davidhelbig.com

Lead Like Jesus

David — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:45:40 +0000

Lead Like Jesus

Here is a great devotional I came across this week:

Purpose is bigger than achievement. Your personal purpose is your calling – the reason you were created. In the context of leadership, being sure of your individual purpose in relationship to your influence on other people must include serving their best interests or it becomes manipulation and exploitation, the absolute opposite of leading like Jesus.

For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep… Acts 13:36

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You have a perfect purpose for my life. Give me the wisdom to find it, the strength to carry it out and the determination to influence others for good. Help me to lead like Jesus in every relationship today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

If you enjoyed this devotional, and would like to get more just like it, click the Lead Like Jesus link and subscribe to their daily devotional.

Our First Date… 21 years ago today.

David — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:44:48 +0000

It was the day after spring break, and I was waiting for class to start. Just as the teacher began the class, the door opened one more time. A new girl stood in the doorway. She was wearing jeans, a red t-shirt and a jean jacket. Her hair was blonde, long, curly, and teased up in the front just like it should have been in the 80’s!

I was captivated the moment I saw her. She sat across the room to the right of me. The next day everything changed when she sat in the open seat right in front of me. I had a plan. I wanted a Grad Date that was really special and one that no one knew. Manuela was the perfect choice.

I played it real smooth. I got to know her just a little bit and made her laugh once in a while. I didn’t skip a single German class the rest of the year (i think!). Two weeks later I asked her to come with me to my Graduation/Prom.

I didn’t realize that June 3rd 1988 would change my life forever, but it did.

It was our first date, the first time I held her hand, & our first Kiss. I’ll never forget it.

Now, on the 21st anniversary of our very first date, I love her more than I ever have. I married my high school sweetheart and my very best friend.

This song says it all…

Lucky I’m in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky we’re in love in every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed

I love you sweetheart!

Twitter in the Classroom! That would have captivated me as a student.

David — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 02:46:54 +0000

Twitter might have made me pay attention in school. It was made for ADD people like me!

Hurricane Season & The Four Faces of God

David — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 02:18:52 +0000

Today marks the beginning of Hurricane Season ‘09. Nothing spectacular going on; just the awareness that for the next 6 months we’ll be on our toes. Checking the weather, making sure propane tanks and gas cans are filled up, and ready on a moments notice to dive into action and put shutters on the house.

At Christ Fellowship, we’re in the middle of a series called The Four Faces of God. It’s a journey through the John’s Revelation. Hurricane season reminded me not only of how we need to prepare for weather, but also how we need to prepare ourselves spiritually too. There are specific things we need to do, to prepare ourselves for eternity.

Come and join us during our weekend services at Christ Fellowship. Our services are broadcast live online in our Digital Media Player on Saturdays at 6:00 pm est, and Sundays at 9:00 & 11:00 am est. When you join us, go ahead and send me an email and let me know you’re there! I’d love to connect with you. You can also join our live skype chat. Just click the Skype Chat link right there on the media player.

The Problogger Challenge – I’m taking it! Join me.

David — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:00:05 +0000

During the month of June, I’m going to take the Problogger Challenge. It was originally posted about 6 months ago, but i figure better late than never! I’m excited to learn more about blogging anyway I can. I’m going to post a weekly update as I go through this as well. I’ll let you know the bottom line on a weekly basis. I’ll also link to the current week’s challenges just like I’m doing below. Join me if you like and we can compare notes!

Happy Blogging :)

Day 1 31 Days to Building a Better Blog – Day 1
Day 2 31 Days to Building a Better Blog – Day 2
Day 3 31 Days to Building a Better Blog – Day 3
Day 4 31 Days to Building a Better Blog – Day 4
Day 5 31 Days to Building a Better Blog – Day 5
Day 6 31 Days to Building a Better Blog – Day 6
Day 7 31 Days to Building a Better Blog – Day 7

Social Media Phenom Susan Boyle’s last performance

David — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:05:20 +0000

Will she win?

Leadership in the Battle

David — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:45:15 +0000

Google Wave developer preview – a detailed look

David — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:55:52 +0000

Google Wave Developer Preview is now online. Here’s a detailed look if your interested.

Google Wave: What is it and how will it impact ministry in the church?

David — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:01:47 +0000

Google just announced Google Wave. If you’re following the news breakers Tech Crunch & Mashable, you will quickly get the perspective on how big this really is. It’s being touted by Mashable’s Ben Parr as the “evolution of email” and it is posturing to “redefine web communication.”

MG Siegler of Tech Crunch is implying the reinvention of email as he quotes Lars Rasmussen of the founding team, “Wave is what email would look like if it were invented today.” Siegler then goes on to agree with the statement. He continues, “Wave offers a very sleek and easy way to navigate and participate in communication on the web that makes both email and instant messaging look stale.”

There’s two things I’m going to address in this blog post. First, What is Wave? Second, How will it impact ministry in the Church?

1. What is Google Wave?

Wave was created on the premise that email and instant messaging, albeit very successful, were created long before the robust nature of the web as we know it today. Higher quality of content, and a much loftier desire for individuals to collaborate with one another exists today far beyond what anyone dreamed 15 or 20 years ago.

Basically think of…

email
im
web chat
project management software
drag and drop capabilities
desktop sharing
file transfer

Roll all of them into one tool, and then redifine a couple elements (real time im – character by character), recorded im, webchat & and activity… AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!

Blow your mind? Absolutely. In typical Google fasion, they’ve released this project prior to launch, and in its infancy to web developers in order to help them push the concept even further. Whether or not Wave proves to be all its claiming to be, its completely redifining the idea of web communication and collaboration for the masses.

How will it impact ministry in the church?

First off, it won’t if the church (local) continues to exist in a linear 1.0 world. It will impact ministry in your church if you are willing to move to a concept that I refer to as church distributed, or uncontained. Over this coming weekend, I’ll define that in another blog post.

Web tools, or any other tools for that matter don’t have the power to impact or change anything. How you use them does. Don’t sit back and watch the productivity of the world skyrocket, and not leverage those same tools to impact the kingdom of God.

Analogy: If you are going to build a house, please don’t use a hammer and nails. It will take you much longer and cost way more than if you invest in a nail gun. Do in a week what would have taken you 3 months!

Analogy: When Gutenberg invented the printing press, he redefined communication. The church responded by printing Bibles and catapulted the rate at which the Gospel was being spread throughout the world.

When Google redefines communication in the 21st century, where will you be? And what will you DO with it?

Here are a few snapshots released on youtube of what it looks like.

TinyChat: video chat with some super cool features

David — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:52:12 +0000

ReadWriteWeb announced today that Tinychat has relaunched. It includes video chats with up to 12 people, recording, screen sharing, and a Facebook application for video chats on Facebook.

I just tested it out and I love the simplicity. When you get to tinychat.com, you’re two clicks away from broadcasting in a private room. No crazy registrations, just enter a simple username and you’re done. It doesn’t get easier than that from the perspective of the user.

The video quality is middle of the road, but you can upgrade with the pro account. You’re limited to 12 people simultaneously on video, and can have up to 100 people viewing and chatting. Also, we had trouble viewing the desktop sharing feature. It took a while to upload to the viewer. My favorite thing was the file sharing capabilities. They are quick and easy.

HD video & recording are both features in the pro acct which will set you back $20 a month.

Ways for your Church or business to use this:
Life Groups
Group Prayer
Meetings
Training

Bottom line: another great tool for connecting easily with people from around the globe.

How Big is Your Vision?

David — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:00:13 +0000

Stone-faced, serious as can be Dr. Samuel Stephens stood 10 feet in front of me this morning and said, “What we’ve done, isn’t enough. We must do more!”

He challenged me to think of my own vision, dreams & goals. He said what he did, right after he gave us a little history of India Gospel League.

By the year 2000. IGL had planted 20,000 churches in India. The count now is well on its way to 100,000 by 2010. Dr. Stephens went on to say that his entire perspective changed when his mindset changed from building a ministry, to building God’s kingdom.

That left me with 2 very simple questions:

1. How big is my vision?
2. Am I building a ministry or building God’s Kingdom?

Is the Blog Superbowl Imminent?

David — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:39:47 +0000

TechCrunch is reporting that Tucker Carlson is launching a ‘competitor’ to The Huffington Post. Seems like another great twist in the Democratic/Republican battle. The new site will be dedicated to “telling the truth and be accurate.” I guess we’ll see if Tucker can play ball with Ariana. Competition is always good!

WorkShifting and its impact on the Church

David — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:19:46 +0000

Workshifting is a social trend that’s reshaping the workforce. The Office [a room, set of rooms, or building where the business of a commercial or industrial organization or of a professional person is conducted:] is well on its way out. The term Workshifting is so new, wikipedia doesn’t even have an entry yet.

Workshifting.com seems to have hidden the definition within the context of its defined user:

If you work out of coffee shops, hotels, airports and their homes every bit as much as the office, workshifting.com is for you. We will feature tips, reviews, and opinions on the world of web commuting are what workshifting is all about. To assist with this, we have assembled a Worldwide Workplace Council comprised of the top minds in the world when it comes to web-commuting. This team of selected members will provide regular insights and will be featured here.

There you have it… Workshifting = Web-Commuting

The fact that I’m completely ADD makes me love the concept. It captivates not only my interest, but unleashes my creativity. Workshifting is less about a job, and more about a lifestyle. One that enhances, encourages, and produces higher levels of productivity.

Question – What impact with this new social trend have on Church Leadership?

A couple of thoughts quickly entered my mind…

Administrators need an office, ministers need a crowd
Managers need an office, leaders need a community
Bureaucrats need an office, commanders need a troupe
Collectors need an office, overseers need tribe

You can obviously guess what side of the fence I sit on when it comes to this! I think the issues for the church really aren’t any different than for business. We’re just typically late adopters. Some of the downsides might be:

no clocks to punch
decreased levels of accountability

In my mind its simple to overcome the downsides by simply measuring individuals on whether or not they’re goals are being met, not on the process of how they get there.

I say save the money on rent, and put the people where thy can best impact the lives of others!

What say you?

Social Media & Church Blogs of the week

David — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:46:03 +0000

Pretty much everything on my blog has to do with Social Media & The Church. They’re two of my greatest interests. Here are some great blogs from the past week that cross over into both worlds. They weren’t necessarily intended to cross over, but they’re very applicable to both.

1. The 12 Essential Social Media Stories This Week
2. The Next Media Company
3. 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media
4. 10 Reasons Your Pastor Should Blog
5. Non Profit Website Design: Examples and Best Practices

If there are any others you want to add, go ahead and leave a comment so we can check them out!

When its time to quit your ministry position…

David — Sun, 24 May 2009 22:04:34 +0000

Someone asked me a question the other day, “Should you go to a church just because you work there?”

My response was immediate and quite simple really, “For me, even if I didn’t work there, it would still be my church. I love it that much.” I would choose to attend my church, whether I worked there or not. If I ever come to the point where I couldn”t say that any longer, that will be my que to leave.

Thank the Lord, I love Christ Fellowship and all my friends and family that are there!

How about you? What are some reasons for leaving a ministry position?

A gift from Iraq for Memorial Weekend

David — Sun, 24 May 2009 18:25:19 +0000

One of the privileges I have of being an Internet Pastor, is getting to meet several of our soldiers over in Iraq. SGT Thomas Trent is one of them. He recently sent me a flag that was flown over COB Adder in Iraq. He also sent one for Pastor Tom, John C. Maxwell, and one for Christ Fellowship. We will be flying these flags in our sanctuary at Gardens and Royal Palm Campus. Here’s the video of the Flag Ceremony at Christ Fellowship this Memorial Weekend.

Related Posts

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Life Transformation Online

Pope dives into Social Media & Networking

David — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:21:15 +0000

Pope Benedict XVI, after launching a YouTube channel last year dives in to Social Media & Networking by launching a facebook and iphone app.

The Vatican is describing the facebook app like this:

“Pope2You for Facebook lets you receive the messages of Pope Benedict XVI through the most important social network of the world. So you can meet the Pope on Facebook, listen to his words, see his pictures, receive his messages of congratulations through “virtual postcards”. The postcards can be sent to your “friends” on Facebook and the application can be shared with anyone.”

The objective of the iPhone app is to broadcast the Popes messages as well:

“The H2Onews application for the iPhone and iPod Touch brings you timely, insightful news about the life of the Church in the world. In collaboration with the Vatican Television Center and Vatican Radio,H2Onews connects you with video and audio news from the Vatican.”

I’m anxiously awaiting the pope on twitter.

Colin Powell’s Rules of Leadership

David — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:00:56 +0000

1. It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
2. Get mad, then get over it.
3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
4. It can be done.
5. Be careful whom you choose.
6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
7. You can’t make someone else’s decisions. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
8. Check small things.
9. Share credit.
10. Remain calm. Be kind.
11. Have a vision. Be demanding.
12. Don’t take counsel from your fears or naysayers.
13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

Source – Air Force Magazine March 1991

Pastoral Care/Leadership & Social Networking

David — Fri, 22 May 2009 01:04:43 +0000

“How would you answer an Executive Pastor who is questioning the need for ‘instant’ pastoral leadership through skype/chat/facebook vs. only using email?”

Definitely an interesting question that popped into my inbox today. It made me think about The Church & Social Networking.

What caught me off gaurd was the notion that some pastors view care or leadership as a responsive action, not a ministry opportunity. Leadership itself connotes that one is out front, anticipating, LEADING toward change and life transformation. God help me if I ever sit at my computer and WAIT for a crisis before providing pastoral leadership or care to the people I serve.

Of course I’m on facebook, skype, myspace, twitter, & linkedin. Why? Because that’s where people are. And because I’m there, I know what’s going on in their lives. I’m actually interested in them. I pray for them because it’s the very best help I can offer.

Not only do I know what’s going on in their lives, but they know what’s going on in mine. I’m real. I have a wife and three kids, I struggle with things, I get sick occasionally, once in a while I get a little annoyed, and now and again I can actually be funny! Yep, a pastor by name, a human being by nature, and a sinner saved by grace.

Here’s a few simple principles of Pastoral Care or Leadership that I focus on:

1. Love people first, whether they deserve it or not
2. Go where they are, don’t expect them to come to you
3. Offer to pray for them BEFORE they ask for you to

Take the principles and apply them… where ever the people are.

… and please, don’t wait for the world to reach out to you.

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davidhelbig.com

Lead Like Jesus

Our First Date… 21 years ago today.

Twitter in the Classroom! That would have captivated me as a student.

Hurricane Season & The Four Faces of God

The Problogger Challenge – I’m taking it! Join me.

Top Blog Posts of May

Social Media Phenom Susan Boyle’s last performance

Leadership in the Battle

Google Wave developer preview – a detailed look

Google Wave: What is it and how will it impact ministry in the church?

TinyChat: video chat with some super cool features

How Big is Your Vision?

Is the Blog Superbowl Imminent?

WorkShifting and its impact on the Church

Social Media & Church Blogs of the week

When its time to quit your ministry position…

A gift from Iraq for Memorial Weekend

Pope dives into Social Media & Networking

Colin Powell’s Rules of Leadership

Pastoral Care/Leadership & Social Networking