Josh GriffinMore PostsBook Review: The Dip

Just finished up a new book from Seth Godin – another quick read of less than 100 pages here on vacation. Guys, this is some good stuff – the gist of it being a) motor through the difficulties for the greatest reward, and b) quit all of the stuff that is distracting or average. In terms of youth ministry, I think there’s 2 really significant applications from the book:

1) Short tenure is caused by The Dip – this occurs about 12-16 months into a new church. The honeymoon is over and reality is settling in. A whole bunch of reality hits the fan, not everyone likes you and the change you’ve implemented so far is starting to cause pain. It isn’t quite the place it seemed like when you interviewed. You moved your family halfway across the country for this? The Dip is why youth workers leave after less then 2 years. They are on the cusp of something great, but don’t tough it out.

2) Good Enough is not good enough – some of our encouragement and training has suggested the “good enough” principle is something to live by, or at least live with. And while I’m not totally ready to throw that value away, my thoughts have been challenged here. Are we truly being the best we can be with the most important message of all, or do we regularly slip into mediocrity and good enough and coast on in ministry. Good enough might not be good enough for our calling.

I suppose there’s lots of other possible applications from the book – like when should you stop a particular style of music, an event, what are the right circumstances to leave a church – all that – but the two above were the clearest learnings for me. GREAT book!

JG



TagsComments 2 View Comments August 4, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsAn iTunes Run: Volume 13

Some of the latest tunes I’ve picked up the past couple of weeks:

  • Hey There Delilah – Plain White T’s
  • If – Bread
  • Open Up the Gates – Planetshakers
  • All I Want is You – Planetshakers
  • All I Need is You – Hillsong United
  • Thanks for the Memories – Fall Out Boy
  • Typical – Mute Math

JG

Comments Add Comment August 4, 2007

Josh GriffinMore Posts24 Goes Green. Yawn.

Today’s Washington Post talks about the upcoming season of 24 and how it’s going green. My concern with the show isn’t that it raises awareness of global warming, I just want it to be good. Come on, Jack!

From “An Inconvenient Truth” to popularizing the Prius, Hollywood has helped lead the way on some environmental issues. One of the latest initiatives: Cool Change, Fox’s company-wide program to reduce the network’s impact on global warming. As part of that effort, the seventh season of “24″ will take steps to reduce and offset the carbon emissions from the show’s production, with the goal of having the season finale be entirely carbon-neutral.

It may sound like a publicity stunt, but Fox spokesman Chris Anderson says the network isn’t after bigger ratings. “We are publicizing ’24′s’ commitment to climate change for two reasons and two reasons only: to inspire the public to take global warming seriously and hopefully to motivate other studios to make changes to their production practices as well,” he says.

After all, shooting on soundstages requires energy-hungry lighting and gear, and going on location means using portable generators and driving trucks, vans and cars loaded with equipment, costumes and people. When production on Season 7 begins this month, the show’s 26 diesel vehicles and five generators will run on a more planet-friendly biodiesel blend, which will start at 5 percent biodiesel and gradually increase, barring any problems, according to executive producer Howard Gordon.

JG


Comments Add Comment August 4, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsBook Review: God’s Blogs

Just finished up Lanny Donoho’s book God’s Blogs. Good stuff – a really unique way to present some truths and values of God – good reminders of what we should be doing, how we should be living, and just how creative and funny God must really be.

It’s a simple, if short, read. I read it in one night but I think you might be better served reading up a little a day for a couple of weeks. There’s a couple parts that are really brilliant, and to me the style of writing is where the book shines – Lanny is the human writer for God’s blog, which is pretty awesome and inventful stuff.

(looks like you can get it on Amazon.com [below this review] for like a buck and a half if you want to read it, too)

JG



TagsComments Add Comment August 4, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsStuff from My Friends Blogs: Volume 26

Here’s my weekly update of the notable things in my youth ministry friends’ blogs – lots of people away on vacations, camps, and the like. Here’s a few of the great posts I enjoyed this week:

JG


TagsComments Add Comment August 3, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsWant to be on the Next Who Are These Guys Podcast?

You can … since I’m out, you could be in. Follow this link to get the details.

JG



Comments Add Comment August 3, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsGoogle Searches That Lead Here: Volume 34

Here’s a few of the searches that people used in Google this week, some used only once, some used many, many times. Fun … here’s the list:

  • transformers movie props
  • video of kyle loza’s jump at the x games
  • carter the church assistant
  • emma watson
  • hiv/aids needles hidden under gas pumps
  • kyle loza saddleback
  • pastor salary
  • pdym 07 student conference
  • riders for christ saddleback
  • america’s next top pastor
  • brian berry air force
  • christian nightclub houston tx king
  • disneyland’s front entrance
  • free motion backgrounds
  • local church conference new jersey
  • my space rick warren
  • thank god you’re here harland josh
  • what’s next after gears of war”"
  • $1theater irvine
  • 1-18-08 theories
  • 10 ways to stay broke
  • 6 month goals for a youth pastor
  • after action review for youth ministry
  • american idol tour photos
  • book review the big idea
  • born again christine jokes
  • carter douglas church videos
  • cell phone number for john snyder in new orleans
  • cheapest colleges to become a youth pastor
  • corsicana distinction mattress
  • critics purpose driven
  • dennis bellesi
  • educate younger generation investing “don’t ask enough questions”
  • evil norwhales
  • greg stier has a myspace
  • hibbards frozen yogurt
  • it all goes back in the box
  • jeff johnson golden gate seminary
  • johnny gilbert audio jeopardy
  • josh treece
  • josh wheeler little bear wheeler blog
  • kevin reeves orioles
  • kids who don’t believe the bible
  • kyle loza tattoos
  • kyle loza the guy who won the x games last night
  • lego gonk droid youtube
  • matt hall saddleback
  • matt mcgill sports instructional videos
  • monday night football on espn sucks; 2007
  • pastoral degree
  • phillipino rice
  • polydot.com california
  • reality shows, youth ministry
  • relational youth ministry
  • salty christmas calamity
  • standards in youth ministry youth groups church
  • summer spectacular saddleback
  • taco bell olympics student leadership
  • wild west ministry
  • youth ministry “”teaching calendar”"
  • youth ministry blog
  • youth ministry idols

JG


TagsComments Add Comment August 3, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsHighlights from Vacation (So Far)

We’re a couple days into vacation now, and having a blast. So fun to turn it off … well, most of it off … not blogging of course, that’s more of a hobby/way of life, anyhow. Here’s some of the highlights so far:

  • Eating at a fun little Jamaican hole-in-the-wall restaurant – two words: jerk chicken
  • Moonlight Beach – amazing coast with long shallow waves
  • A rousing game of Jenga with the kids
  • A hour-long nap this afternoon
  • Reese’s Pieces by the handful
  • Abundant quality time with the family
  • Working on a book? Nah, more like a pamphlet. More on it soon … just a random idea I had a while ago that I’m actually putting some energy into. We’ll see…

JG

Comments Add Comment August 3, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsKyle Perfoms The Volt

JG



Comments Add Comment August 3, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsKyle Wins Gold

Proud of this kid, here’s part of his X-Games story from this week’s OC Register:

The 250 cc engine beats like machinegun fire as he races toward the ramp then soars three stories into the early evening sky. At his peak, it seems he’s flying higher than the full moon rising when he pulls the trick off cleanly — dead body alive! — and travels 75 feet toward the downslope of 15-foot dirt hill.

A dead drop from 30 feet high might be jarring enough to knock off the 100-plus tattoos covering his arms and left leg. But Loza lands gently as if hand-delivered back to earth by angels.

Amen.

Loza looks like a Goth spawned from Marilyn Manson’s gene pool with a head like a fishing lure, an all-black wardrobe, body by tattoo-parlor and a driveway occupied by a ’76 “rattlesnake black” Lincoln Continental and a Chevy Express cargo van with blacked out windows.

But Loza’s all pro-Christ. He started an FMX team, Riders 4 Christ, which stages jump shows for church fundraisers. He updates his Web site with his latest features and commentary, such as “Jesus is rad.”

He doesn’t drink, smoke or curse. He’s more introverted artist than renegade. He says “I love you” when he hugs his father goodbye.

About 300 local fans will follow him to this first X Games. Saddleback Churchgoers will pray for him. Pastor Rick Warren will include him in his weekly blessing, and his mother, Theresa, will again drop to her knees at night thanking the Lord for her youngest child’s safety, despite his having a medical file as thick as the Bible.

UPDATE: According to the results page – he won tonight! Yeah!

JG


TagsComments Add Comment August 2, 2007
Previous 399 of 602 394395396397398 400401402403404 Next