in my life. As a leader and influencer in many of your lives I wanted to give you a run down of what I'm listening to right now.

I think it's all available in iTunes & I highly recommend downloading as much of this as you can and then integrating it into your daily life somewhere. (In the car, during your workout, etc.)

Yesterday's Worship Set @ NLC:

• Faithful - Steve Fee


• Your Name - Ross Parsley


• Jesus Paid it All - Kristian Stanfill


• Oh Praise Him - David Crowder

My Personal Top 6 Worship Songs Right Now:

• Mighty to Save - Kristian Stanill


• God of this City - Chris Tomlin


• Happy Day - Kristian Stanfill


• Let Me Sing - Todd Fields


• Beautiful Jesus - Kristian Stanfill


• We Shine - Steve Fee

If You Only Buy 1 Worship CD this Year Buy:

Northpoint Live: Louder Than Creation

It's got everyone of those songs on it except for Your Name which is a Ross Parsley one.

A Few Other Notables that Are Ministering to My Heart Right Now:

• Healer - Planetshakers


• Here in Your Presence - Ross Parsley


• You are the Light - Steve Fee

Seriously, download these songs... it could be the best thing you do for your spiritual life all week! You'll drop 4 bucks on a coffee, download 4 songs instead and feed your spirit.

Just a Worshipful Bloggish Thought,

Matt