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The words swine flu (H1N1) generally bring one of two reactions; a roll of the eyes or a look of fear. This past week my church has been dealing with a handful of possible cases of H1N1 that originated on a youth trip to Florida. Fortunately, it has turned out to be a quick recovery for those who were sick.
The old saying that “there is no such thing as bad press” does not really apply to the church. The church, as compared to many businesses or organizations, uniquely relies on how people feel. Those feelings translate into invitations to attend and involvement within. For the church to do its’ vital work, people must have a positive view and feeling about the church.
21 Rules of Innovation…numbers 8-14
8. Trust is not blind. The more you seek to understand the motives of your team members, the better.
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9. All teams go through rough patches. As Dean Kamen says, if you don’t encounter big problems or surprises, you’re not innovating. When it “hits the fan”, be an example in keeping the faith and remaining positive.
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10. Vince Lombardi won a lot of championships by focusing on, and repeating endlessly, the most basic plays and fundamentals. Basic fitness and clarity of jobs and roles were the rock he built his teams on. So, when in doubt, return to the basics.
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11. Sometimes a person simply shouldn’t be on a team. Be very careful in making this judgment, because sometimes the mavericks are exactly who you need. Still, sometimes people can’t be brought into the fold and focused on the goal at hand. If you are dead sure, cut out the “cancer”. It’s a very tough call, but when you make it you are often thanked for doing it by other team members.
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12. Celebrate, celebrate, celebrate. Celebrate victories, even the small ones, and celebrate learning even in failures or setbacks. Edison was of the philosophy there is no failure; be like Edison.
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13.Kick-off’s are important. Do them with energy and style.
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14.Communicate unselfishly, share your knowledge, and share honestly in a way that the person can hear.
Church Planting vs Church Growing
I had the opportunity today to be a part of a Church Planters “Boot Camp”. Planting is a very different process from growing a church. Most of the work that 218Consulting does is with churches that have been around for a while, and are looking to accelerate the effectiveness of their ministries. It has been great to rethink a few issues from the planters needs vs the established churches needs.
One of the topics today was on the importance of having a connection to a denomination. While I have said before that denomination means less to people than ever before, there is a time that it has great value.
As the new church starts, it is important to have credibility that you are providing a safe place. The denominitional tag gives that assurance. Over time, the church builds credibility on its own merits - and the denominational “brand” can be reconsidered. This is usually a 5- 7 year process. In some cases, you may decide to keep it - or you may find that it is a hindrance. Either way, you need to really take time in making that decision. Start by asking those people who are joining your church about the issue- they will give you great insights.
100 Best Business Books of All Time
I am currently reading the book The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. As I read through it, I am reminded that people are people whether they are in the church or in the business arena. Statically, the behavior of “Christians” is not extremely different than that of non-Christians when it comes to giving, lifestyle choices, and priorities. That being said, there is a great deal of practical application that exists for the church in this book.
At the urging of one of my clients, I am going to take a few of the highlighted books and give the “takeaway” for the church. Let me know if you agree with my conclusions.
Each book will have its own blog entry for easier reference and links to purchase.
Enjoy!!
The Secrets to Financal Success
Whats the secret to surviving the current financial challenges that churches face? Is it simply to spend less, or maybe hire a financial consultant? Right now, fear is leading the way on this topic. Most churches are behaving as if they have no control over their financial future. In fact, they have complete control. They just are not taking advantage of it.
Several posts back, I talked about the budgeting process and a few other money issues. Today I want to focus on the core of what the church is doing wrong in the face of this issue.
1. They are not dealing with reality
2. They are asking in the wrong way
3. They are not spending strategically
1. Deal with reality. Every study out there shows the increased usage of Debit and Credit cards as the primary way that people spend money. Checks and cash are now in the minority. So what way do most churches rely upon to get money? A basket that takes the 2 forms of spending that people are using less and less. I have churches tell me that the weekly offering is key to paying the bills. So why would you make it difficult for your people to give? Look into setting up electronic funds transfers and even the new Giving Kiosks. And if you need to make the point “real”…ask your finance team if they personally have cash or checks with them at the next finance meeting.
2. Ask correctly. For years, our church members supported the ministry out of obligation. If you told them what the church needed, they would give. Those days are GONE. Even our older members are no longer motivated by that method. Your people are courted by hundreds of entities that have a more compelling approach than you and that is where they are choosing to give. It may be their Alma mater, a local non-profit, or an animal shelter. But they are giving - just not to you. Why? Because you have not asked in a way that connects with their heart. You know this stuff - it is the basis of a million sermons. People act on what connects with their heart. Tell the stories of lives that have been changed through your ministry. Let them see what their giving does. Give them the opportunity to be apart of making someones life better. Tell the stories.
3. Spend strategically. In tough economic times, people are very aware of how money is being spent. Many church finance people gain more power during this time than any other time. Everyone defers to the money people who always say the same thing. “STOP SPENDING!” And so they do. It creates a short term fix for a long term problem.
Here is the paradigm shift -
If people don’t see their money spent, then people don’t give.
Let me say that again. You have to show them that you are spending their money in order to get them to give more money. Lots of churches have taken the absolute wrong approach by cutting “all unnecessary spending”. This usually means anything other than payroll and utility bills. This is a HUGE demotivator to givers. Spend money on things that people can SEE and TOUCH. Paint the lobby to show that you are alive and expecting guests, send kids to camp, buy a car for someone in the community, or anything that says ” We are making a difference!”
Historically, giving to charities has weathered all economic downturns. People understand that giving what they can really matters during these times.
Make it easy for them to give,
tell them the stories of changed lives,
and let them see some results.
Are you observant?
Are you really able to see the big picture of what is happening around you?
Who is the competition for non-profits?
Reading through an interesting post over on Green Apron Stories, about a very funny way that they kept an eye on the competition. The story reminds me of one that often presents itself when I am working with a non-profit that is trying to find new ways to increase funds. After a while, someone in the room will offer the comment “we just can’t compete with (insert name of another non profit) for the money that we need”. This reveals a significant lack of understanding about what motivates people to support a non-profit. In the case of Starbucks, the competition was clear. For the non-profit, it is a different game.
For a NP, the competition is not other non-profits. In theory, all NP offer services to make the human condition a bit better. Would you want to take your money from the March of Dimes to fund ALS research? Well, yes. Let me explain.
If someone you care about has an illness or challenge, then you are emotionally tied to the group that is taking on that fight. You will reallocate your funds to join in the fight and make a difference. The interesting thing is that you will reallocate funds from many areas of your life, not just what you have set aside to fund good causes. And if your life is touched by many causes, you will find ways to give to all of them.
The paradigm shift here is from the mindset that people will only give a certain amount to charity and causes, and that we are all competing for that certain amount. The competition is for all of the other disposable income that is available, but not given.
What’s they key to getting it? You must offer a solution to a problem, and make sure the problem has a face to go with it. If you introduce Mark to someone, and he has ALS, and then you show that a $20,000 donation will make it possible for him to communicate with this children through eye movement controlled computers - guess what you will walk away with. A check.
Too many non-profits are focused on making people aware of problems, competing with one another, and complaining about the lack of compassion that society offers. They don’t get it - which is exactly what happens.
Padding to get Published?
In the book the Master Motivator, there are several leadership concepts worth exploring. The book is in the format of a leadership fable, and follows the life of Doug, a struggling manager. As with almost all books of this genre, Doug has a mentor who shares the secrets to success. While I am a fan of this genre (and have written in this style myself), Master Motivator is a bit long on lists and short on substance. It reads a bit more like a PowerPoint presentation than a story. If you have read a few hundred leadership books, this will be a good refresher. BTW, it was originally released in 1995, and re released by Barnes and Nobel in the past year or so.
One of the most interesting parts of the book is that the story ends on page 88 of 146! The last 58 pages are lists of the author’s favorite movies, books, achievements, and resources. It is an interesting way of packaging “additional” information. Many authors have done a similar thing by connect a website to the book (How Full is Your Bucket - www.bucketbook.com), but I am not sure I like the “packaging” of this information in the book itself. Maybe it was too thin to be published without it!
Lets make lots of money!
Continuing in Ferrazzi’s Never Eat Alone book…
This book is primarily about networking. I don’t know about you, but networking brings several images to mind, and not all of them are positive! I imagine the guy handing out business cards as fast as he can, hoping to get a paycheck out of the deal. Or the woman working the room, making sure that everyone knows that she is there, and in a not so discrete way, letting you know she is expecting you to support her latest project.
Ferrazzi does a great job in challenging these concepts. For him, networking is about building relationships with people BEFORE they can help you, and in reality, even though they may not ever be able to help you.
I have watched a similar thing happen in the non-profit sector. Unfortunately, I am referring more to the first example than the latter. Many non-profit seek to build relationships with those who can help them. The board meets, and comes up with a list of people that can move the organization or project ahead politically, socially, or financially.
A non-profit is, by definition, created for public good. Networking should be done in a way that invests in people, not looks for investments from people. These organizations will benefit in significant ways, simply by being seen a generous (with attention) and caring. The way that people feel about a no-profit is vital to it’s ability to survive. If you only get an invitation from a friend when they need money, you are actually being treated like something other than a friend. Organizations that feel compelled to throw hugely expensive events to attract “substantial givers” and large sums of money are often prostituting themselves and their cause. A $1000 a head dinner to build a homeless shelter? Obviously, that would be crazy, but many groups don’t see the disconnect they are creating. After subtracting all the costs associated with such an event, a much more community focused (and priced) event would have been the better move.
Organizations do this because it is quick and easy. Building real relationships with a community takes time, and most board members have too many other commitments to take that time.
A new position needs to be added to those boards, and it is the Community Partnership position. The purpose will be to develop a long term approach to being in the community, meeting people where they are, and even assisting other non-profits in any way you can. The goal is to make this world a better place for everyone, not just to have your non-profit get the big donation.Can You Deliver
In a recent article on MSNBC, there is a story about a car dealer that hired a company to create and mail 50,000 “You may have won” cards to local residents. 
Somewhere, the process got messed up and EVERYONE got the winning card. They caught the problem after the first 20,000 went out. If they honored the awards, that would be 30,000 times $1000 each = 30 MILLION! Pretty expensive error.
Of course the dealer isn’t expecting to pay out - and is blaming the direct mail company. The interesting part to me is the quote by the dealer rep…” Kohn said the dealership is “making a full-faith effort” to investigate the mistake, which he said is “not how we portray ourselves or our community.” Huh??
The irony in this is that most marketing is built on the idea that if people buy your product or service that they will be happier, healthier, wealthier or in some other magical state of being. A new car really cannot deliver a better life - but isn’t that what is promised? The mailing sent out was simply a micro-view of what most marketing has become. They offer people something they really cannot deliver (better life) in the form of a product (car) or service.
The church can learn a lesson here. I have seen so many direct mail pieces that hype a sermon series that promises to help you have a better (marriage, family, financial peace, etc), but in all honesty, have very little chance of doing so. People do not really change by hearing a sermon series on what they should or should not do. True change comes from a much deeper place. It comes from real conviction and often, pain.
We need to be sure that we are not offering a “scratch to win” answer to people’s issues.
