• Appreciate them for who they are, not just what they do.
• Celebrate and honor their accomplishments.  Even the small things.
• Encourage them regularly.
• Model the values you expect them to exhibit.

• Repeat the mission of the organization often so they know it well.
• Develop a relationship with them and know about their life outside work.
• Help them identify and develop their strengths.
• Train and equip them for the current job while also helping them grow into larger more challenging roles.
• Address issues and shortcomings with them as they happen.  Don’t ignore needed areas of growth.
• Ask for, listen to, and value their opinion.
• Empower them to do their job and release them to do it.
• Pray for them.

How else do you encourage those that work and volunteer for you?

• File Storage – Store everything in Dropbox.  It is our backup software.  We can get your stuff back if your computer crashes. Do not keep stuff on your computer hard drive, desktop, or anywhere other than Dropbox.
• Passwords – Use a secure password management system. Even a secure digital note is better than a sticky note on your desk.  Our recommended password app is 1Password.  Further, use different passwords for all your accounts, so if one is compromised, they are not all compromised.  Change your passwords often.  Use two-factor authentication when available.
• Accounts – You should be the only one that knows your passwords and has access to your accounts.  If you have a spouse or kids, they cannot know the password to your work account (the computer, your email, church database, etc.).

• Home Computers & Devices – If you have home computers with any type of church data on them, you cannot have a shared login account with family members.  You are required to have separate accounts set up on the computer and your account on the computer must be password protected.  It can be tricky, but this really applies to access your iPad, iPhone, etc… as well, if they have church files on them.
• Autolocking All your devices – computer, phone, tablets, etc. – must be set to auto-lock after 5 minutes max.  Again, this also applies to home computers with church data on them.  Never leave your computer unattended.
• Virus & Malware Protection – You should have up-to-date virus and malware protection on your computer.  This applies to Mac products too.  The church provides protection for your work computer through BitDefender.  If you do not have protection on your home computer you are responsible for purchasing adequate protection or removing any work files/accounts/programs immediately from the computer.
• Updates – You should make sure your computer and all devices are up-to-date with all the latest patches and upgrades. This applies to both the operating system and applications. 
• Use a Firewall – This is a feature in the operating system that makes things safer. You can easily turn this on for both Windows and Mac.
• Use Reliable Browsers – Chrome, Firefox and Safari.  If you are using a browser other than these three you must receive permission.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) – Use a VPN, especially when off the church and your home network. Our recommended VPN is NordVPN.
• Enable File Extensions – Enable file extensions so you can see the entire filename.  Many viruses come with two extensions such as picture.jpg.ex, so be looking out.
• Other Simple Things: Do not open files from people you do not know. Ignore emails that say you won a contest. Watch out for online and phone scams (Microsoft or Apple will not ask you to call them, neither will the IRS or your bank). Ignore pop-ups, especially inside web browsers, that state your computer has a problem. When installing software, watch for bundled software that installs several programs. Don’t click on things you are unsure about.
• Finally, remember you have an ethical and legal responsibility to keep church data, especially people’s personal information, safe.

1. Listen Deeply – Truly listen to people.  Don’t think about what you are going to say while others are talking, rather use that time to listen. Ask follow-up questions so you are sure you understand their point of view.
2. Consider Their Opinion – Step into their shoes.  Or, better yet, put on their shoes and walk a mile.   Look at things from their perspective.  Include people in meetings and discussions. Ask them what they think.   Take and use their ideas.   We are all better when we work together.
3. Don’t Marginalize – Treat people the same no matter their age, race, country of origin, gender, size, personality.  Treating people differently constitutes harassment. 
4. Speak Slowly – Take time to process your thoughts and do not respond in anger.  Encourage people to express their ideas and give them the space to do so.  Never butt in or cut people off.
5. But Do Speak – Don’y bury frustrations or just “let things go.  We don’t get better unless we work things through.
6. Communicate Respect – Verbally and non-verbally.  Be aware of your words and tone of voice, but also be aware of your body language.  You say far more non-verbally than you probably realize.
7. Prefer One Another – Remember your job description reads that, You are one member of a team, your ministry & position is just one of dozens.  Set an example of what it means to prefer one another and make room for the ministry and opinions of others.
8. Don’t Bully – Never insult people, call them names or put their ideas down.  Don’t belittle, judge, or demean.  Enough of this over time is bullying.  Always treat people with courtesy, politeness and kindness.
9. Communicate Well – Think through what you are going to say before you say it. Communicate clearly.  Communicate in advance. Communicate often.  Respond to everyone in a timely manner.
10. Be Positive – Praise more frequently than you criticize.  Smile.  Say thank you.  Remember, again, what your job description says, Never forget the importance and the impact of an attitude, be it positive or negative.  May God help us to always be positive and faith-filled.
11. Admit Mistakes – Apologize.  We all have bad moments, and we need to apologize when we do.  You look, and are, immature if you can’t admit you made a mistake or were wrong.
12. Follow the Golden Rule – Treat others as you would want to be treated.  Go the extra mile.  Show the love of Christ in every interaction you have with everyone you cross paths with.
13. Understand the Consequences – Again, we all have bad days, but demonstrating an inability to do the above on a regular basis will not go well for you.  On the light end it will affect your annual performance reviews, on the heavy side of things it will lead to you being asked to leave the team.  In some cases, like harassment, it can even have legal implications for you.  On the flip side, however, good loving communication well result in positive team and church environment for us all.   

Have a Compelling Purpose.  If you are just meeting to meet people will simply not make your gathering/group/team a priority.  Most people have lots of things going on in their lives and they make decisions on what they are going to do based on what they perceive has the most value for them.  If you want a great team, with people who are actively engaged, then make sure they understand why you exist.  What is your teamâ€s compelling purpose

Give Away Leadership. Great teams invite people to step up and lead.  They assist, train and coach, but ultimately, they empower and trust their team to get the job done.  If you want a great team, share the vision, provide the tools and then get out of the way and let people lead. In what way(s) do you give away leadership to those on your team?

Provide Structure without Red Tape.  Great teams have structure and accountability.  Itâ€s the structure that allows things to get done in an orderly way. However, great teams know that too much structure slows things down and becomes burdensome.   If you want a great team, provide policies and procedures but not red tape. How does your leadership provide needed structure?

Be Okay with a Little Chaos.  Great teams are full of passionate people, and passionate people jump right in without being asked, which sometimes leads to a little chaos.  Great teams are okay with that chaos, as it is certainly better than a bunch people needing to be forced to get off their backside to do the job.  If you want a great team be okay with people showing initiative even when it means things get a little messy.  How do you feel about a little chaos/mess?

Be Okay with Differences.  Great teams believe that diversity is strength.  They realize that when they face a difficult problem, often the best solution comes from thinking creatively, outside the box, and from merging various ideas together.  The know that the collective wisdom of everyone is greater than the wisdom of any one person.  If you want a great team, get everyone to bring their distinct background and perspective to the table. How often do you rely on the differences of various people on your team? 

Do Not Tolerate Non-Growth.  Whether formally through conferences and seminars or informally through on-the-job training and conversations, great teams provide their team members opportunities to grow.  In fact, great teams do not tolerate team members not growing.  They realize that who they are today will likely not be enough for them to face the challenges they will encounter tomorrow, so they are obsessed with personal and team growth.  If you want a great team, provide training and enrichment opportunities for everyone and donâ€t tolerate non-growing team members. How do you provide opportunities for personal and team growth?

Strengthen Relationships.  Great teams donâ€t always perfectly get along, but they have strong relationships.  The face challenges, work through problems, and celebrate achievements together.  They forge bonds over time.  They have each otherâ€s backs.   If you want a great team, make sure to focus on people forging great relationships. What are some ways you focus on strengthening relationships?

Get Results.  People want to be a part of something that is moving forward.  The results donâ€t necessarily need to be out of this world great, but people donâ€t want to be on a sinking ship.  Great teams donâ€t just have a vision, but they are also constantly talking about how that vision is being carried out.  If you want a great team, make sure you are regularly demonstrating how the team is winning. How have you shared your teams†victories recently?

(Adapted from Extraordinary Groups: How Ordinary Teams Achieve Amazing Results by Geoffrey M. Bellman)

Determined to shed some weight and get in better shape, I started running.  Well, my first attempt was probably more like a fifty-yard shuffle than it was a run.  I am pretty sure I made it about one block and about passed out.  I was out of breath.  My sides were on fire.  I just turned around and walked home, defeated.

Despite my first attempt at getting some exercise ending in failure, I did manage to muster the willpower to get back out there again.  This time I didn’t run 50 yards, I maybe made it all of a 100.  Eventually, I went out again, and then again, and then again.  Each time I went out I added a little distance.  I can still remember the first time I went a whole mile without stopping.  I can remember the night I made it a whole 5k, or 3.1 miles, without walking.  I can remember finishing my first official 10k with my wife, and half marathon with a good friend.

Along the way from only being able to run a few feet to over 13 miles, I learned a few lessons about running and about life….

To Go Faster Sometimes You Have to Go Slower – I plateaued.  I had been running for over a year, and my times had honestly just stopped improving.  In a moment of frustration, I remember stopping in the middle of a six-mile run because I could tell I was already behind where I wanted to be.  I stopped, walked for a bit, grumbled about my poor performance, and eventually started running again as it would take too long to walk all the way back.  With about a mile to go, I realized that I had made up some time and was actually doing quite well.  I gave it a little extra push and ended up setting a personal best.

I am not a doctor, nor professional running coach, but my take is that stopping to walk reduces your heart and breathing rate, allows you to calm down, reset, and in a way, start over fresh.  When I stop to walk, often when I start running again, I have refreshed energy and am running with better form and pace.

Sometimes to go faster in life you just have to slow down.  In everyday life, this may mean you simply need to take the time to go clean off your desk and get organized, before you are going to be able to move forward and do your best.  This may mean you need to take a day, or a weekend, and go figure out what your true priorities and goals are.  It may mean you need to slow down and spend some time praying.  If we run frantically throughout all of life, we end up running ourselves into the ground.

In fact, taking time to recharge and refocus is a big reason God established a day of Sabbath.  It’s wise to remember Exodus 20:8, which says “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.”

To Go Faster Sometimes You Have to Go Faster – Again, I am not a running coach, but I don’t believe your body can get used to running a 7 or 8-minute mile by only practicing running 9-minute miles.  Likewise, you can never build up to running 13 miles if you only do 2 or 3-mile runs.  To go faster, or further, sometimes you just have to run faster and further.

This applies to any goal you have.  Want to get better grades, then you have to study hard.  Want to get a promotion at work, then put in more hours or go above and beyond in some way.  Want your marriage to improve, then give it all you got.  Want your spiritual life to improve, then take time to intently focus on God.

Rarely do things just fall into place and just happen.  Nearly everything we do requires deliberate effort and hard work.  Want to run faster, then practice running faster.  Want to improve in some other area, then put in the hard work.

Colossians 3:23 states, “Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord.”  To go further and faster in life, you just have to give whatever you are doing your absolute all.

You Have to Have Fuel for the Race – When I was training for my first half marathon I was also trying to lose weight.  Running longer distances and losing pounds do not really go hand in hand.  To lose weight, like most people, I cut calories.  Calories, however, were what I needed to be able to slug out 13 miles.

I remember once when I went out for a longer run, I had made it about 5 miles and then simply fizzled out.  I had to call my wife to come pick me up in the car. Trying to lose weight I hadn’t eaten much, and I just didn’t have enough in me to run another 5 or 6 miles.  There was simply no more juice in the tank.

Life is like this as well.  To go the long haul, you have to have the right fuel.  Ultimately our sustenance and strength should come from God.  John 6:35 recounts Jesus’ words where he says, “I am the bread of life.”  Running low on fuel, you might need to stop and eat.

It’s a Process - There are probably quite a few people that could sign up for a 5k, show up race day without having done any training, and turn in a decent time.  There are probably several people that could do the same for 10k.  Fewer could run a half marathon without some training, and basically, no one could run a marathon without first going out on several practice runs.

Very few people are great golfers the first time they swing a club.  Very few people ace tests they don’t prepare for.  Hardly anyone is a great public speaker the first time they try.  You can’t play the guitar unless you first get some lessons.  Most people start off in the mail room and work their way up to CEO.

Life is a process.  It is a marathon and it requires training to do well.  It doesn’t make much sense to get discouraged early on.  Galatians 6:9 reminds us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  Perseverance is key to running a marathon, and it is a key to life as well.

The Conditions are Rarely Optimal – I hate running when it is over 90 degrees.  Likewise, I loathe running in the single digits.  Running when it is less than optimal is what runners do though.

I’ve run when it was so hot that random people have literally squirted me with their garden hose because they felt so bad for me when I ran by their house.  I have suited up with base layers, gloves, masks, and all sorts of gear to go run when it was three degrees out.  I have run when it was raining, run when it was snowing, and run in the dark with a headlamp on.

To be honest, the perfect climate for me to run is about 40 to 50 degrees and partly cloudy.  I get a few of those days, but if I wait for one of these perfect days to roll around before I headed out to pound the pavement, I am only going to run a few days out of the whole year.   To be a better runner I have to be willing to run, even when the conditions are not optimal.

Trouble is part of the Christian life as well.  2 Corinthians 4:17 states, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”  Sometimes in life, we just have to keep pressing on, even when it is less than optimal.

Call Yourself a Runner – If I just casually ran for a hobby there would be a lot of days I didn’t go out and run.  If running was just something I did, then it would be something I got to when I “had the time.”  So, I don’t say that I am someone who runs, rather I say that I am a runner.  The difference is subtle but important. Runners, run.  It’s what they do.  It’s their priority. It’s their identity.  Bad weather, lack of time, lack of desire, nor anything else, keep them from heading out. As a runner, I run, because it is who I am.

In life, we have to know who, and what, we are.  The bible says a lot about identity, not the least of which is Psalm 139:14 which says, ““I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”  You may not be a runner, but your identity was formed and shaped by God himself.  And just like a runner runs, your identity should shape how you view and live your life.

Never Quit on a Hill – Never quit running when you are running up a hill.  I am not sure if this is good running advice, but it works for me.   I know that about 99% of the time when I feel like quitting in the middle of a run, if I look at the incline, I am running up a hill.

Eventually though, if you keep running, you will reach the top of the hill.  If you keep running through all the ups and downs, you will eventually reach the end of the race.

The Bible puts it succinctly in 2 Timothy 4:7 where it says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  Whatever your race, keep running.

Lucas James Booth was born at 9:29 AM yesterday, October 12th.  He weighed 8 pounds, and was 19 3/4” inches.  Both mom and baby are doing great.  Here are a few photos…

More pictures to come.  Thank you Steph (http://www.louisjoy.com/) for taking these photos and all the others I didn’t have the chance to post here!

Most of us don’t leave home without our cell phone.  And if statistics are right, most of us now (51%) have a smart phone.  For those who happen to have an iPhone with access to the Apple App Store, there is a gem of an app you can download that has all sorts of parenting helps for home, and on the go.

It gives songs to sing during “Drive Time”, conversation starters for “Meal Time”, activities to do during “Hang Time” and for when the kids are not around, links to great articles and a podcast for “Parent Time.”  The cost is $1.99, but if you are looking for some cues to help you with your parenting routine throughout the week, it is well worth the cost.

You can download ParentCue here.

What other apps have you found helpful for parenting?

We’ve probably all had a similar experience.  Shopping in the supermarket you turn down the aisle to walk past a mom and her 3 year old son.  As you pass by you hear the three year old ask for a candy bar and he mom promptly reply “no.”  You then pass the same mom and boy again in the next aisle.  Only this time the kid isn’t asking for a candy bar; he is screaming and crying for it.  The mom still is saying no.  Finally, you pass them one last time.  This last time the child is calm, and the mom is defeated.  Unwilling to endure a misbehaving and screaming child, she gave in to his demands just to shut him up.

What we occasionally observe in the supermarket, is repeated everyday in homes all over.  I remember one Sunday when a child was misbehaving in kid’s church.  After a few minutes of them getting out of their seat, crawling on the floor, and bugging every kid around them, I simply asked the child to sit down and stop talking.  They replied “I will if you give me a prize.”  When I asked him why I should give him a prize for behaving like every child is expected, he simply said “My mom always gives me what I want to behave.”  This kid was blackmailing his mom daily with threats of bad behavior, and she was giving in.

So what is a parent to do when a child doesn’t want to behave?  Persist.  Realizing that giving in, and giving them what they want, only has short term gains.  It  may keep them from screaming the grocery store, but it will result in them screaming later in life when they don’t get what they want then.  Better to learn the lesson early in life, “You get what you get, and you don’t get upset.”

It’s true in grocery stores, and it is true in homes.  It is true of kids, and it is also true of teenagers.  Persistence is a key to effective parenting.  If you are unwilling to repeat the same lesson 5, 6, 7, 12 times there will be many lessons your kids will never get.  Kids are like every other person, and they don’t buy the sales pitch on the first try.

What about you, where have you seen persistence play a role in parenting?

If you can’t see the video click here.

What can you do about this crisis? Visit http://www.charitywater.org/ to find out.

We need to have kids that can be sent off to the most hostile universities, toil in the greediest work enviormonments, and raise their families in the most hedonisitic communities and yet not be the least bit intimidated by their surroundings.  Furthermore, they need to be engaged in the lives of people in their culture, gracefully representing Christ’s love inside these desperate surroundings.

Photo courtesy of © flickr.com/photos/wwworks/3957311986/in/photostream/

This quote, which I didn’t write it myself and can’t remember where I got it, came to mind when I was talking with a mother recently.  She was talking about how she was afraid to let her kid ride the bus home, because “nothing good happens on the bus.” The truth is she is right, nothing good really does happen on the bus (bad language, bullying, you know the drill), but does that mean our kids shouldn’t ride on them?

I have known some outstanding parents who have said “no, my kid will not ride the bus.”  Parents who have pulled their kids off the bus, out of public school or away from non-Christian friends because they have noticed their kids being affected negatively by those environments.  I know parents who have pulled their kids out of poor school systems, because they were in fact poor school systems that were only holding their kids back.  Honestly, I think many of these parents were right in pulling their kids out.

I have also known parents who have left their kids on the bus, in the public school system and purposely made sure their kids have non-Christian friends.  I was one of these kids.  I was a bus riding, public school teenager, with several non-Christian friends.  Honestly, I think I am the better for having those experiences, and I think that many other kids would be better for having hem too.

So, when if ever, is it okay to pull your child out of these environments, or should Christian parents keep their kids in there, to grow and to represent Christ?

Should your kid ride the bus?  Should they go to private, or home school, rather than public school?  Should the not hang out with non-Christian kids?  What’s your take?