Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

Articles

The Lost Art of People Watching…and Why it Still Matters

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I used to be good at people watching.

Now I never called it that because it was never a thing that people did intentionally.

Before smart phones, if you were going to get together with your friends or family, you would just set a time and a place and expect people to be there. If you got there before everyone else, you wouldn’t take your phone out and check Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, since that didn’t exist (I know, it is hard to remember that there was even such a time).

Instead, you just looked around.

If someone were doing something out of the ordinary, you would notice. If a mother were scolding her child for throwing a fit in public, you would look in that direction or slightly to the side, so as to not give the impression that you were eavesdropping. If a couple were on a date, you would try to guess where they were going, the status of their relationship, and if they were a good fit.

With the advent of smart phones and social media, you might have thought that people watching has turned into a lost art. Not so! People watching has merely moved from the physical sphere to the digital space.

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A New Chapter and Season

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Once Christina and I had Victoria, our first child, the way we went about life and ministry changed dramatically.

Instead of being on the front lines doing ministry together, Christina took a back seat. Not a back seat in regards to importance, but a back seat in regards to visibility and role.

So over the last year, a regular conversation that we would have while praying and Sabbathing together had been, “What are you going to do when the kids all go to school?”

“Are you going to go back to social work? To counseling? Back to school? Or start something new?”

While we still don’t have that fully figured out (and I think that’s okay), there is one thing that we’ve decided to do…and do together.

[Read more…] about A New Chapter and Season

Investing In Your City For The Long Haul

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I love this paragraph from Rich Perez’s Mi Casa Uptown,

I realized that if I was going to contribute to the much-needed reform in culture, personally and as a spiritual leader in my community, I was going to have to plant roots here—a tall order, for sure, and intimidating in some ways. But why does this matter? Because I’m convinced more than ever that in our constantly changing culture, anything that takes root will take time.

“Anything that takes root will take time.”

As I mentioned in my book, No Silver Bullets, our obsession with the quick fix, the instant solution, and the “to-go” option in life and in ministry handicaps the work that God wants to do in us and through us…

…and when the best things in life often require time to mature, marinate, and develop the flavor profiles that aren’t there instantaneously, we cheat ourselves and those around us when we carelessly just go from one thing to the next.

We cheat ourselves and those around us when we carelessly just go from one thing to the next.

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Rich makes a good point about this,

And if we, as kingdom-of-God citizens, don’t look to the long haul, we won’t have a considerable effect. Time will be one of our greatest assets. Risk will be one of our closest friends. Transforming love will be our greatest motivation. Is it worth our time? Is it worth the risk? Is it worth the sacrifice? Ask any kid who doesn’t have a dad or big brother. Ask the parents working long hours to make sure their kids have book bags for school. Ask the young girl who sees no other way to feel accepted and cared for than to give herself away to men. Ask the older gentleman who feels enslaved by his ambition to climb the financial ladder. Ask the immigrants who quietly move about the community, gripped by fear because they’re unable to communicate in a foreign country. Ask them. They will all say that it is worth the time, risk, and sacrifice.

If we don’t look to the long haul, we won’t have a considerable effect. – @richperez729

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So what should we do about this?

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Is Your Church Making Disciples?

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Is your church making disciples? How can you tell?

Recently I filmed a 90 Second Leadership video for LifeWay Leadership on how to tell whether or not your church is making disciples.

I hope you enjoy it!

If you like what you saw on this video, I elaborate on this concept further, and provide audits and templates to help you develop your vision, strategy, and values in my book, No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform Your Ministry.

Click here to watch other 90 Second Leadership videos by LifeWay Leadership.

A Year (or Two) to Study Timothy Keller

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I’ve discovered that if I’m not reading, I’m not learning. And if I’m not learning, I’m not growing. And if I’m not growing, I have no right to be leading.

This was the opening line to an article I wrote a couple years ago on why everyone should be reading multiple books at the same time.

With the number of books I now listen to on Audible (get 2 FREE audiobooks), and the number of podcasts I am subscribed to, the only thing I’d add to that quote (a couple years later) is the word listening.

I’ve discovered that if I’m not reading or listening, I’m not learning.

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As a discipline, I typically read and listen pretty broadly (there are five categories I generally stick to) in addition to my daily Bible reading. However, this year, I wanted to try something different.

I’m going to cut down the volume of reading/listening that I do in other areas to focus on a specific person.

In years past, Lesslie Newbigin has been that guy for me. In the area of missiology and missional life, he is the one who has most informed my thinking and practice. I’m not about to abandon him, but I did want to spend a year (or two) going deep into the theology, thinking, practice, and disciplines of another individual—Timothy Keller.

From a distance, I’ve always respected him. In fact, I’ve led multiple groups through his excellent Reason for God book and small group study. However, a couple months ago, when I met him in person through a leadership event that Ed Stetzer and I convene twice a year (CPLF), I was blown away.

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The (Hidden) Theology and History of O Come O Come Emmanuel

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If anyone had a side hustle or a gig, it was the Anglican priest and hymn writer, John Mason Neale.

Neale (1818-1866) not only founded a nursing order of Anglican nuns, helped social welfare organizations care for orphans and young woman, and was a warden of Sackville college, but he translated early and medieval Greek and Latin hymns in his spare time—focusing on the ancient ones that were written around “the feasts and the fasts of the Christian year.”[1]

He is most notably known for bringing us that beloved carol, O Come O Come Emmanuel.

While the hymn as we find it today was first published in the mid 19th century, its origins are actually found in a Benedictine Gregorian chant from the late 8th and 9th century. History tells us that beginning the week before Christmas, the monks would sing a verse a day to prepare their hearts and minds for Christmas.

What’s fascinating about the original seven verses is that each began with a Messianic title from the Scriptures that prophesied and foreshadowed Jesus’ coming:

  • O Sapentia (Wisdom)
  • O Adonai (God)
  • O Radix Jesse (Stem or root of Jesse)
  • O Clavis David (Key of David)
  • O Oriens (Dayspring)
  • O Rex genitium (King of the Gentiles)
  • O Emmanuel (God with us)

If you’re interested in how each verse points to Jesus, you can watch the sermon that I preached on this hymn at the bottom of this article.

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70:20:10 Discipleship

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Discipling others while being discipled is actually one of the best ways to get discipled!

We see this in the way that Jesus interacted with his disciples. After all, he did not wait for his death and resurrection to send the disciples out for ministry. He did this early on; in fact, shortly after the disciples saw the Gerasenes demoniac set free, Jesus sent them out in pairs for ministry (Mark 6:6–12).

We also see this in adult educational theory and leadership practice through the 70:20:10 principle…

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No Silver Bullets Audiobook

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I’m constantly listening to podcasts and audiobooks.

While driving, working out, mowing the lawn, vacuuming the house, or shoveling snow, my earbuds are always in and I’m constantly learning.

Why? This is because the moment you stop learning is the moment you’ll stop growing (Click here to read more about this).

The moment you stop learning is the moment you’ll stop growing.

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A month before my book, No Silver Bullets, was released, I got a call from Christianaudio.com saying that they wanted to produce an audiobook version of my book! I was stoked, absolutely thrilled. While I’m a co-host on two podcasts (New Churches Q&A Podcast and the 5LQ Podcast), recording an audiobook is a completely different experience.

In fact, I spent 15 hours in the Warner Music Studio in Nashville recording my 8.6 hours long audiobook! It was long, but I loved the experience.

In fact, on the audiobook, I actually elaborate on a few more ideas and share stories that didn’t make it into the book. [Read more…] about No Silver Bullets Audiobook

The Difference Between Vision, Strategy, and Values for your Church or Ministry

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Let’s talk about where your church is going, what it’s going to do to get there, and how it’s going to do what it needs to do.

Recently I filmed a 90 Second Leadership video for LifeWay Leadership on how to distinguish the difference between vision, strategy, and values.

I hope you enjoy it!

If you like what you saw on this video, I elaborate on this concept further, and provide audits and templates to help you develop your vision, strategy, and values in my book, No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform Your Ministry.

Click here to watch other 90 Second Leadership videos by LifeWay Leadership.