From Leading Followers to Leading Leaders

An important shift that takes place along the leadership journey is the move from

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

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

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...

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?

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

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

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!

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

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

The Next 3 Weeks are going to be Miraculous for #Nextlevelchurch!! Read this...

The next 3 weeks are going to be back-to-back-to-back-to-back incredible!

April 9 and 10: Our Grand Opening Weekend!!! 
  It all begins Saturday Night at 5:30 pm and continues at 9:30 and 11:30 am on Sunday morning with 3 Identical Experiences!!! Regardless of which service you attend, I would HIGHLY recommend getting there early, bringing people with you and come expectant for God to turn you upside down and inside out!

April 16 and 17: Feeding Fort Myers Weekend!!!

This will be the 3rd straight year that we're using Palm Sunday weekend to focus on the needs of the hurting, the hungry and the forgotten of our city! At each of our 3 weekend services we'll be collecting the cans from our parties we've thrown during the week! By the way, if you haven't picked up your FFM Party Kit, do that today, they're almost gone!!! http://www.NextLevelChurch.com/party

This will be the first major event we do on our new property! And we planned it that way! We want the city to know that this building is not for us, it's a tool for building people and changing lives both inside the building and out!!!

April 23 and 24: Easter Weekend!!!

Easter at Next Level Church is going to be Huge!!! In fact, in addition to our Saturday @ 5:30pm, and Sunday 9:30 and 11:30am services, we're actually adding an 8 am service for all of our workers, volunteers, team members and key leaders to attend! So if you serve at Next Level Church in anyway, we're asking you to consider bringing your family to the 8 am service on this weekend only to help us accommodate the crowds at the later services.

On Easter weekend, we'll be launching our 1st Big Series in the new facility called, "Starting Line." When something significant happens in our life, we can either see it as a Finish Line, or a Starting Line. And on Easter Sunday specifically, we're going to be talking about how for some, the death of Jesus on the Cross is a finish line, but for others it's a Starting Line!

You do not want to miss another opportunity to invite your friends and family who are far from God! This weekend is going to be life-changing!

So with all that said, all I can say is Don't Miss the Miraculous thing God is doing in our midst during this time of amazing transition!

Thanks for being apart of Next Level Church and supporting the vision. Never forget that as we see hundreds and hundreds of lives changed in the coming days, that it's all because of the faithfulness of people like you who serve and give and pray and love and create environments for the unchurched, dechurched, and lost of our community to find life and hope in Jesus Christ!

Get ready, we're in the midst of something miraculous,

Matt Keller
Lead Pastor; Next Level Church

4 Prayers I'm Praying

Prayer & Fasting – April 4^th, 2011 

There are four things God has put on my heart for us to focus on and pray about as we come into this new season as a church and move into our first permanent facility. I hope you will join me in prayer concerning these things:

1.  May Your Presence be Preeminent. “Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain who build it…” There’s no question in my mind that that is true. Without the Presence of the Lord down there, all we have is really cool designed building. We need to pray that God will show up and do the Miraculous. It’s the Presence of God that can transform us! It’s His Presence that can change us & purify us & cleanse us & empower us!

2.  May this be known as a House of Praise. The Bible says that, “God lives in the praises of His people.”  I believe that we’re going to see our times of worship go to a whole new level as we move in down there. The bible also says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty or Freedom.”  I am believing for a whole new level of freedom in Him as we worship.

3.  May this be a Place of Training and Equipping.  Ephesians 4:11-12 says “And He gave some to be Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers for the Equipping of the Saints for the work of the ministry.”  I believe that we are just scratching the surface on the leaders that God is going to raise up and send out of this place. It’s our heart to be part of training pastors and church planters. Also local leaders such as Connection Group Leaders, Business Leaders, Family Influencers, Volunteers, Workers for our Downtown Communities, Kids Ministry Workers and Worship and Tech Leaders.

We have designed the space to be capable of training leaders physically & virtually.  I’m praying that we can help people discover their passion and giftings and be equipped and empowered to lead through that passion. This is how we become the most effective that we can be with our lives.

4.  May this be a place where the Lost can find Life.  We must never take our eye off of Lost People.  Jesus says in Luke 19:11 “I have come to seek and to save the lost.” This new space is not about us! It’s about them!!!  It’s a tool for us to present God’s Word in an environment where people are ready to receive it.

4 Ways to pray for the coming weeks:

1) Grand Opening.

2) Feeding Fort Myers

3) Easter Sunday

1.  Pray for God’s Presence to be Thick in that place.

2.  Pray that People would encounter God in a Powerful & Unmistakable way.

3.  Pray that People will feel an Ownership like they never have before.

4.  Pray that Dozens of Friends & Family & Co-Workers will find Christ.

The Next 4 Weeks are going to be Miraculous for #NextLevelChurch!!! Read this...

The next 4 weeks are going to be back-to-back-to-back-to-back incredible!

April 3rd: Our last Sunday at the High School!

Bring your cameras and smart phones because we want to capture the day with 10,000 pictures! We'll be baptizing people and talking about the Passion behind our church for the last 9 years!!!

April 9 and 10: Our Grand Opening Weekend!!! 
  It all begins Saturday Night at 5:30 pm and continues at 9:30 and 11:30 am on Sunday morning with 3 Identical Experiences!!! Regardless of which service you attend, I would HIGHLY recommend getting there early, bringing people with you and come expectant for God to turn you upside down and inside out!

April 16 and 17: Feeding Fort Myers Weekend!!!

This will be the 3rd straight year that we're using Palm Sunday weekend to focus on the needs of the hurting, the hungry and the forgotten of our city! At each of our 3 weekend services we'll be collecting the cans from our parties we've thrown during the week! By the way, if you haven't picked up your FFM Party Kit, do that today, they're almost gone!!! http://www.NextLevelChurch.com/party

This will be the first major event we do on our new property! And we planned it that way! We want the city to know that this building is not for us, it's a tool for building people and changing lives both inside the building and out!!!

April 23 and 24: Easter Weekend!!!

Easter at Next Level Church is going to be Huge!!! In fact, in addition to our Saturday @ 5:30pm, and Sunday 9:30 and 11:30am services, we're actually adding an 8 am service for all of our workers, volunteers, team members and key leaders to attend! So if you serve at Next Level Church in anyway, we're asking you to consider bringing your family to the 8 am service on this weekend only to help us accommodate the crowds at the later services.

On Easter weekend, we'll be launching our 1st Big Series in the new facility called, "Starting Line." When something significant happens in our life, we can either see it as a Finish Line, or a Starting Line. And on Easter Sunday specifically, we're going to be talking about how for some, the death of Jesus on the Cross is a finish line, but for others it's a Starting Line!

You do not want to miss another opportunity to invite your friends and family who are far from God! This weekend is going to be life-changing!

So with all that said, all I can say is Don't Miss the Miraculous thing God is doing in our midst during this time of amazing transition!

Thanks for being apart of Next Level Church and supporting the vision. Never forget that as we see hundreds and hundreds of lives changed in the coming days, that it's all because of the faithfulness of people like you who serve and give and pray and love and create environments for the unchurched, dechurched, and lost of our community to find life and hope in Jesus Christ!

Get ready, we're in the midst of something miraculous,

Matt Keller
Lead Pastor; Next Level Church

My Official #MLB Picks for the 2011 Season (Thick Sarcasm Warning***)

It is once again that time of year when, as a rabid MLB Baseball fan, I make 2 sets of predictions:

1.  The teams I, as an unbiased realist, actually believe will win their divisions and the Wild Card &

2.  The teams in each division I’ll be rooting for over the next 6 months, and why.

So without further adu, here you go:

The Realist List:

AL East: Red Sox – Listen, when you spend more money then the national debt of our nation, like the BoSox did this off season, you better win your division. If Boston doesn’t win 100 games this year, they should demand their money back from their 5 highest paid players.  (104-58) ** (By the way, I have officially invoked the “Keller Scoff” every time I or my kids hear the name “Carl Crawford” all year. The last time we did this was the year after the Phillies beat the Rays in the World Series, when we invoked the “One Year Grudge” against the Phils.) I’m scoffing right now, actually.

AL Central:  Twins – I think this is the year that the Twinkies put it all together. Morneau will have a come back year, Mauer will be Mauer and everybody else will dominate. (94-68) More on them below…

AL West: Rangers – This will once again be the year of “Everything’s bigger in Texas.” Josh Hamilton rules like a Roman Emperor, and C.J. Wilson will find himself like a college freshman. (93-69) Trust me that will be enough to win the AL West.

AL Wild Card: Rays – You may not believe me with this one because I’m such a big Rays fan, but I’m just tellin’ ya, I think they’re going to surprise everyone! For one Reason: Joe Maddon. The guy is simply brilliant. He’s by far the smartest manager and best leader anywhere in baseball. Just watch him handle Manny Ramirez without so much as a blip on the “Manny being Manny” radar. (94-68)

NL East: Phillies – My goodness, if they don’t dominate with that Starting Rotation, then fire everyone including the clubhouse attendants & the girl selling CheeseSteaks in section 123! They arguably have the greatest rotation in the history of the game. The only caviat in this pick is keeping their position players healthy. Come on Utley and Victorino, keep the big boy pants on all season. We know you can do it! (98-64)

NL Central: Cardinals – Ahhh, this one kills me quietly, because I’m a born and raised closet Cub fan transplant in the Sunshine state, but I think the Red Birds in the central will rally behind King Albert one last time before he departs for NY. Because let’s be honest, every great player from a small or medium sized market ends up in NY in Pinstripes. But as for this year, the Cards will win the Central by the skin of their teeth. (88-74)

NL West: Giants – It’s go time again for the Orange and Black from northern Cali. They got this on Attitude alone for cryin’ out loud. Who doesn’t like watching players with beards the size of small states and infielders named after animals you can only find in a protected area at the zoo. Come on Giants, do it again. (94-68)

NL Wild Card: Braves – I just love how they have patiently developed a new generation of ball player in the ATL. These young guys will thrive under Freddie Gonzalez’s new style of leadership and be the lasting legacy of one of the greats, Bobby Cox. (93-69)

Now, for the 8 teams I’ll be rooting for: 

(The logic is this: If I pick 1 team in each division then everyday I have close to a dozen games that matter to one of “my teams.”) I’m convinced this is what True Fans of the MLB do. (And truthfully, growing up a Cub Fan, you either learn to root for a lot of teams or just live with depression for 6 months…) So here ya go…

AL East: Tampa Bay Rays – Oh yes, I am wearing my Rays Jersey as I write this right now! They’re going to surprise everyone because all eyes will be on Boston & NY killing each other this year. And the Rays will silently stay in contention and then pounce like CC Sabathia on a Cheese Burger in September. Jeremy Hellickson is going to take his sleepy lookin’ face and win 15 games for the Rays and the rest of the Starting Rotation will finish with more wins than the Yanks, I guarantee it. Trust me. It’s true. Anyway you slice it, the words “Rays Win” will be said more times than everyone thinks.

AL Central: Twins – Not only do they Spring Train 2 miles from my house,  which makes me an automatic fan but I just like the way they’ve built the entire Twins Experience. From Player development to Fan experience at Target Field to Reputation in general. The Twins are just one of the finest Franchises in the game today.  And they deserve my cheering all season long.

AL West: Rangers – I guess I’ll root for them because let’s be honest the A’s don’t deserve it… bad ballpark, ugly uniforms and they have a letter as a name. The Angels are a disappointment being in such a major market. I mean really, where are you from really? Anaheim or Los Angeles or California or Orange County? Really? Heck, my vote is to name them after Rick Warren’s church! Call them the Saddleback Angels of Anaheim just south of LA. Why not the Purpose-Driven Life Angels?!? And Seattle is underwhelming. I guess the Rangers win by Default. Go Josh Hamilton. Love his testimony and life-story.

AL Bonus Pick: Royals – I know it may surprise you, but I will actually be a closet Royals fan this year. I think they’re building a quality franchise the right way (by that I mean, their not spending $200 Million buying every super star like NY & Boston). The Royals are growing up guys from the ground up, renovating the ball park and are just a good up-the-middle small market team.

NL East: Braves – I can’t wait to root for this young team. Heyward is sick. Flat out sick. Are you kiddin’ me? That duffer doesn’t know the word “Can’t.” Uggla is a great addition. And I got to know Derek Lowe a little bit over the off season. His son was on my son’s Little League team and so we shared some moments watching and talking baseball this winter. Derek is a quality guy and a cancer survivor by the way, which is personal to me now with my Nephew, Joey’s fight still going on daily! Go Braves!

NL Central: Cubs – I have to root for the Flubs again this year. First, because they’re my childhood team. And although my 2 boys don’t share my affinity for the Chubs, still I will root them on. Second, they have 2 former Rays in Matt Garza and Carlos Pena, and it will be fun to say all season long whenever those 2 guys do something good, “Yeah we gave you those guys because we didn’t need ‘em… you’re welcome!” Carlos Zambrano is a crazy man and I don’t see the leadership potential that everyone else seems to think is there with him. I think Garza and Pena will bring so much Maddon-like Leadership to the Cubs that it will actually pay off more than perhaps their play on the field.

NL West: Rockies – I like the young guys… Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, and Jimenez just to name a few. Come on Rocks you can do this! They just gotta put it all together which at the end of the day comes down to leadership. I hope their manager can motivate the young guys like they need to be. Leading the young generation is way different than in decades past. It takes a new kind of leadership and I hope the Rockies Manager can do that. Great stadium too, by the way.

NL Bonus Pick: Reds – I gotta go with the Reds. What a fun team to watch last year. And I really believe that if anybody can beat the Cardinals it will be them. The Brewers don’t have enough. The Cubs are rebuilding and the Pirates and Astros will once again be the laughing stock of the division. But… The Reds have what it takes to compete. Votto is stud. Brandon Phillips has just enough Oprah-like confidence to be effective and I think there’s just a good chemistry in that clubhouse. I’m always a sucker for small market teams. Come on Cincy, do it again. And yes, bring back the Baseball-Headed Cartoon Logo as often as possible! You know kids and adults alike are crazy for that little guy!

So there you have it. The Official Matt Keller MLB 2011 Picks have been published. It’s gonna be a great year.

And if you need me over the next 6 months, try checking a ballpark cam, because I’m probably there or at the very least watching a game somewhere. After all, we don’t sing “Take me out to the ballgame” at all 2,430 games each year figuratively. As real baseball fans, we mean it. We really can’t wait to go!

See ya at the ole’ ballgame soon,

Matt Keller

We're in the Middle of the Miraculous!!!

If you're apart of Next Level Church in anyway then I want to encourage you with a word today.

We're in the Middle of Something Miraculous!

Over the course of the nearly 9 years that Sarah and I have been pastoring, we've come to recognize that there are seasons in the life of a church. There are stretching seasons, sacrificial seasons, sowing and reaping seasons, harvest seasons, etc.

Next Level Church, we are currently on the front end of a Season of the Miraculous! I believe we will look back in the years to come and see these next few weeks as nothing short of miraculous!


Secondly, though we must be aware that we're in a Spiritual Battle. We can't be naive to think that Satan is at all happy with what God is doing. In the last few years, satan has had some big victories in Southwest Florida. There has been a lot of pain in people's hearts. Divorce rates have skyrocketed. And a lot of churches have closed in our area.

So as we walk through these weeks of transition into our 1st Permanent Facility, we have to know that it's not going to come without a fight. Get ready for battle, Next Level Church. Satan loves to attack in weak areas, unguarded areas, or unsuspecting areas.

But here's the good news: We have nothing to fear! The Bible makes it clear that the God who is IN us is greater than the enemy we fight against! Study Ephesians 6. Put on the whole armor of God and stand your ground because something miraculous is taking place!

Finally, I want to encourage you to Don't Miss It! When Jesus was in the Garden praying on the night before He was crucified, the disciples fell asleep. History was literally changing right before their eyes and they missed it!

Don't let that happen to you! What God wants to do is so big, so amazing and so miraculous in the lives of so many! Don't be asleep!

Next Level Church, this is a season to invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, relatives, waitresses, anybody! God is going to touch so many lives during this season, don't miss it!

Get ready, the miraculous is already beginning to happen!!!

Pastor Matt

Hey Next Level Church, Here are 3 Things I'm Excited about Right Now

I wanted to take a moment and share w/ all of you in the Next Level world 3 things that I'm super excited about right now.

1. I'm excited about our 1st Permanent Facility.

     Plain and simple, I'm just telling ya, it's gonna be sweet. The design is first class, the spaces are extremely functional and there's nothing like it anywhere. It's totally Next Level. It's gonna feel like us in every way. And... (and don't tell anyone) but I think we're going to be giving some Sneak Peak Tours to many of our Connection Groups in the next few weeks. I hope you're in one!!!

2. I am excited about the huge ability we've been given to reach those in our relational sphere of influence. 

     The new facility is going to give us a unique, once of a kind opportunity to invite those who we've been investing in relationally to come and experience God like they never have before. Our Grand Opening Weekend is scheduled for April 9th and 10th! You've got to start inviting everyone you know who needs hope, or purpose, or meaning in their life. We're gonna present Jesus in a big way that weekend, and that gets me excited!!!

3. I'm excited about the ability we're going to have to reach unchurched, dechurched and lost people in a new way.

     Like it or not, having a permanent facility for our weekend environments is going to matter to a lot of people in our community. They're going to come to see what this whole "Next Level Church" thing is all about. And that means that we get 1 chance to show them a different perspective of God then perhaps they've ever had before.

At the end of the day, our new facility is just a tool. It's never been about bricks and mortar, it's always been about creating environments where lost people can be found, hurting people can be healed and found people can grow.

So let me just say thanks to everyone of you who are sacrificing and giving and praying and believing for the harvest in the coming days. I have a feeling Jesus is going go blow our minds in the next few weeks. I firmly believe that there has never been a better time to invite someone to experience God with you at Next Level Church.

Just think one simple invitation could be the difference maker in their eternity. Awesome isn't it?

I don't know about you, but that gets me excited.

Pastor Matt

Ready or Not, Here it Comes!!! - Part 3 (Repost)

Today we finish an article on How to Slay the Monster of Sunday. I would love to hear your feedback. Feel free to leave a comment,

Thanks,

Matt Keller

Taming the Monster of Sunday

(Help for Pastors under Pressure)

7. Use a Wall of Sundays to organize your thoughts. The way to see the long-range rhythm of your year is to have a place to put your creative thoughts when they come to you. We started doing this about 3 years ago and our wall of Sundays has become life to me and our team. I have to see things big and as a team, we need to plan ahead.

Here’s a picture of our most current Wall-of-Sundays.

8.  Practice your messages. Some pastors will say they want to "make sure the emotion of the moment comes through on Sunday," or that "you can't rehearse the anointing." But I think that's just an excuse. You wouldn't say that to your worship team. If we want our worship team to rehearse and come prepared, then so should we. It took me awhile to get used to practicing my messages out loud, but for me, there's no better way to actually get the content into your mind and spirit.

I can't tell you how many times I will be practicing my message in my home office on Saturday night and hear myself say something a certain way. In those moments, I'll actually stop and say out loud, "That didn't sound right. Don't say it that way again." ThenI’ll go back to the beginning of that section or story and practice saying it a different way.

By the way, for those of you who do multiple services, remember, first service is not your practice. We can either sweat in preparation or bleed in battle. I don't know about you, but I would rather sweat in preparation.

The Result:

As a communicator who now speaks 150 - 200 times/year as well as writes consistently, it is vital that I have a sustainable rhythm for message preparation and content. There's no way I could live out my calling otherwise.

If you're a communicator, begin to strategically work on developing your own rhythm. It will serve you well for years to come.

Ready or Not, Here it Comes!!! - Part 2 (Repost)

On Monday, we began talking about the burden of "Every 7 days, ready or not" in the ministry...

Here's part 2...

Taming the Monster of Sunday - Part 2

(Help for Pastors under Pressure)

4.  Learn to write to 80%. When I say that I'm 4 to 6 weeks ahead in message prep, this is what I mean. I have a goal to have the main points, verses and illustrations laid out (or 80% of the message) weeks in advance. This gives me peace of mind knowing that on any given week, I'm simply microwaving the message up to 95% on Monday morning, rather than trying to start from scratch every week.

5.  I write on Mondays. The common theme for most pastors is to want to jump in front of a bus on Mondays, but I have found that if I can get in the zone and think of it as a continuation of the day before, I'm actually capable of some pretty amazing creativity. The benefit of locking in my message on Monday is:

• I feel extremely productive. Doing what I do best on Mondays, rather than all the to-do list stuff, makes me feeling like a million bucks and sets me up for a more productive week.
• I don't feel as swamped later under all the details of church. Church work can drain you. And carrying the pressure of Sunday's message on your shoulders while I'm dealing with detail stuff during the week can be overwhelming. Details put me on edge, which is not good for my team.
• I have a clear mind to lead and make decisions. When the pressure of Sunday is off, the more confident I feel in my decision making. The bigger our church gets, the more pressure I feel on a decision making level. Having a handle on Sunday early in the week, helps me feel more empowered to make decisions that need to be made during the week.

6.  Learn to see "Sparks" everywhere. For any communicator, the distance from zero to a creative spark is infinity, but once you have the spark, the rest of the content for a message can flow pretty quickly. If you have to communicate on a weekly basis, you'll have to develop the art of seeing sparks for messages everywhere. I see sparks everywhere, so much so, that there are lots of messages that I never have opportunity to develop or preach anywhere. But just developing the discipline of seeing the sparks helps me as a communicator.

The second key to seeing the sparks is having a place to put them once you see them. That's where the Wall of Sundays comes in for me. Whether I use them or not, at least I know I have somewhere to put them.

Part 3 comes on Friday...

Ready or Not, Here it Comes!!! - Slaying the Monster of Sunday (Repost)

This week I am reposting an article I wrote for pastors & leaders who feel like they can't get ahead on their Sunday Message content. There's hope for you...

I hope this helps,

Matt Keller

Taming the Monster of Sunday

(Help for Pastors under Pressure)

One of the most taxing things about being a lead pastor is the drain of having to come up with completely new, creative, thought-provoking, challenging, engaging, funny, life-changing content every 7 days. I like to call it the Monster of Sunday. It's always licking at your heels and if we, as the primary communicators of our church, can't figure out a way to tame that monster, it will eventually become our undoing & hold us back from reaching the full potential of our calling.

Over the past eight years, I’ve learned a ton about my rhythm as a communicator. Hopefully these tips will help you as well…

1. Learn your Personal Rhythm. My personal rhythm is 6 weeks. After that, I need a change. If I speak more than 6 weeks in a row at Next Level Church, my creativity, drive and passion begin to sag. I know I’m not giving our people my best. Consequently, as a rule, I will not speak more than 6 Sundays in a row.

2.  Get out of your own reality. In order for me to remain creative, I need a change of perspective. Therefore, I build into my yearly schedule the opportunity to travel and speak in other churches a few times a year. Being away from home, helps me keep the greater vision of THE Local church in my mind. I can get tunnel vision otherwise.

I highly recommend for pastors to “sow into another man’s field.” For me this looks like developing relationships with pastors who are "a couple of steps behind us” and offering to pay my own way to come and invest in their church for a weekend.

When I travel and work with other churches, I learn from them as well. I get fresh ideas and perspective when I get out of my own pulpit.

3. Get 4 to 6 weeks ahead in message preparation. One of the ways I avoid the Monster of Sunday is by staying 4 to 6 weeks ahead in my message preparation. We short-change our content and our people when we write messages the week of. There are just some creative ideas that need time to marinate. And writing a message on Saturday afternoon, isn't sufficient time enough for that to happen adequately.



We'll continue with Part 2 on Wednesday...

Raising Up Communicators - Part 3 (Repost)

This week we're talking about a common problem that many pastors have, which is not having the confidence in other members of your staff to carry the day with the message when you're gone or need a break.

This is the final installment of an article I wrote last year. Hope it helps,

Matt Keller

Raising Up Communicators - Part 3 (Repost)

4.  Work with them before, during & after. When they're scheduled to speak, we worked up the big idea and spark for the message together. Then they flesh out the raw outline. They bring it back to me and we talk through. This allows me to run it through the filter of our people, because as the guy who talks to them the most, I know their aptitude best. After we meet, they bring the talk up to a mature form and we meet one more time where they “pseudo-preach” it to me in my office.

I stay involved in the process the day they speak as well. We will meet in the green room backstage between services to tweak the content even more. I want them to know what I’m thinking in real time.

Finally, the week after they speak, we debrief and listen to the audio CD or watch the video back together. I thoroughly dissect it with them. Good, bad and ugly.

Here's what I've learned: If I want them to do what I do, I have to be willing to slow down enough to allow them to see how I do it. From my experience, most pastors aren't willing to do this. They just want their other guys to watch them and then just "get it." I wish that were true, because we’d all be much better golfers after watching Tiger Woods every Sunday.

6. Teach your church that they are a teaching hospital. We are committed to seeing young leaders reach their full potential. If you're looking for perfection, you're gonna need to find another church. From the beginning, we have taught our people that they are apart of a Divine Experiment and things won't always go perfectly. We would rather fail trying then never take a risk.

7. Put them inside of a series you're already doing. Including them inside of a series allows them to leverage a greater credibility and allows them to "continue" a thought instead of trying to build a stand alone message. Second, It communicates that you are a teaching team, not individual communicators.

8. Use the word "we" as much as you can. For example, "at Next Level Church we believe" instead of, "at NLC, I believe..." Its a subtle difference but over time, it helps shape the culture in your church's mind.

9. Use somebody other than you, to be the "Campus Pastor" in your service. Even if you only have one campus, we have found it helpful to use another pastor on staff, to close the service. This gives them a pastoral and credible voice, and over time, establishes their voice to the people.

10. Use other pastors to lead things like communion, child dedication, and baptisms. I want our people to know that I'm not the only one, (or the best one for that matter!) to lead these important pastoral elements. I want our church to be comfortable with the other pastors ministering to them in spiritual moments, like communion, baptism, etc.

The result:

3 years later, the results have been amazing! Our church people have become accustomed to me not having to be up there 52 weeks a year. This new reality has enabled me to get the rest I need, speak in other churches, and help other pastors in great ways! The benefit of having confidence in other communicators on your team will far outweigh the time and energy it takes for you to get them there.

Begin NOW to develop your strategy to raise up other communicators who can do what you do in your church. It's worth it.

Raising Up Communicators - Part 2 (Repost)

Continued from Monday...

Raising Up Communicators - Part 2 (Repost)

4.  Work with them before, during & after. When they're scheduled to speak, we worked up the big idea and spark for the message together. Then they flesh out the raw outline. They bring it back to me and we talk through. This allows me to run it through the filter of our people, because as the guy who talks to them the most, I know their aptitude best. After we meet, they bring the talk up to a mature form and we meet one more time where they “pseudo-preach” it to me in my office.

I stay involved in the process the day they speak as well. We will meet in the green room backstage between services to tweak the content even more. I want them to know what I’m thinking in real time.

Finally, the week after they speak, we debrief and listen to the audio CD or watch the video back together. I thoroughly dissect it with them. Good, bad and ugly.

Here's what I've learned: If I want them to do what I do, I have to be willing to slow down enough to allow them to see how I do it. From my experience, most pastors aren't willing to do this. They just want their other guys to watch them and then just "get it." I wish that were true, because we’d all be much better golfers after watching Tiger Woods every Sunday.

6. Teach your church that they are a teaching hospital. We are committed to seeing young leaders reach their full potential. If you're looking for perfection, you're gonna need to find another church. From the beginning, we have taught our people that they are apart of a Divine Experiment and things won't always go perfectly. We would rather fail trying then never take a risk.

7. Put them inside of a series you're already doing. Including them inside of a series allows them to leverage a greater credibility and allows them to "continue" a thought instead of trying to build a stand alone message. Second, It communicates that you are a teaching team, not individual communicators.



We'll finish our discussion on Friday...

Raising Up Communicators Article (Repost)

This week I am reposting as 3 posts, an article I wrote last August that was picked up by several ministry & church planting websites. The article is focused on How to Raise Up Communicators in your church on your staff.

The question I get asked often is: "How do I raise up others on my team to speak when I'm gone or need a break?"

I hope this week's posts will help you...

Matt

Raising Up Communicators (Repost)

A common strain that many pastors feel is the pressure of not being able to miss a Sunday. In their own way, each one says the same thing:

"I don't feel like I have anyone on my team who can do what I do..."

At Next Level Church, we have several capable communicators on our team, but it didn’t happen by accident. It has been a combination of the blessing of God and an intentional approach on our part.

It starts with desire. When we started 8 years ago, I knew I wanted to have others who could do what I do. I didn't want to be, "the only one who could feed the sheep." I knew this would take a  lot of security on my part and the patience to believe God to raise up others on our team as well.

It also requires a strategy.  3 years ago, I began strategically executing the plan to multiply our speaking structure. I started with my associate, Mike, who had moved with us 8 years earlier, and our newly hired executive pastor, Scott Drummond. Once we had 2 guys who had the natural ability and passion to speak, I got extremely strategic about it. Today, we're developing several other young communicators with the same strategy.

A Strategy to Raise Up Communicators in your church:

1.  Include them in on message creation. Rather than just writing messages alone, I started bringing in them in to help me process ideas through. This allowed them to see how I think about message preparation. It also gave me some great ideas and illustrations that I never would have had otherwise.

2. Use their personalities in other ways from the stage. We always have 2 people give announcements in our services. This keeps things fresh and provides for movement and energy in the service, simply by having two personalities on stage instead of one.

The biggest benefit though is allowing our people to become familiar and comfortable with the other pastors on staff. They see them having fun, joking with each other and being in the know with your church. Over time, this creates a comfort in people with having someone other than me on the stage.

3.  Let them speak with you present. I want our church to know that, “just because I'm here doesn't mean I have to be up there..." I intentionally schedule Sundays where they speak with me there. I need our church to be comfortable with me being in the room, but not always being up front. (By the way, I will often jump into one of the announcement guy roles when they speak. We believe in "Interchangeable Parts" in every way.)

We'll continue on with Part 2 on Wednesday.

Managing the Tension - Part 3

I want to give us 2 final thoughts on how we manage the tension of leadership between our current reality and the dream in our heart for the future.

Here's the last 2:

4.  Don't take yourself Too Seriously.

     When our church was just a few months old we received some great advice from a prominent pastor. He told us, "Don't take yourself too seriously, because no one else is." In 9 years, I've never forgotten that. When you're neck deep in the tension between now and the future, it's easy to take the whole thing too seriously. To become overwhelmed and allow your blood pressure to be too high and want to do harm to yourself and others with sharp objects.

     If we're not careful, managing the tension of our leadership reality can cause us to lose our joy. Fight against that. Give yourself permission to fish more, or golf more, or take a nap during the weekday every now and then. Listen, this whole leadership deal is about the long-haul, not a short-sighted adrenaline rush. Relax, enjoy the ride. After all, you're giving your life for it. Why not enjoy it?

5.  Embrace your journey as your journey.

     Our church growth story was not one of overnight success or quick growth... ever. Instead, for 9+ years, we've been the up the middle, one yard at a time, journey. If I'm being honest with you, I have to admit that for a lot of years, I resented our journey. I wanted to be bigger faster. I wanted to be further along than we were.

     But a few years ago, everything changed. Right about the time I started coaching other pastors and leaders, I began to realize that the wisdom and lessons I was able to teach were coming from all of the experiences I was  resenting. Suddenly it was as if the whole thing turned. What I came to realize was that God had used my journey to position me for a unique platform of influence I could have had no other way. If I had not walked the journey I did, I could not teach the things I now teach.

     Your journey is your journey. The longer you spend resenting it or denying it or trying to change it, the more time you're wasting learning from it and embracing it. The tension of leadership is not going away, why not lean into it instead of fighting against it. In the end, it makes leading a lot more satisifying.

Matt Keller

Managing the Tension - Part 2

Yesterday we began talking about how we manage the tension of leadership between living fully present in the now of our reality and keeping our heart and mind focused on the dream in the future.

Here's a 3rd way I've found to help to manage the tension:

3.  Prioritize Margin and Rest.

     For most of us driver personalities, the temptation in a ministry setting is to think that we can't ever rest or stop pushing because of the constancy of the tension we feel. However, often times church growth and breakthrough are fundamentally tied to us backing out of the throttle, embracing some time off and trusting that God is truly God and in control of our church.

     I have learned a lot about Sabbath in the last year. I have always embraced the idea that the Sabbath is a command. Like, I get it, God's Big Ten, same list as adultery, etc. I get it. But a year ago, I read in Exodus 16 where God rebuked the Israelites for not recognizing the gift they had been given in the Sabbath.

     After 400+ years of working as slaves and never taking a day off, God builds into their new reality a culture of rest. He calls it a gift and gets pretty ticked when they don't see it that way. It's like a friend paying for an expensive golf membership at a private club for you and after a year, asking us how we liked it. To which we respond, "Oh yeah, sorry, I never got around to playing because I had too much to do..." Imagine how hurt your friend would be? Crushed even. Why? Because we hadn't taken advantage of the gift because we were too busy.

We'll talk through 2 more ways to manage the tension of leadership tomorrow.

Managing the Tension - Part 1

Andy Stanley says one of the greatest challenges of leadership is, "Managing the Tension." For those of us in leadership positions we understand that tension between what is and what we dream of in the future. After 9 years of pastoring and leading, I can definitely say that this is a tension that must be managed and not a problem that can be solved.

For the next few days, I want to talk about several things I've learned in terms of managing this tension of leadership.

1.  It helps to take a long-view of your ministry.

     Perhaps it's just me, but I really love to talk about the faithfulness of God over the past 9 years. Sarah and I frequently find ourselves reminiscing, not in a sadistic sort of "our best days are behind us" kind of way, but in a, "Wow, look how far we've come" kind of way. We do this in every area of our lives. We reflect on the age of our kids at certain moments in the past, where our church was at the time, etc. Looking at the long-view of our life and ministry helps me to live in the tension now because I'm reminded of the faithfulness of God then.

2.  Remember that Rome wasn't built in a day.

     If taking a long-view is about reflecting on the past, then this one is all about looking to the future from the present. In ministry, you have to be committed to the life of the process. In other words, perfection and arriving are illusions. You never arrive and your church is never gonna be perfect. But each day you can make progress. Each day you can do something to move the needle a little closer to the direction you want the thing to go. It just takes time. Remembering that Rome wasn't built in a day gives you permission to know that what you do today matters in light of someday.

Tomorrow we'll tackle a couple more ways to manage the tension of leadership.

A Culture of "The Benefit of the Doubt"

One of the traits we've tried to hammer into the culture of Next Level Church over the years is what we call, " 

A Culture of the Benefit of the Doubt."

Put simply, it means that when you have the choice to assume the best or assume the worst about a leader, a situation or a decision, you simply lean into the side of assuming the best.

As an organization grows larger, it will become impossible for everybody to know everything about every decision that's being made by other leaders throughout the organization. That's when a "Benefit of the Doubt" culture kicks in. Because, as we tell our leaders, when you don't know what's going on, or what the logic behind a decision was, you have to assume the best and give that leader the Benefit of the Doubt.

Here are the 2 things we teach our leaders:

1.  Plead Authentic Ignorance & then Defend the heart.

If someone comes up to you and says, "Why did Matt decide to do ____..."

Your response should be:

"You know, honestly, I don't know anything about it. But here's what I DO know... Pastor Matt & everyone of our leaders are spiritual Godly men who seek God around every decision they make. And I'm confident there's a wise and logical reason behind the decision they made."

And #2...

2.  Offer to take them by the hand to the person they have a question or issue with.

The next statement out of an NLC Leader's mouth should be,

"You know, I know any of our pastors have no problem talking about any decision they've made in any area of our church. So would you like me to take you to them or set up a time for you to sit down with them and talk about your concerns in more detail?"

That is the Matthew 18, Biblical model for conflict resolution, by the way. And it also sets a precedent that what we're not going to do is wonder around and find someone else that we can spread our questions to. If a person really wants answers, we're more than happy to help them get them from the right people.

? Do your church / work / family / friend environments have a Culture of the Benefit of the Doubt? If not, what can you do to start creating one? It's well worth the effort and it cuts down on disunity big time.

We all make choices in life and I believe choosing to be teachable is one of the greatest ones we'll ever make...

Teachability Thought #5:

Teachability is a Choice.

At the end of the day, you and I have a choice to make. To choose to be teachable, or not. I guess you don't have to choose teachability. I mean, you are perfectly empowered to live safely and comfortably behind the wall of what you already know. It's totally a choice you're entitled to make. But it's not your only choice. See, the other choice you're empowered to make is to choose to be teachable. Either way, the choice you make comes with a price.

Choosing to live behind the wall of what you already know is safe. It's predictable. It's secure, after all, you already know everything there is to know and that most certainly leads to a whole lot of confidence and self-assurance.

Choosing to come out from behind that wall and be teachable leads to a whole other reality. It's scary. It's risky. It's unknown. That path is prone to wander off the map of predictable existence to a land of uncertain exposure and possible pain.

Living behind the wall of what you already know has a problem though. See, because the world is always growing and expanding, that means that over time, your fenced in yard will become smaller and smaller. Your world view will become more and more narrow and your defensiveness and pessimism will eventually become a crushing weight on you and everyone you're in relationship with. Because after all, who can stand to live with someone who knows it all? And... (if we're being honest) who would want to?

So I guess that leaves just one choice: To venture beyond your wall and become teachable. To open up the gate to the world of what you don't know and begin to venture out. Feel free to move as slowly as you feel is comfortable, but keep in mind the world outside your wall is growing pretty fast. Life is moving at an exceptional rate, and those you lead and influence are probably already into a full blown run in pursuit of a teachable life. A life that is constantly expanding and growing. A life of teachability that is leading them to become everything their Creator has for them to become.

I hope you'll make the choice to join us on this teachability quest. I hear it's a pretty great adventure, if you're willing to learn something new along the way.

Why I have waited to buy an iPad for a year now... (it is not why you may think)

In a word... Discipline. When the iPad was first announced I freaked. No seriously, I was like "Oh my sakes, this is it!" I was like a teenage girl at a school dance; all squeally and stuff. But (this is a big but) I (along with the wife) decided not to get one.

The obvious reason which accounted for about 15%, was that the 2nd generation would have more features / less bugs etc. Which I'm hoping it does. (Come on Steve, don't let me down...)

But the bigger reason, by far, was that it would be a good discipline for me to wait a year for something that I really wanted.

So for the last year, I've had the privilege of letting God do a quiet work in my heart every time I saw one of my friends pull out their iPad. It's been cool to monitor how I respond each time. Over all, I've done pretty well at genuinely being happy for them. Only every once in a great while am i like, "Come on man, You're a bad steward of that thing. You're totally under utilizing the apps & features!!!"

Let me ask you, when was the last time you deliberately waited for something when you could have had it immediately? What if, every once in a while, it's good to give our desires a timeout?

By the way, I wrote this on my iPhone. I'm still patiently waiting for the iPad...

Intentionally NOT spoiled rotten,

Matt Keller

10 Things I love about my wife... (& no I don't think this will take the place of me buying her flowers...)

After more than 14 years, 2 kids, a church plant and a whole lot of other experiences, I'm still crazy in love with my wife, Sarah. So in honor of her, here are...

10 Things I love about my life with my wife:

1.  We have fun nicknames for each other that she lets me call her at the office and in other public places. (And no, I'm not telling you...)

2.  She watches baseball. Even when I'm not there. (Mostly the Rays)

3.  She's the hardest working woman I've ever met. (I dare you to try and keep up with her)

4.  She still has the ability to light up a room with her smile when she walks in. (She always has)

5.  She doesn't like to shop. (She leaves that to me)

6.  She's not whiny and needy. (Every man knows what I'm talking about...)

7.  She's the better parent in our house. (My kids know that)

8.  She has a capacity to handle stress like no one else. (It's unreal, seriously)

9.  She's willing to drive a mini van that's long past due for an upgrade. (It's true & she knows it)

10.  She's a woman I get to admire up close while others can only admire her from a far. (She's the real deal at home, just like she is in public)

I love you Sarah,

Happy Valentine's Day,

Matt

If you want to know how secure you are, simply invite someone to critique the thing that you think you do best...

Teachability Thought #4:

Teachability Requires Security.

Only secure leaders are teachable. Let's face it, allowing the experiences and thoughts of others challenge us at our deepest levels is just down right scary. In order to be teachable, it requires a ridiculous amount of security.

As a teachable leader, I'm learning things about myself that I must face head on and then change for the better. I'm sifting out character flaws and inconsistencies that hold my leadership back. I voluntarily asking for someone to challenge my successful ideas and make them better.

Teachability invites challenge to the status quo and conventional way of thinking and doing things. Only secure leaders can handle that. If you want to know how secure you are, simply invite someone to critique the thing that you think you do best.

Teachability requires security.

? Are you willing to challenge your deepest held beliefs? Are you willing to face your character flaws and inconsistencies?

I truly believe Teachability is the path to greatness. Here's why...

Teachability Thought #3:

Teachability is the path to Greatness.

Experts in any field are extremely teachable. Do you know why? Because they are keenly aware that in any given field there is too much to know simply by trial and error. To be an expert requires a tremendous amount of focus, attention, and energy. You have to not just learn facts and figures and statistics about something, you actually have to develop the skill of being able to work "ON" your field, not just "IN" your field.

Far too few leaders have developed the skill or created the space to actually work "ON" their leadership, and instead have become enslaved to only working "IN" their leadership. Teachable leaders understand that even as an expert in their field, they still have more to learn from others who are more experienced then they are and others who are less experienced then they are.

As a public speaker, I'm constantly watching and learning from other communicators. When they're talking, I'm listening to what they're saying "IN" their message, but I'm also watching the art of how they present "ON" their message. Both ways, I am learning.

Teachable leaders don't limit themselves to only being able to learn from others who are more experienced then they are. Often times, some of the freshest ideas in the world are generated by people who are not experienced enough to know how brilliant their new idea is.

? When was the last time you carved out 3 hours to work "ON" your leadership, not just "IN" it? Who are you willing to learn from? Is it only those who are ahead of you? Or are you open to learning from anyone?

The Posture that positions us for greatness... (a 90 second study to challenge your leadership)

Yesterday we began a 2 week discussion on the idea of Teachability. I believe that teachability is the key to everything good in our lives and leadership.

Teachability Thought #2:

Teachability is the Preferred Way to Learn.

The other way to learn is what my dad used to call, "The School of Hard Knocks." Unfortunately, we all have had a few lessons from that particular school. Life has a way of beating some stuff into us doesn't it? We don't have to sign up for lessons from the school of hard knocks, they just seem to find us, most predominantly when we are least expecting them.

But what if it didn't have to be this way? What if, instead of learning lessons, "the hard way," we could actually, voluntarily learn by taking on a posture of teachability? What if we could go looking for lessons that others have learned, rather than waiting for lessons to find us? What if we could increase our wisdom by learning from others who have experienced things we don't need to experience?

Taking on what I call a, "Posture of Teachability," positions us to learn something from everybody. And when we position ourselves like that, the lessons of other people's lives, good, bad and otherwise, will start pouring in.

? Do you have a posture of teachability? Or are we more prone to wait for life to teach us one way or another?

Teachability is a posture as much as it is anything else.

My Most Current Thoughts on Tokbox Dissolving, Video Coaching, & How We Change the World Together...

I found out late yesterday that Tokbox.com is shutting down as of April 5th, 2011. As many of you know, we have developed an entire Video Coaching Ministry built on the back of Tokbox. And as you can imagine, I have been hearing from a ton of you in the last several hours offering your condolences, wondering what we're going to do now, & saying things like, "Wow, that really sucks to be you!"

So, here are my most current thoughts:

1.  For 3 years, we've been driven by a question:

"What One Idea, if we could figure it out, could completely revolutionize our industry?" 

 I continue to be 100% convinced that Virtual Video Coaching is that "One Idea" that could completely change the lives of thousands of Pastors & Church Planters who effect and lead millions of people.

First, I believe it is completely unrealistic to think that pastors can get the adequate coaching and help they need to lead their churches to the Next Level by having to pay thousands of dollars to fly to Big Conferences that are heavy on Motivation & Inspiration, but don't have the ability, nor are they designed to, adequately walk pastors through a monthly processing of applying the practical information that can change their lives and ministries. Video Coaching does that.

Second, Nor do I believe it's possible for 90% of the churches in America to pay hundreds of dollars each month to participate in an "In-Person" Coaching Community where they are required to fly to a single location, pay for meals, car, hotel, etc. only to be face-to-face with a group of pastors for a few hours and then everyone has to fly home. Only to have to do it all again the next month. I pastor a large church, & I don't have the ability to pay the several thousand dollars it would require to do that. Video Caoching doesn't require a Big Budget!

2.  The following paragraph is what drives everything I do with Next Level Coaching...

85% of churches in America have less than 100 people. 

• What if we could get each of those churches the tools they need to double in the next year? 
• And what if we could do it in a monthly, cost effective, instant, commute-less format like Virtual Video Coaching? 
• (Which judging from our results over the last 3 years, is extremely possible) 

I am firmly convinced we could effect millions of people in small or medium sized churches across the country (& around the world, BTW, we had a pastor from Germany in our last Group who has seen significant growth in the last few months...)

3.  Telecoaching (or Conference Call Coaching) just isn't the same. 

I know a number of my peers are using telecoaching to coach pastors, but I'm just telling you. I've done it and compared to video coaching, there's no comparison. It's the equivalent of listening to the Super Bowl on the radio, or watching it on TV. Hands down, 100 times out of 100, we'd all choose to watch it on TV.

We'd never ask a small group in our church to "phone in" to their group. We'd all admit that real relationships and connection won't happen the same. It's too one-sided on a conference call. Conference Calls have their place, but there's no comparison to face-to-face for real relational coaching.

When we use Video Coaching, we're creating a small group for pastors to built relationships face-to-face and grow together. Video Coaching is the equivalent of a Small Group for Pastors. There's nothing else like it anywhere.

And I am firmly convinced that if we can figure this out, we can change the face of the "Church" across the country!

4.  "Necessity is the Mother of Innovation." 

 With the dissolving of Tokbox.com, I am obviously aware that this effects what we do in a HUGE way! And as far as I've seen up til now, I've not found any other Video Technology like it. (Not that doesn't require the budget of the Federal Government to afford.)

However, I'm committed to finding it or creating it. We live in a world where I can buy a car on ebay from my iPhone, for crying out loud, somebody somewhere has to be able to figure this out!

I am working on getting an appointment to talk to Ian Small, the CEO of Tokbox, Inc. as soon as possible. If you know him, tell him to call me. Seriously.

Also, I'd love to talk to anybody else that knows a Software or App Developer. 


I believe we can change the world if we can figure this out... It won't take much, just a little bit of effort. Imagine what's possible if we can dial this in?!? Imagine the leaders we can train, the pastors we can help, the people we can effect?

If you know someone, or want to be apart of the solution,

• E-mail me at PastorMatt@NextLevelChurch.com
• Call my office at 239-274-3755
• DM me on Twitter at @MatthewKeller
• E-mail me on Facebook Facebook.com/matthewwkeller

5.  For 9+ years now, I've had a phrase that I jokingly say will end up on my tombstone, (if I have one, cremation is big in Florida).

That phrase is:

"We're Church Planters, we don't take no for an answer. We figure it out, that's what we do!"

9 years ago, we moved across the stinkin' country with a baby & $9,000 to start a church, & today there are over 1,000 people who attend weekly. With God, All things are Possible!

Here's another Phrase, in closing, that I love to say...

"Don't tell me it can't be done, tell me how it can be done!" 

So to all of you who are wondering my most current thoughts on, "What we're Going to do..." there you go. Stay tuned, it's going to be an amazing ride.

We're going to figure this out, because there are too many pastors who need what we're trying to create through Virtual Video Coaching.

Thanks for helping me figure this out,

Matt Keller

BTW, if you haven't seen our coaching site, go to http://wwwMyNextLevel.me