Thursday Three For All: Self-Aware Vols, World Series Church Sign, and Paper Pop-Up Cards
It’s Thursday, kiddies: the day when I roll out a few things I’ve been reading over the past week. Three of ‘em, to be exact. Enjoy. (Remember: click on the big bold print to read the entire article.)
Early detection: Developing self-aware volunteers and preventing ministry problems
(via @careleaderhq, HT @bradhambrick) Love this. What are you doing in your ministry to help your volunteers know themselves?
The latest research from Barna shows that most pastors are not interested in developing leaders that much. Evidently, we’re more interested in what we get out of volunteers than what we put into them. We have our plan, and we want them to come along with us and move it forward. The coaching posture is not there.
It doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, what you find is that when you help volunteers grow personally, your ministry will bear more fruit. Jesus focused on people in His ministry, and it flourished. Two of the best ways you can be people-focused are by helping volunteers become more self-aware, which involves helping them improve their emotional intelligence, and by helping them avoid common temptations.
Astros wall ad spotlights Houston’s First
(via @baptistpress) My friend @stevenwmurray tells the story of some World-(Series)-wide church publicity.
At a critical moment in this year’s Major League Baseball playoffs, pursuit of a Houston Astros home run ball at Minute Maid Park caused New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge to crash into a right field sign promoting Houston’s First Baptist Church.
Minutes later, the church tweeted to Judge, a candidate for both the American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards, “Our church is more welcoming and forgiving than our sign.”
The sign — and numerous other connections between First Baptist and the Astros — will be on display again as Houston takes on the Los Angeles Dodgers in this year’s World Series, which opens Tuesday night (Oct. 24). The Fall Classic is a welcome development in a city still recovering from Hurricane Harvey.
A Wonderfully Satisfying Compilation of Stunning Handmade Paper Pop-Up Cards
(via @laughingsquid) I can still remember a pop-up book from my childhood that featured a massively-beaked bird snapping his jowls at me when I turned the page. Horrifying.
photo credit: Jason Mathis
