5 Things Church Workers Should Never Say

1. “That’s Not My Responsibility”This comment may cause team members to feel as though they’ve covered themselves, but the guest doesn’t care who is responsible. The guest merely wants the question answered or the request filled. The risk of dropping the ball increases each time a request, question or need is passed on to another person.

2. “I Don’t Know.”If a team member doesn’t have an answer, he or she must be resourceful enough to find it. It’s OK not to know an answer; it’s not OK to leave it there. The team member must take the initiative to find the answer. “I don’t know” must always be followed up with “but I’ll find out.”

3. “No.”Yeah, but sometimes the answer is “no.” Why would we not say “no” if the answer to a question is “no”? Simply because, when you’re the guest, you expect the answer to be “yes.” You want to be satisfied. When you hear “no” without an alternative or an explanation, you’re unsatisfied.

4. “They,” “Them,” and “You Guys” Everyone wants to appear competent. When we don’t have the answers or the rule is difficult to explain, the temptation to blame someone else is tremendous. It can be difficult for people to recognize this temptation in themselves. But when the team member says, “They said” or “It’s up to them” or “You guys had better,” he or she is communicating a lack of ownership. When guests overhear this language or pick up on this attitude, they doubt the church itself.

5. “I’m Just A Volunteer.”I always ask sales associates or clerks, “How are you?” It’s amazing how many times they respond, “I’ll be doin’ much better when I can leave this place! Only two more hours to go.” Too many people are unhappy working day after day in the same, grueling job. That should
never happen in the church. Those who plug in to a ministry should do because they fully embrace its mission and vision. If they do, no one will ever hear these words from them.

by Mark Waltz

Marriage Stimulus Package

The Marriage Stimulus Package is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our families, to save marriages, and address long-neglected challenges so our church can thrive in the 21st century. This is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any other. With much at stake, the Package provides for unprecedented levels of transparency and accountability so that you will be able to know how, when, and where to connect to God and others. Be our guest at Frist Baptist Jenks March 29-May 3 for this great opportunity.

What If Starbucks Marketed Like A Church?

From Richard Reising: A few years ago, I was sitting in my local Starbucks and happened to overhear a group training session for new employees. And it was awesome! The employees were being trained on the atmosphere and experience that they were hired to create. The mission statement was given clearly through examples, so everyone could grasp it. The meeting was visionary. I was just about ready to fill out an employment application! The people holding the training had a picture of how the employees were to treat each other and the leadership, but the tone was not focused on what the workers wanted to get out of the job. Instead, the training was centered around the experience they were to provide for each other and in turn, the customers. They were taught to be relational with frequent guests and sensitive to those who might not even know what a latte is…

I hesitated posting this as I am not really sure what to think of all the parity, but it is making me think. My hope is you might have some comments on this too. Let me know your thoughts.

Live On Mission

Many people have a tendency to underestimate the power of their influence. Many Christians fail to think of the influence they have and how God can use that to draw people unto himself. In my time, I have learned that God places us in our jobs, not to draw a paycheck, but to draw people to Him through us. He places us in our community, to show the power of true community focused on serving others. He even puts us in our families to share Jesus to those in our family who do not know Him. Here is a graph that shows we should never underestimate our influence (courtesy of edstetzer.com).

11th Hour Salvation

Hughie Jones passed away March 22, 2009. He spent all but 9 days of his life refusing to talk about Jesus or hear what anyone had to say about Him. However, on March 13, 2009 all of that changed and he was washed clean by the blood of Jesus. Lying on what was to be his deathbed, after hearing the Gospel, Hughie talked to God and said, “Jesus Save Me.” Before he made that decision he listened about how Jesus loved him beyond measure and that there was nothing he could do to ever be too bad for God not to love him.

It is my opinion that he believed God loved him from the simple fact that his family loved him. Despite anything he had done, his daughter (Rachel, my mother-in-law) was constantly there for him. He knew his family loved him, which was proven by the visits made over the years, especially those made in his last days.

Another key component of Hughie being able to receive the free gift of God by calling upon the name of the Lord was his identifying with other who made decisions far worse than his. Hearing of Abraham, David, and Saul/Paul, he realized that salvation was open to all… a fact of Scripture that should bless our souls beyond belief.

In preparing for his funeral, God brought me to a portion of Scripture that demonstrates the matter of rewards is under the sovereign control of God. God is the One before whom all accounts will be settled, and he can distribute His grace whenever and to whomever he wants! Here is the passage, Matthew 20:1-16:

1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3"About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' 5So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' 7" 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' 8"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' 9"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' 13"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

The New Urkel

Here is the new Steve Urkel (from the TV series Family Matters from 1989 to 1998):

Does it Pay to Haggle?

Today there was an article on USAToday.com that talked about haggling with retailers over prices. This is something that is common is other parts of the world, but I have never even thought about doing it in a department store here in the states (outside of a car dealership). In Greece, Africa, & Mexico it was pretty easy to get 40-50% off what the stores would ask for, but what about here? Has anyone tried this at Lowes, Home Depot, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, or Sam’s? Does this actually work? Please let me know what you have done or have heard of.

The Crash of 2009

Our government is NOT good with money.

Pathetic Presidential Decision

Today our president stated that he will accept an “imperfect” spending bill. How sorry is it that he will accept imperfection. Who in their right mind would accept an imperfect surgery, home, car, or loan? We wonder why we are in this economic mess, while the leader of our country sits by idly accepting an “imperfect” $410 billion spending bill filled with earmarks he swore he would fight during his campaign. You can call it what you want, but that is pathetic.

Here is an article on the story: USAToday Link

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Myths

Justin Taylor posted a this article, and I wanted to share it.

Yuval Levin--author most recently of Imagining the Future: Science and American Democracy--shows four basic myths that the public and the media believe about embryonic stem cell research and policy:

1. Obama has restored federal policy to what it was prior to Bush’s 2001 stem cell policy announcement.

2. The Bush policy was a ban on embryonic stem cell research.

3. There are no viable scientific alternatives to the destruction of human embryos.

4. The promise of pluripotent stem cells is quite certain.
Read the whole thing.

Another article on Stemm Cell Perspective

Daylight Savings Time = Worst Day of the Year

Don't forget to adjust your clocks before you go to bed tonight! We lose an hour of sleep, peace, and quiet tomorrow. Springing forward is never a good thing, but do not forget to do it...

In the US, 2009 Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 8 at 2 AM and ends on Sunday, November 1 at 2 AM as well. Time moves ahead one hour in March while it moves back one hour in November (hence the saying "Spring forward, Fall back").

US Daylight Saving Time begins on the second Sunday of March and ends on the first Sunday of November. In many western European countries Daylight Saving Time begins on the last Sunday of March and concludes in October on the last Sunday of that month.

Note that although commonly referred to as Daylight Savings Time, there is "officially" no "s."
From WikiAnswers

Soccer Worth Watching?!?

As crazy as it sounds, this kid makes soccer worth watching. His name is Madin Mohamed, a 6 Year Old New Zidane. From a person who cannot stand soccer, I would go watch this kid play.

25 Random Things About Me

1. I don't really sleep well (which is why I'm doing this now), especially when I'm not with Christy.

2. I am a violent sneezer! When I sneeze it's loud and out of control... It's the worst.

3. I remember exactly when I met Christy: July 28, 4:58 PM, 2002. She was in the passenger seat of Amy's Lexus wearing a yellow hat... I also knew we would get married after our second date, which freaked me and Fredo out… his response was shock when I walked in the door and told him after that date.

4. I am obsessive compulsive, about most everything from tidiness to working out, and wish/pray I'd be that way about my dissertation!

5. I cannot stand peanut butter or hot dogs. Peanuts give me headaches and make me nauseous, hot dogs are just disgusting. Ironically, I will eat corn dogs.

6. Chloe and Coleman make me smile even when I don't feel like it.

7. I'm more competitive than you.

8. I don't really know when to say when... so be careful when messing with me, you'll probably regret it!

9. I'm a Dallas Cowboy, OU Sooner, Dallas Maverick, Chicago Cub & Texas Ranger, and Dallas Stars fan in that order.

10. If someone offered me 1 million dollars or to pay off my mortgage, I'd accept with gratitude and without hesitation.

11. Mission work thrills me, but it's never been easy. On missions trips I've broken my hand, been poisoned (food and medicinally), had 2 horrible ankle sprains, almost got bitten by a "2 step killer" snake, got malaria, was arrested, and spat upon... and every time I tell the stories people sign-up to go too!

12. Being a parent is the hardest and most rewarding task I've ever done... that dissertation is the next hardest thing, but no reward yet.

13. Right now my soda of choice is Diet Pepsi... I like Dr. Pepper (with Strawberries) better, but am trying to be healthier... doubt it will last!

14. I overanalyze and read too much into most everything, at least I think I do...

15. I crack myself up, and others too... If they have a good sense of humor.

16. Ideas and execution I enjoy, details not so much.

17. To relax, sometimes I will simply put on a hat.

18. Although I want to be (and have improved a bit), I'm not much of a handy-man. With that being said I replaced part of my fence and window trim, so I must be getting better... Brent, could you come over and fix my window thing?

19. If I ever write a book, I will publish it under the name Cole Coleman... Thank you Zig.

20. I have 9 accountability partners and meet with them all at least once every two weeks.

21. I get migraines all the time. Probably 2 times a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. When diagnosed by my specialist he told me, "You have chronic migraines." I paid money for that bit of helpful insight!!!

22. Instead of bad words, I like to say Jiminy Cricket or John Brown when fired up.

23. I recently wore out the keyboard on my laptop and have to replace it. While it's obviously good I don't have to purchase a new computer, I'm not sure it's good I type that much.

24. "I would rather cut my leg off and beat myself to death with it," is my favorite thing to say when I don't want to do something. Compliments to Pendergrast for the saying.

25. When in public, I have a tendency to think I know people, I don’t really know. For instance, a few months ago while visiting my in-laws in Texas I went up to an old college friend and started a conversation… the problem is that she had no clue who I was.