ChrisTrethewey.com

5 Words in 10 Seconds

5 WORDS in 10 SECONDS

I asked a group of approximately 80 people, all connected to Renaissance Church, a simple question.

When you think of Renaissance, what are the top 5 words that enter your mind? 

I then set a simple guardrail around this question. Only take 10 seconds to do this.  I didn't want people to over think it. I didn't want people to over analyze it.  I just wanted to get a quick "blink"response on what the most important and impacting pieces about Renaissance. 

Here are the results:

This showed me two important insights:

1) Revealed the unique qualities of Renaissance.

2) It revealed areas that I need to start teaching on.

Both insights, priceless.

Who's talking about your church? (part 2)

In Who's talking about your church (part #1), I asked the first of two questions.

Q #1: Why is Apple the most covered company?

Here's the second question . . . 

Q #2: How does your church rank on the most "covered" list in your community?

First, let me clearly explain. I am not talking about a PR machine that is behind marketing your church. I am not talking about how charismatic your lead pastor is. I am not talking about the popularity of your church or the gimmicks that some churches implement to get "covered".  (I am not saying any of those things are good or bad. But, that would be a good discussion.) What I am trying to get at is this simple point. People vote with their mouth - by what they say. People vote with their feet - where they go. Your church has a "reputation" in the community. People will talk - share their opinion - and encourage or discourage people from being part of your community depending on their experience. You first have to ask yourself: Are people even talking about your church in the community? If they aren't, why not? If they are, what are they saying. Really saying. 

1. INNOVATION: What is your church doing to impact the culture it gets to serve? Are you looking forward to what "could be" or always looking backwards to what other churches are doing? God is giving you a vision - specific for the church you get to lead in. Can you see it? 
2. CULTURE: What is the culture within the walls of your church? If someone walked in for the first time how would she feel? How would he be treated? I am not talking about the "church crowd". I am focused on the people who have never stepped into a church. What would they experience? Would the experience be grace filled? Would they feel out of place? Would they want to come back?
3. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Churches are notorious for awful customer service. Phone calls aren't returned. People are told "NO" - constantly - without ever looking for a solution. People who haven't smiled in the past 2 decades are empowered as greeters. How are people treated at your church? Are calls returned? Do staff and volunteers smile? Are staff solution oriented or is their first response, No? Are people's issues more of a burden or do you seek to help solve problems?

The church is simply about people. Period. It is about creating a culture that connects with people - all people - at all points in their spiritual journey. It's about creating a place that is exciting, welcoming and engaging. 

What challenges do you face in each of these areas? What are some solutions you have discovered? 

Who's talking about your church? (part 1)

I read this post at MacRumors a few days ago entitled "Apple Most-Covered Tech Company in Mainstream Media". I didn't need to see any scientific data (But if you need it, it's to the left.) to know that statement was true. If you are an Apple fanatic, you love all the coverage. If you are an Apple hater, you despise the coverage. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, you know that there is a cult like following of Apple and all their product releases.  A frenzy is stirred up. Excitement grows. People talk. Bloggers Blog. Techies debate. The novist (like me), waits in a paralyzing anticipation of the launch of the next product.

   As I read the article, 2 simple questions emerged. Both questions were linked together. The first question was easy. The second question consumed my thinking.

#1: Why is Apple the most covered company?

Here is my quick take.

1. INNOVATION: Apple is always looking forward to the next "thing" to impact culture. They don't look at what others are doing. They aren't following - they are leading out in the tech revolution. Think about it . . .iPod. iPhone. iPad. Those 3 innovations have completely changed their perspective markets. Think about how many tech inventions have come since then trying to be the iPhone killer (or iPod, or iPad). 
2. CULTURE: Apple has built a community of followers around their culture. It is a culture that screams - excellence - innovation - simple - cool - on the edge - quality.It is a culture that people resonate with. It is a culture that people have immersed themselves in not only with their money, but with their emotions as well.
3. CUSTOMER SERVICE:  Apple has worked diligently on creating an amazing experience for their customer. They value the customer so much that they were just ranked 3rd out of all companies by Business Week.  The next closest computer company was Dell at #23. Apple received A+ marks for "quality of staff" and "efficiency of service". But there was one piece that grabbed my attention. Apple moved from 20th to 3rd in just one years time. 

What else would you add to this list?

All this leads me to the second question . . . .coming in Part 2. 

   

 

The Most Important Person to Lead is You!

     November 7th is the date. It has been staring at me straight in the eyes for over 9 months.  It has been slowly creeping forward. Now I am within a month of having to face it. I am within a month of having the opportunity to conquer it. I am within a month of facing an epic challenge. The past 9 months have been filled with moments of great accomplishment and exhilaration. The past 9 months have been filled with countless times where my mind and body were screaming “NO”, but my heart and the looming date in front of me motivated me to keep moving forward.  There have been many times where my bed tried to hold me captive, yet I was able to escape. There have been many times where the DB levels of the voices in my head became deafening. There have been many times where other distractions, really appealing distractions, - unceasingly tried to get in the way.   

 

    I have kept moving forward.

    I have kept my eyes focused on the goal.

    I have kept my commitment held tightly within the grasp of my hands.

    The resolve within my heart has only deepened and the journey has only become more life impacting.

    November 7th represents a lot of things for me, personally. It represents overcoming a personal tragedy that completely turned my world upside down. November 7th represents accomplishing something that only a small percentage of all people will even consider attempting. November 7th represents a series of personal goals that I have set for my life. November 7th does not represent the destination, but a brief stop on the journey.  

        What in your life do you need to overcome? What in your life do you need to solve? What in your life have you been ignoring, sticking your head in the sand, wishing that you didn’t have to confront it? What in your life controls you and you have to take the control back? We all have those areas. We all have those pieces. The question is: What are you going to do about it? My encouragement for you . . .overcome it. Step one: Set a date. Could be tomorrow or it could be a week or 9 months from now. It doesn’t matter. Set a date. Commit to it and then put into action steps to overcome. One of the first steps that I did was I shared my date with my wife and core group of friends that I knew would encourage me and hold me accountable. I then put a simple action plan into place that has helped me to take steps closer.

    Today is your day. It’s your day to take a hold of what you have let go in your life. It is your day, to lead the most important person you have the opportunity to lead. You!



You might be wondering what is happening on November 7th. I will be racing in the Silverman 70.3 Ironman triathlon. If you are not familiar with triathlons, 70.3 represents a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. This will be my second Ironman 70.3 race this year.

*This was written for Octobers Family Ministries Team email.

 

The 1st Impression will be the Lasting Impression! (repost)

I had a blogging technical mistake. I had started a post back in August 2009 that I never finished. So when I discovered it in my "draft" section, I decided it was time to finish it. So I did. Well, the date associated with the draft is linked to the date I started it - August 2009. You learn something everyday.

So click on the link for today's post: "The 1st impression will be the lasting impression."

http://www.christrethewey.com/2009/08/the1st-impression-will-be-the-lasting-impression.html 

Creative Ramblings from a Creative Place

 After church on Sunday my family went to the annual  "Art in the Park" located in Boulder City Nevada. Art in the Park is just what the name says it is. Hundreds of artists set up tents to display their art in hopes of showcasing and selling their creative talent. Every type of art you can imagine was displayed. Vibrant paintings depicting eye stimulating landscapes to abstract images that captured every corner of your imagination. Metal and stone were fused together in stunning yard creations. Fabric was stitched together to create kids bath robes right out of classic story books.

As I walked around with my family, enjoying an abnormally humid Vegas day, several thoughts came to my mind as I thought through the world of creativity. I am not sure if I am abnormal when it comes to these thoughts, but I had to share them any way.

 

IMPORTANT: I classify "Art" as anything you do creatively. Painting, sculpting, writing, music, spreadsheets, building, dog grooming, hamster hair styling, etc

 

\\: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: 

Some Art (in my opinion), inspiring.
Some Art (in my opinion), a total waste of space.
Some art (in my opinion), out of the box creative.
Some art (in my opinion), old and tired. 

The key words . . . "In My Opinion". Creativity comes down to the person creating and the person interacting with it. Not everyone will like your art. Not everyone will get your art. Not everyone will appreciate your art. You have to block the critics out and focus on the your creative passion that comes from deep within you. Then, find a niche audience that appreciates your creative talent. 

\\: Price (does not) = Worth

I found my self having a strange reaction to the "price tags" attached to each piece of art as I walked around. The price range verried from a few dollars to over $10,000. I had different reactions to each price tag I looked at. One reaction was, "That's all?! Wow, I would pay more for that." Another reaction was, "Holy Cow! I wouldn't pay 1/2 of that amount." Yet another reaction was, "That's fair". 

I am sure if you asked 100 people their unfiltered opinion you would get answers evenly split over those three thoughts.  Why? Price equals how much someone values the creativity in the piece. Not how much it is really worth (time, materials, effort, uniqueness). 

\\: Personal Passion Sells

I walked into one tent to look at some eye grabbing pottery. The colors were vibrant and absolutely stunning. Right when I walked in, the artist jumped up and engaged me in conversation. I asked him about one particular piece that had a enamoring red shimmer to it. He shared with me about how red is the most difficult color to have come out when you put a piece in a kiln. He shared with me how it has taken him over 30 years to perfect the process. His passion exploaded out of him. Not only with his words, but in his eyes and with his entire body. I would have purchased it, but it was $695. ( I thought it was worth that, just didn't have $695 to spend on a bowl.)

I walked into many tents where the artist sat stoichly behind a table and gazed off into space. Never engaged me. Never smiled. Some never even looked up. When it comes to your art, you have to sell it. Your passion is the tipping point. Your belief in your creativity is what will attract people to it. You, and only you, have the ability to engage your art with your potential audience.

 

Do you agree with these insights?  What would you tweak?  What would you add?

 

 

22 WORDS Blog

I stumbled upon a great blog the other day titled: "twentytwowords".  The title pulled me in, but the tag line captured my attention.

Experiments in getting to the point.

Could you imagine if . . .

• Meetings  could only consist of 22 words? How much more would you get accomplished in a day - week - year - life time?
• Phone conversations could only consist of 22 words? What would you choose not to say?
• How would you process and deliver information differently?

Shoot . . .maybe I should just stop typing since I have blown past 22 words in this blog.

Hmmmmm....

The "FIX" is sometimes just that "SIMPLE"!

I was in the gym Sunday running on a treadmill.  (I hate treadmill's!! I would rather be outside running in hurricane force winds instead of running on a treadmill.) It is the same treadmill that I have been running on for the past week.  It is kind of like church . . .you find the exact seat/pew/chair that you like and then you sit in it every Sunday.  Well I walked into the gym, went into the movie cardio room (very cool), and started up the treadmill.  I had 7 miles to run, so I was going to be there a while.  Over the past week I had noticed the cardio machine right next to me was out of commission.  Let me be clear. There wasn't a sign on the treadmill stating that it was "out of commission". It wasn't unplugged. Countless people would walk onto this treadmill, try to start it and discover that there was a message scrolling across the screen in red letters.

Motor Failure

Each person would push several buttons, quickly give up, and would leave to find another treadmill. I thought to myself each time, "I wonder if anyone has told the gym workers that this treadmill wasn't working?" 

On Sunday, something interesting happened.  The scenario repeated itself several times until this one guy walked in.  He followed the same procedures as every other person over the past week . . .except . . . When he got off the treamill he didn't leave to find a new one.  He walked infront of the treadmill. Bent over.  Unplugged the treamill . . .waited a few seconds . . .and plugged it back in.

Guess What?

It Worked!

Think about this for a second.  How many people over the past week do you think walked into that gym (that's open 24 hours) got on the treadmill - gave up - and found a new one?  Hundreds? Thousands?

Here is the point:

The "FIX" is sometimes just that "SIMPLE"!

What issues within your leadership sphere that needs to be fixed?  Have you been overcomplicating the "FIX"?  Have you been putting off dealing with it because the "fix" seems to be just to overwhelming? Have you been overcompicating the "FIX"? Have you been allowing your team to overcomplicate the "FIX".

Maybe . . .just maybe . . .the FIX is as simple as unplugging and plugging the treadmill back in.

Leadership insight from Batman Begins

I am a member at Gold's Gym. The Gold's Gym that I am at has a movie room where you can go in - run on a treadmill - and watch a movie.  (Whoever thought of that concept? Genius!) Well I was at the gym last week running on the tread mill - in the movie room - and the movie Batman Begins was showing. I am not a huge batman fan, but it was entertaining and helped my 7 mile run go a lot quicker.

During my run (i think it was mile 3 or 4) Alfred said something to Bruce Wayne (AKA: Batman) that literally caused me to to push pause on the treadmill and write it down on my phone.

The scene: There was a turning point in the movie where Alfred stops Bruce Wayne, looks at him and says:

Why do we fall Sir?
So we can learn to pick ourselves up!

Now, I have heard countless times in conference and in leadership books that you should "fail forward". John Maxwell actually has a book entitled Failing Forward. What caught my attention wasn't this concept of failing forward.  What caught my spirit was this simple word of "LEARN". 

Nobody likes to fail. Nobody likes to drop the ball . . .let a team down . . . create chaos from a decision gone bad.  The reality: Every person on the face on the earth will fail.  The key . . .is learning how to pick yourself up. Face reality. Face the people you let down. It is so easy to try to hide from failure.  It is human to try to lessen the impact of failure by deflecting the failure.

What are some of the best lessens you have learned from failing?

Catalyst: West Coast (Francis Chan)

Francis Chan said: I don't like the book of acts. Why? I never read the book of Acts and put it down and say, "WOW! It's just like us!"

What bother's me is that our church are so "UNSTOPPABLE" today!

We have raised a generation of terrified believers.

We have believers who have been believers for 10 years that can't disciple someone else?

Acts 4:29 . . .²⁹Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

BOLDNESS!

• Paul asked for Boldness

We got to learn to love the Gospel not just the delivery.

JUST START WITH SCRIPTURE!

If you started with scripture . . . would your church look like it does now?
If you started with scripture . . .what would your life look like now?

John 6:63 - ⁶³The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

There is only 1 factor . . .the Holy Spirit of God.

6 months ago the Holy Spirit came into Rachel (his jr . high daughter)!!!!  In your house . . .when you see the Holy Spirit of God . . .this is it!

It's about the Holy Spirit of God . . .we got to believe that again!!