really good stuff from Andy Stanley

3 COMPONENTS OF SUSTAINED MOMENTUM: NEW, IMPROVED & IMPROVING

1. NEW
New triggers momentum
Anything new by definition, generates some kind of momentum
The momentum can be positive or negative.

Organizational momentum is often triggered by one of three things:
new leadership
new direction
new product

Momentum is never triggered by tweaking something old. It is triggered by introducing something new!

2. IMPROVED
The new must be a noticeable improvement over the old.
Ask, "is this a significant improvement over what we had before?"
If you are in a situation where there is not enough money to do something new and improved, you are doing too many things.

3. IMPROVING
Momentum is sustained through continuous improvement.
Continuous improvement requires systematic evaluation.
Continuous improvement requires unfiltered evaluation.
Evaluation must be rigorous and on-going and done by the people who helped create it.

APPLYING NEW & IMPROVED & IMPROVING
NEW: personnel, programming, season, series, look, venues.
Look for ways to upgrade your presentation
Visit other organizations
Attend other churches

MOMENTUM STOPPERS
Disengaged leaders
Overactive management
Complacency
Complexity
A breach of trust

Moving Forward

As we inch closer to a new year questions of where we have been and where we are going start to take center stage. What are some of the key things we should be asking? Here is my list.

The Past
1. Am I being honest in my assessment of the facts? Fantasy verses reality.
2. What worked and what did not.
3. Do I still believe in what I am doing?
4. Has anybody been impacted with what we have done?
5. What have I learned in the process or am I on auto pilot?

The Future
1. Do we know where we are headed?
2. Are we willing to work our plan?
3. Is the vision fresh?
4. Do we have a committed core?
5. Are we excited about tomorrow?

Death is a Part of Life

On November 15th two of my family members had birthday's. On November 15th a brother in the Lord died. Death for the Christian is moving from the temporal to the eternal. Celebrating a birthday is part of the temporal and death for the Christian is a celebration to the eternal. The day of ones birth and the day of ones death are worthy of celebration.

Paul said "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain". From the perspective of advantage, death has a greater return in terms of what we gain. We should live this life to the fullest as we prepare to graduate to what life really was mean't to be.

To My brother Bill I write, you really are in a better place and one day we who believe in Jesus will be with you as we celebrate our eternity with the Savior.