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Rustin Hamilton is one of the best producer/directors I know. We are using him for 2 shoots this week. He has a great servants heart too.
Link: http://hamiltonprod.com/index.html
Talent Pool
I worked with one of the best video production teams in the country here in Austin, TX yesterday with Celebration Church. It made me realize there is some remarkable creative talent in churches throughout the country that goes largely unnoticed. I could use your help finding it. What talented ac...
Great points! I could not agree more. As I explore what it means to plant an organic church, house church, call it what you will church, I also find myself being a partner in 2 start-up branding and marketing agencies and an e-commerce business that looks like it's going to explode in my face in a good way. My concepts of what it means to be a pastor, leader and disciple maker have all radically shifted in the last year. I find myself even questioning if the vocation of "pastor" is even an appropriate biblical model. Again, great points.
From Pastors to Entrepreneurs
Every time I get a chance to talk to occupational ministers, I try to delicately pry open the idea of entrepreneurialism. In the Old Testament, there was a dividing line between the classes. The farmers got land as an inheritance in the promised land. The priests got no land, but "the Lord himse...
I will never think of "sbd" the same again.
The Trouble with Negative Feedback
Do you know the real trouble with negative feedback? I'll give you a hint. It's not the feeling of rejection or the spirit of criticism that crushes your ginger little heart. The trouble with most negative feedback is that it's often not given at all. They say nothing... And quietly put your bo...
Nice. I love it. Yes, language does matter, but so does relationship and respect. My guess is, if you're like me, you could care less about those other brands, but with the New Yorker you don't mind because it a brand you respect and don't mind engaging with them to make a product that you already like better.
They Got Me
I can't tell you how many requests I get on any given week to take a survey. Hilton wants to know what I thought of my stay. Avis wants to know about my rental car. United Airlines is curious about my flights. And I decline, decine, decline. But the other week, The New Yorker wanted to know if I...
Ben, great post! Dead on! I love your thoughts about raising a sail vs. rowing your brains out. All too often I feel like I'm brainless, but then when I least expect it I strike a chord. I consider myself a strategist and yet even at what I think is my best sometimes I feel like I'm just wasting ink. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
Momentum that is Not Contrived
True momentum happens when a unique gift is cast upon a moment that has been waiting for it all along. If you don't have it, the spread of your work feels contrived. So you may have lots of Twitter followers, but if you garnered them by following anyone and everyone in a desperate attempt to gro...
True. Profound.
Honor Goes Down
We tend to send honor up. We turn Ps into VIPs, rooms into greenrooms, and Americans into idols. But here's the paradigm shift with Jesus. He sent honor down. Those who were last became first, those who had least gave most, and those in the lowest seats got promoted.
Great question. I'm in the process of planting a church now and I thought I was going to be the artist, maybe the main artist, but now God is moving me into the producer role and a minor artist role. It's exciting and completely unexpected. I really have no idea how it's going to work out, but it's also a relief too. Others are buying into, contributing to, and leading in pushing the vision forward.
The Producer vs. The Artist
When I think about my 10 years of pastoring, I don't remember hearing the kinds of "stories" about me that should be told of a gifted pastor. This is really hard for me to admit because I poured so much of my life into it. But when I started creating platforms for other people, it was surprising...
Good post. I wouldn't kill myself over a post either. As much as I love Gladwell I think he's completely off base. Look at Haiti and Twitter. That changed and is changing a lot of things for Haitians. Fast Company might be right too, but if we were supposed to remember every tweet then politicians should shut up, because we usually forget what they say in 60 seconds and yet I almost have Theodore Roosevelt's "The Man in the Arena" speech memorized and he didn't even have Twitter.
Finally, I prayed and felt the Holy Spirit tell me to be different and use "machines" (twitter, facebook, blog, multimedia, etc.) so I guess God can use machines in the hands of his followers.
Internet Fame Isn't So Much
About this time of year, a most-read blog will put out a list of the most-read blogs so we can all know where they stand. Or occasionally, they'll announce their stats via twitter with the addendum, "Look at what God is doing." Yeah, yeah. So before people like you and me get discouraged, there ...
Good post Ben. I find it interesting your experience and mine are completely different. Although, I attend a very creative and eclectic church so maybe I'm on the outside too and don't even know it. I have seen some of what you're saying, but it is usually relegated to the "old guard" and frankly I'm not around that much, nor is God is leading me to go in that direction. Glad to see you made a move you feel is positive and focusing your efforts.
A Humble Excusing of Myself
I don't know what happened. In just two short years, the entire ministry context has shifted. Guys are either putting titles in front of their names and talking about "dominating" their towns... or adding "date night" as the 11th commandment and figuring out how to use "Gospel" as a verb. And I ...
I think it depends on the context and whether you are calling yourself the leader or that is a trait that others are ascribing to you. It's like an individual self labeling themselves a "guru". It just doesn't always work. Let others that follow consider you the leader and you act on your calling. Just my 2 cents.
The Title Doesn't Fit Anymore
Over the past two years, I've grown somewhat uncomfortable with a particular way of describing myself. I'm not saying it's not true... so curb the affirmation please. But I've stopped using it as a mantlepiece. It's the word leader. gasp! I swear, six out of every 10 books from my church plantin...
Great thoughts, well said.
Although 4 Hours Would be Nice
I'm not going to lie - The 4 Hour Work Week made a big impact on me. Not because I wanted to work only 4 hours a week. =) But because it changed the way I view work in the modern age. The book compelled me to do three things over the past year... Move my working relationships into a virtual spa...
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