James Henley

Holiday

2008-07-20T11:34:05+01:00

Know I haven't posted in a while, but off on holiday for a couple of weeks today. Hopefully will come back full of ideas to get blogging again in August.

USA Budget Hero

2008-06-23T17:39:33+01:00

Had some fun discovering Budget Hero today - it's a little flash game which allows you to shift around the US budget to achieve whatever goals/values you choose for yourself beforehand - supposed to increase awareness of politics or something. It took me three goes to achieve my three: efficient government, health and wellness and economic stimulus, by basically cutting military funding as much as I was allowed, getting rid of on-the-side government programs, taxing the wealthy a lot and increasing household spending and free childcare for the poor, umm and creating a free health service.

Anyway, kept me happy for about 15 minutes... sure my Dad will find it interesting. He always used to this kind of funny little business simulation games lying around.

101st Post

2008-06-21T20:46:15+01:00

I just realised my last post was my 100th on this blog. I really wanted to mark that occassion but missed it - anyway 101 seems just as good. First post of a new century.

I've come a long way since my first post - New Beginnings - on the old blogger blog on September 5th 2006 - I think I did blog before then but lost the posts somewhere in cyberspace. I was trying to think of some of the best things I think I've written but I really feel like now is when all my best thinking is happening - I guess that's a good sign.

Here's some of the kind of landmark posts in my thinking and blogging so far:

This post marked the start of a long journey of reflecting on mission and The Lab which has led us to where we are now - in a really exciting place.
One of the subjects I've come back to a lot is organic community and post-modern leadership.
The Rich Young Ruler who encountered Jesus stuck in my thinking for a long time as I started to construct a theology that made room for grace and works to work together rather than contradict.
Back in January I did three posts on the Revolution of God - something I mean to revisit and add to sometime over the summer, and most recently my reflections on bottom-up church discipline have turned into a bit of a series on their own.

And so the journey continues. These are exciting times.

Downing Street on Twitter

2008-06-21T14:46:54+01:00

Last night I discovered 10 Downing Street on Twitter - someone in No.10 is regularly sending out updates on what they're all upto in there. A lot of twitter users are using it as a direct way of communicating straight to the government - asking questions and lobbying. Thought I'd send a little question of my own.

If the government's linking into social networking, does anyone know if the PM is on Facebook yet?

Alan Hirsch - Apostolic Leadership

2008-06-20T23:10:16+01:00

Recently discovered Alan Hirsch's blog, and finding his posts on Apostolic leadership really interesting. Been reflecting a lot recently on what/who I should be as a leader and struggling against the tension between being visionary and trying to inspire people to follow in a really active, upfront way, and my own way of leading by consensus and being much quieter. Hirsch presents a model of leadership which feels much more natural than the box I tend to feel myself being pushed into, but at the same time is visionary and inspirational.

I particularly like where he speaks about the Apostolic Leader being one who rather than attempting to motivate the community by using incentives or offering a "what you can get out of this", instead motivates by appealing to a higher sense of morality. I seem to have spent so much time trying to motivate people by whatever method might work (one of the burdens of leadership I am told ;-) - I think it's time for a different approach. This seems to be a much more visionary, "charismatic" way of leading. I feel liberated in an awesome way to just communicate our shared vision for the Lab and to really challenge and say "Guys, this is what we've signed up to together, this is how Jesus did it, so come on, let's do it."

Seriously recommend looking through his blog if you are thinking about leadership, especially in a missional context. Really need to get hold of a copy of The Forgotten Ways for my summer reading.

At the moment am feeling really excited about the summer as a chance to relax and re-group for next September AND moving into the house in Alway in a week's(ish) time (if all goes to plan) AND what the Lab will look like and grow into over the Autumn term once September comes around.

Just have to get through a couple more essays and one more week of College.