Two Cool Solutions

(This blog was written by my wonderful wife, Jennifer, and I asked if I could post it under her byline. These two products, DropBox and CrashPlan, are cool apps for church IT. Check them out)

I'm no expert on IT issues, but I've done some independent research lately on electronic file backup and storage options for homes and small businesses. It seems to me that these solutions might also be helpful to churches. There are a number of options out there, and many bloggers and tech review sites offer opinions/reviews. When I research things online, I prefer to consider a combination of review types because I like to look for consistencies among them. Bloggers tend to be individuals who offer advice based on personal experience; tech sites usually offer composite reviews either from other users' experiences or from their own tests. I'm careful not to pay attention to those sites that are sponsored by software companies or related online services, as they likely present biased opinions depending upon their sponsors.


That said, I've discovered there are two really amazing online services offering extremely affordable solutions for storage and file sharing (I say they're amazing because to some degree they are free, and they offer a lot of helpful features even at no cost to the user). The two I find most interesting and promising are Dropbox and CrashPlan. At first, I thought I'd want to choose between one or the other; what I discovered, though, is that they are two different animals.

This isn't a tech blog, so I won't list specific plans and options. You can check those out by doing an online search of your own (try entering "CrashPlan vs. Dropbox" or some similar text, and you'll find all that). Dropbox is a free, online service that allows you to store up to 2GB of files in their cloud (you can purchase more space if you need it) and access those files from any of your devices--and it syncs them automatically in real time. You can also share folders with other Dropbox users--a huge plus for people working on a project together. I use Dropbox on my iPad, iPhone, iMac, and PC laptop. There's an Android app for it too, and all their software and apps are free. Because I work both from home and an office, I am able to keep folders with all my work files in Dropbox and work on them no matter where I am, and they sync automatically to all my devices. I use Word and Excel files almost exclusively, though I do put some some photo files there, and after about a year I'm still using only 3% of my available free space. If you use multiple devices for your work and haven't tried Dropbox, you simply must take a look at it. It also allows you to access your files using your password via their website, and you can do that from any computer when you're online at any location.

CrashPlan is an efficient and inexpensive way to back up all the files on your computer. They offer a free plan that allows you to back up from one computer to another (if you want to back up, say, from your home to your office computer), but if you want to use their online (off-site) storage cloud, you have to subscribe. Their top plan for users who have up to 10 computers--with unlimited file storage--is only $72 per year. You can set the backups to occur as often as you want (they recommend nightly, but you can do it more often if you choose). CrashPlan is more secure than Dropbox, as everything is encrypted.

Many reviewers recommend using both of these services together. The one caution is about Dropbox and its security; if you are dealing with highly sensitive, confidential information, you probably won't want those files on Dropbox. Even though they are accessible only to your devices on which you've loaded the software, anyone who uses your devices can access them. I plan to check out CrashPlan's free trial soon and potentially use it to back up all my computers. With these great options available, I seriously wonder about the need for organizations to maintain local servers and whether we'll see a change in that practice in the future. But as I said, I'm not an IT expert. I just enjoy finding and using new options in technology that make my work more efficient, secure, and simple.
 
Lead On!
Steve

Outrageous Generosity

Generosity is one of my favorite words because it so describes God's nature. Actually, outrageous generosity is a much better descriptor. Think about - humans have offended and humiliated God in every possible way yet his response is pure love. What's up with that? It's a good thing humans are created in God's image because if God had a human image, then God would react in a vengeful way and who could blame him after they way humans have treated him?

So, let me encourage you to think about God's Outrageous Generosity. Actually, do more than think about it. I challenge you to do a sermon (or sermon series) on this topic. And the best time to start with it is Easter Sunday 2012. Take the month of April and preach on this subject and challenge your listeners to "be imitators of God," the person in whose image they were created.

Humans are born with two life-sustaining instincts (something that every human baby does): grasping (taking hold) and sucking (taking in). God's instinct is to give everything away (read the Bible, you'll see that pretty soon). The greatest example of how God personified Outrageous Generosity was on Good Friday on a cross - Jesus opened his hands for the spikes and his arms for the cross and died for all humanity. That's OUTRAGEOUS!

Now, how can you be generous, even outrageously generous?

• In your personal life
• Be generous by spending more time with your kids helping with their homework
• Be generous with the time you give your spouse; go on a date once a month and a weekend away at least once a year
• Be generous with other generations: call your parents or kids in college at least once a week
• Be generous with yourself: take your family on a memorable vacation - you need to get away from work and be with the ones who love you and whom you love
• Be generous in creating memories. Every present you give on Christmas morning will end up in a landfill but the memories you give them will last a lifetime!
• In your professional life
• Be generous with the credit at work: give someone else credit for a job even though you did 90% of the work
• Be generous with someone else's career: let someone else get a promotion
• Be generous with your words of praise: encourage someone talented to start their own business or go for a new career
• In your pocketbook
• Be generous in how you give, not just how much. Think long and hard about the recipients and even do some homework by calling, visiting, and even studying the financial records of the organizations who get your money
• Be generous with why you give. In the US we get a tax break for our gifts but that shouldn't be the reason for giving. While giving benefits other people, giving actually benefits you far more because it makes you wrestle personally with the amount and recipient of your hard-earned cash. Get the right motivation for giving and a tax-break (more money for you) is not a good enough reason.
• Be generous with when you give. Yes, you can wait till you die and leave everything in your will. That's kind of like saving all the Christmas presents and giving them away in your will. Isn't the greatest gift of Christmas morning seeing the joy in others when they open a gift from you. Give NOW so that you can see the joy that others experience.
• Be generous with how much you give. Believe me, you won't miss it.
• In your faith 
• Be generous with the knowledge that every person is searching for God. Humans by nature seek God (we've never found chimpanzees worshiping or creating any type of religious icon!) - that makes us unique among all animal (every single human culture on earth has some form of faith).
• Be generous in your own search. Most people inherit a faith from their parents. I believe a faith that isn't questioned isn't a faith worth having. Ask hard questions even if it means wondering about the foundations of your faith. And when you have solid answers, hold on to that faith
• Be generous in asking others about their own faith. It's a tough conversation but if you care about someone, it's a necessary one. Everyone is seeking something; encourage that search.
• Be generous with God. You may have questions about God and you may not like him at all for a bunch of reasons. But God can say the same thing about you and yet he loves being with you. Why not give God a chance and spend some time together?

Lead On!

Steve

Jesus, I've Got Your Ass

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” (Matthew 21:1-3)

At some point, Jesus slipped away from his followers and found a man with a donkey and a new colt. Jesus told the man that at some point a couple of his followers would be coming around asking to borrow the donkey. Evidently the man had some type of relationship with Jesus (of which we know nothing except by implication) but it was strong enough for Jesus to borrow something of value. And when asked, the man must have said, "Jesus, I've got your ass." Jesus thanked him and returned to his disciples.

Every leader has followers by definition. One of the great problems of leadership is that sometimes its hard to know if people are following you or chasing you. Leaders have lots of arrows thrown at them. Usually those darts are tossed by enemies or people who are not adherents to the leaders' cause. Ocassionally the barbs are by well-meaning followers who help the leader manage his blindside (because every person, including great leaders, have areas of their personal and professional lives that they just can't see). But a few times the leader is shot by followers who react to something he (or she) has done or said.

It into those slings and arrows that a few trusted people must be willing to insert themselves. These are key people that the leader has invested in over the course of months or years. These are people who have had some personal time with the leader and who the leader is grooming for their own positions of leadership. These are people who are present or future leaders - they know that they, too, will suffer attacks from friends and foes. But for now, they are willing to absorb some of the blows thrown at a leader and explain to the dart-throwers why the leader is doing what he is because they understand the bigger picture. These are people who can say to the leader, "I've got your back."

Jesus spent some time with a guy who would play a critical role just a few days before the crucifixion. It may be that the man had waited for months or years for his time; we don't know and it doesn't matter. We do know that he stepped forward when asked. Are you grooming new generation leaders? Are you teaching them the perils of leadership? Are you helping them to explain to others about leadership decisions that come from big visions? Are you helping them to know that at some point, they need to say to you and mean it, "Lead on and don't worry about your back because, I've got your ass."

Lead On!
Steve

New Year's Letter

I've got a job for the leader of your faith community: write a letter to your congregation about your dreams for 2012. Technically it is not a "New Year's Resolution" letter but it is a letter about your hopes and vision for the church for the new year. Call it a "New Year Vision Letter."

What should be in this letter? Well, it should be no more than one page - please don't get long-winded or else people will stop reading after about two paragraphs (if you're lucky). Use a 12 point font to make the letter easier to read - don't cheat by using 8 point font to cram in more words! Make the letter no more than five paragraphs long using the following template:

1. Intro Paragraph - Write about 2011 and where the congregation has come in the past 12 months and even the years before then. Be brief, be very brief in this synopsis - this is NOT the purpose of your letter; this is just a starting point so that everyone is on the same page.
2. Next Two or Three Paragraphs - give three concrete (lots of details) ideas of what you want to accomplish in 2012. Flesh out each idea in one paragraph with financial costs, numbers of volunteers needed, dates by which the goals need to be met, and the promise of a party when each goal is reached. (I believe the church doesn't party enough - we need to celebrate accomplishments more often but that requires knowing where the finish line is in each goal.)
3. Final Paragraph - a prayer of blessing on each reader and an acknowledgement of the generosity by the family of faith which has permitted the church to do all is has done so far. Being sincerely thankful is very important.

This letter should go out to every person in the church because it will help set the tone for the church in 2012. A good way to send out the letter is to include it in the 2011 statement of contributions which every church mails out to every member (at least to every donor) of the church. Every person will open that letter because they want to see how much they can write off on their taxes - when a letter from the pastor falls out, they'll read that, too. Who knows, your letter may spark some dialogue with people - it can certainly be a conversation starter with your leadership. I know they want to know what your dreams are and how they can participate in making them happen - to benefit the church and the Kingdom.

Lead On!
Steve

Leadership and Followship

Recently I came across a couple of really good articles on leadership:

• Leadership in Church:
• http://www.healthychurch.org/doorpost/enews-december-2011
• Oh, those are sticky wickets to address but every single one of them is a potential minefield for both the church and its leaders. And, minefields don't go away. A study of minefields (the ones used in wars) show that mines become more unstable over time and the least little pebble can set them off. This is also true of church life - any event can set off a long-dormant mine. Dig up the mines (carefully); confront the elephants in the church (carefully) - they won't go away on their own but need to be led/taken gently out of harm's way.
• Leadership in Sports:
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/in-sports-theres-no-faking-leadership/2011/11/30/gIQAnoksGO_story.html
• Actually, the "cover story" is about sports but the article cites some research on what followers want: "According to Hogan’s research, followers want four things: integrity, confidence, decision-making and clarity. But just as important is what followers don’t want: irritability, moodiness, untrustworthiness, indec­i­sive­­­ness, needless micro-management and excessive authority. They perceive these things as incompetent, and pretty soon the leveling mechanism kicks in and there is a subtle rebellion." Those are very powerful words for leaders to remember - all the time.

I also saw a short (less than one minute video) with the former CEO of Xerox. She turned the company around from death's door to being financially successful. When asked about leadership, her answer was that leadership was dependent on followship - how those who actually do all the work see you and follow you.

Years ago I heard that one of the problems of leadership is that sometimes people are following you and sometimes they are chasing you. Obviously, followers are much better than chasers but sometimes you need both to keep you on your toes.

Don't run away from the chasers, turn and ask them point-blank (in a nice way) what they want to follow. You may be surprised by how reasonable their answers are. And you will certainly take the wind out of their angry sails. Make the chasers your followers; make the followers your disciples; make your disciples your new leaders; make the new leaders your successors.


Lead On!
Steve

Funnies - December 2011

More stories from church life

• Weddings!
• One January a mom called the church office to reserve the Sanctuary for her daughter's wedding. The mother of the bride (MOTB) asked for a date in June, 18 months from when she called! When the office assistant congratulated the mom on the daughter's engagement, mom said that the daughter wasn't engaged yet but she was sure it would happen soon and she wanted to get the date she wanted reserved on the church calendar. It was an interesting wedding!
• The most beautiful wedding I've ever heard of was when Miss Alabama got married several years ago. You see, Miss Alabama's bridesmaids were friends she'd met in various competitions. So, preceding Miss Alabama down the aisle were Miss Georgia, Miss South Carolina, Miss Mississppi, and a couple of other beauty queens. As I said, it was a beautiful wedding!
• The minister's wife left her purse under her pew in church one Sunday. She asked her husband to go back to the church and get it for her. When the minister walked into the Sanctuary, he didn't turn on the lights because he would only be there for less than a minute. He went to where his wife usually sat and reached under the pew for the pocketbook. He grabbed some fabric and heard a yell from a man, the church's custodian. That's when the minister realized that the custodian was sleeping in the Sanctuary on the floor after worship. The wife got her purse and the custodian found another job!
• Construction began on a new building for the church but first they had to demolish the existing structure. The wrecking ball knocked down walls and the excavator loaded up all the debris into dump trucks. But everything stopped when the wrecking ball swung too far and knocked down part of the mechanic's shop next door. Fortunately the church's insurance covered the bill for a brand new building. This was also unfortunate because the church had future plans to purchase the dilapidated mechanic's shop but now couldn't afford the price of the shop!

Lead On!
Steve

IRS Tax-Exempt Ruling Letter

Whether or not a church should obtain its own 501(c)(3)ruling letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is a question with some confusion. It is a simple question with a multi-layered answer so here is my take on this issue.

1.      The IRS considers, by definition, all churches to be exempt from federal income taxes. Thus, just because you are a church, the IRS will not tax the organization for income tax purposes.

AND,

2.      Most churches that belong to denominational bodies fall under an umbrella that covers all churches in the regional, state or national organization. For instance, the local Episcopal diocese has a letter with the IRS which covers all churches in the Richmond diocese. That way, churches do not have to obtain their own ruling letter from the IRS.

HOWEVER

3.      Times are changing and church finances are getting more complicated every day. In 2008, some churches have intentionally sought to violate the IRS requirement that churches not endorse a political candidate. In 2004, the IRS revoked the non-profit status of 56 churches (albeit temporarily while there was an investigation).

THEREFORE

4.      Because some churches are getting involved in national politics, I am of the opinion that each church should control its own destiny as regards the IRS. I would hate for an umbrella letter (covering hundreds of churches) to be revoked because a few churches in that group decided to flaunt the IRS. My worst case scenario would be that the IRS would revoke the tax-exempt status of the entire umbrella while there is an investigation. In the end everything will work out fine, but in the meantime there can be some heartache because of the actions of other churches. So, my recommendation is that each church obtain its own ruling letter from the IRS. Yes, it is a pain to fill out the forms, get things approved, write a check for a few hundred dollars, and wait on the IRS for a few months, but think about the headache and hassle it could save the church later. Again, I feel it is important to control your own destiny and not potentially suffer because of the actions of other churches.

I hope that helps you and the decision by your church. I’ll be happy to talk with anyone about this. In January I’m going to launch a new career of consulting with churches in the area of finances; if I can help you and your church, please contact me.

Lead On!
Steve

Advice for Young Leaders

A good friend of mine recently became the CEO of a non-profit he's worked at for several years. He asked me for advice on what he should do in his first few days and months. This is what I suggested to him and to anyone who finds themselves in the lonely position at the top of an organization.

·        MBWA – management by walking around

o   This is the single greatest act management can ever do – get out on the floor where things are happening. Don’t hide in your office. Wander around, have coffee, do idle chit chat, talk about football games, be visible and approachable. “The Boss” is scary enough – decrease the fear factor.

o   MBWA is absolutely critical and huge. You get to see how clean (or not) the building is, who is in the office, who isn’t in the office (because of vacation or sick), what offices look like, what the grounds look like, what the morale is like, etc. MBWA  is a great way to get feedback in a non-threatening manner.

o   Administrative assistants will make or break a leader. Keep them informed and find out what’s going on from them. Work the grapevine – make it your friend and put stuff on the grapevine as you need to. When it comes to office equipment, let the administrative assistants be the ones that make the decision about which copier to get (within budget boundaries), etc. Empower them – they are the ones that are going to use it more than anyone else.

·        Find a mentor/coach

o   The leader needs someone to vent to, to seek guidance and wisdom from, and to bounce ideas off of before sharing the ideas with those whom the leader is leading. Find someone you trust and meet with him/her regularly (should be a person of the same gender).

o   This should be one person – some form of sage and whose input does not need to be publicly acknowledged (that person is not in it for the credit).

·        Ask for staff input

o   Within the first 90 days, meet with each person and find out what is one thing they wish would happen or that they need to do their job. Then see if you can make that happen within the next 90-180 days. It shows the leader is listening, cares, and is willing to make things happen if it is within his power (and budget).

o   Meet weekly with the executive staff. Meet monthly with each level of staff, including having a monthly meeting with the secretarial/support staff. Listen to your staff and remind them at least monthly of the big picture vision and strategy for achieving that vision.

o   Always let your staff know what you expect from them and how they’re doing (“One Minute Manager” stuff). When the annual personnel evaluation comes along, you will have met so often with your staff that they will know exactly where they stand with you, so the eval should take about 15-20 minutes (enough time to fill out the paperwork and have a prayer).

o   Consult regularly with your staff and ask them sincerely for insight/input and then act on it. Ask your staff for ideas on how to reach the vision (tactical moves to achieve the strategic goals) - they'll appreciate being heard. Don't kill ideas before they're hatched - let some ideas develop more fully before you either kill them or invest substantial resources in them.

o   If someone gives a great idea that is implemented, give credit to that person, publicly. It’s a great morale booster and costs you nothing, but you gain lots of capital.

·        Read together

o   Get some GREAT books on business leadership and read them together. Personally I prefer business leadership over “Christian leadership” books – I find them more practical and less preachy.

o   Suggestions: “Me, myself and Bob” by Phil Vischer (of Veggie Tales – this is one of the absolute best business books I’ve ever read and funny as heck, too), “In Search of Excellence” by Tom Peters (or other Tom Peters’ books), “The Best Question Ever” by Andy Stanley (Visioneering is also very good but TBQE is one of the best books I’ve ever, ever read). Andy Stanley likes “The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael Gerber and used it to guide his church to what it is today.

o   Discuss the books, learn from the books, critique them, implement what they say, move on to the next book.

o   Go through 2-3 books a year on leadership.

·        Have fun

o   Each quarter (or more often) have the staff do something fun, not professional. You’ll learn more about each other outside the office than sitting in your workplace.

o   For instance: bowling, painting pottery, ropes course, canoeing, ballgame, go to a movie, etc. This is not sitting in a restaurant but doing something together – essentially, making memories from an experience together.

o   Divide the staff and ask them (not your executive assistant) to plan the day and give them a budget (maybe $250 each quarter) for them to plan something fun in an afternoon (or even a whole day). This will help the staff to keep things light when life/work gets very tense.

o   I can’t stress enough how important it is for the staff to get out of the office and do things together and even have events when the staff families are invited to join in.

·        Know the numbers

o   Keep up with all of your financial data. Each month ask the CFO to meet with you (and the treasurer of the board) to review the past month’s financials and to forecast future expenses and revenues. Ask your CFO what numbers are of my interest to others (the ones he/she cites) and be able to repeat those key numbers to outsiders with ease (and understand what you’re saying).

o   Bring your CFO to key meetings and get him to speak to the finer points (the geek-speak detail).

o   Hire me as your financial consultant/coach or your CFO (just checking to see if you’re reading this).

·        Cultivate your top 25 donors

o   Learn who they are.

o   Meet one for coffee each week or every other week (make it a regular part of your schedule to meet with a top donor).

o   In your meetings, share with them your vision for the future of the organization. Ask them for input and insight – they’ll be honored to give it and appreciate your asking.

o   Don’t ask them for money – that’s what they’re expecting. After a few meetings, they’ll ask you how they can help – if they’ve truly bought into the vision. Be able to cite financial figures – they’ll be impressed.

o   Never be afraid to talk money with the wealthy – they’re over it. Non-wealthy types like us are the ones with a problem in talking about money. See “Robbing the Rich” in my blog. The wealthy want to give money away – give them a compelling reason to give it to you – one that they’ll tell others about and feel good about.

Lead On!

Steve

Funnies

I'm totally convinced that a sitcom could be made about church life. And the kicker is that all the storylines would be based on actual stories submitted by church members and church staff. The problem is that most people would never believe these actually happened. Here are a few examples:

• Follow that Pastor
• A pastor performed a funeral. Afterwards, everyone proceeded to their cars to go to the cemetery. As is the custom, the hearse and all the mourners followed the lead car, the pastor's car. The pastor led the way and then completely forgot what he was doing and led the entourage into the parking lot at Wal-Mart. When he got out of his car, he realized he was leading the pack to the wrong destination.
• Parking Problems
• A minister parked his stick-shift car in the parking lot which had a slight incline to it. At some point the car slipped out of gear, and a few minutes later a staff person glanced outside and noticed three ladies by the minister's car. They were yelling for help as together they put all their strength in trying to keep the car from rolling down the parking lot into other cars. 
• Bulletin of Evidence
• A woman came to the church office asking for a copy of the bulletin for the previous Sunday, the Sunday after Easter. The church's custom was to print the names of all guests who attended the previous Sunday. She wanted the bulletin because it listed not only her husband's name but also that of his girlfriend. The wife had wanted to attend Easter with her husband, but he had preferred to attend with his girlfriend. The wife wanted the bulletin to use in divorce court!
• Hijacked Website
• A well-meaning member purchased a website domain name for her church. She not only created the website but also made email addresses for the staff to use. This volunteer ran the whole operation out of her house because the church didn't have the financial or personnel resources to run the website. After a few years, the church decided to take on the website. When a staff member went to the woman's house to talk about transferring the site, the woman very proudly showed the staff member not only the website but how she, a volunteer church member, was monitoring all the emails that the staff was sending and receiving. Oh MY!
• We Have Liftoff
• The spring-loaded candle on the candelabra was stuck, but the groom worked hard to loosen it so he could join his bride in lighting the unity candle. The bride was growing impatient as she held her candle. The groom's father stepped up and handed him the candle the father had used to light the groom's candle (and which the father had taken to his seat). The bride and groom then lit the unity candle, she put her candle back in its place, the groom placed his extra candle on the floor, and they began walking back to the altar. It launched. Very high. The spring-loaded groom's candle finally loosened, and the innards of the candle launched. Every eye watched it soar, and everyone heard it clang on the stone floor. The MOTB (mother of the bride) was aghast. The soloists stopped singing because they were laughing so hard. The minister couldn't gain his composure and guffawed four times before he was able to pronounce them "husband and wife."
• Babies!
• A baby was brought forward by his parents for christening during a hymn. When the minister uncovered the small baptismal font, he discovered it was dry as a bone. It had not been filled by the volunteer in charge of that. The minister motioned to the music minister to keep singing, and the minister disappeared. A couple of minutes later he came back carrying a pitcher of water from the church kitchen and poured it in the font. The baby was christened with no further delays.

I'd love to hear your stories. I'll put more on here, too. Who knows, maybe we can get someone in Hollywood to produce "Steeple Chase."


Lead On!
Steve

Church Violence Website

I found a website that deals exclusively with church violence, Church Crime History. I do not know this person so I'm not endorsing it but he has a lot of information and statistics. I believe that his purpose (and mine, frankly) is to make people aware that churches can have violence. Information is always good - information can be used to help members be more aware of what is happening in other churches. Share this resource with whomever you feel it would help to know about this.

Let me encourage church leadership to take some pro-active steps for safety and security. The depth of those actions is dependent on the church's budget and the perceived potential danger to the church and its people. Some actions won't cost the church a dime (such as setting up a Safety Officer Team) while others are much more expensive (such as security cameras). It is true that many of the items listed in Church Crime History could never be prevented - no argument there - but some precautions are always a good step in the right direction.


Lead On!
Steve