Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

thoughts

How Do You Decide on Change or Transition?

By

How do you decide on transition or change in your life?

  • Do you look at others who are doing what you want to do and try to emulate their steps?
  • Do you think of transition when things get tough at work or in life?

I find that there is a spectrum of change that all humans fall into. On the one end of that spectrum, we love the thrill of the unknown and get excited about change. On the other end, we love stability and are resistant to change.

Where are you on that spectrum?

My intention in this post is not to create a complete framework for discernment or change, nor is it to list out all of the Biblical passages that are relevant towards decision making. This post is intended to help you begin the conversation on how you process change by gleaning insights from this passage.

Don’t let your heart envy sinners; instead, always fear the Lord. For then you will have a future, and your hope will never fade. Listen, my son, and be wise; keep your mind on the right course. (Proverbs 23:17-19 HCSB)

Here are four insights on transition and change from this passage:

[Read more…] about How Do You Decide on Change or Transition?

Is This The Future of Group Life? Small Group Network Interview

By

smallgroupnetwork

I was recently interviewed on GroupTalk @ SmallGroupNetwork.com about mid-size communities!

 

Carolyn Taketa, the Executive Director for Small Groups at Calvary Community Church, is a friend of mine and she interviewed me about all things mid-size communities.

In this Group Talk, we cover:

  • Creating an environment for those not likely to ever join a small group.
  • Keys to developing mid-size communities (MSC) for greater assimilation, discipleship, and multiplication.
  • How does a mid-size community compliment or conflict with existing SG structures?
  • Why is having a leadership team (instead of a single leader) critical to a healthy MSC?
  • Tips on overcoming leadership resistance to MSCs

I’d love to hear your thoughts and continue this conversation with you!

Be sure to check out the interview here.

3 Simple Ways to Become Efficient

By


Since time is the only commodity that cannot be gained, multiplied, or banked, here are three simple ways for you to become more effective in the use of your time:

1. Stop doing the things that don’t really matter

  • Peter Drucker sums it up well in his book The Effective Executive. Ask yourself “‘What would happen if this were not done at all?’ And if the answer is, ‘Nothing would happen,’ then obviously the conclusion is to stop doing it.”

2. Delegate, delegate, delegate

  • If you find yourself doing the same thing over and over again, record the steps and find someone else who can do it for you. They may even do it better than you, and it will free you up to do what only you can uniquely do.

[Read more…] about 3 Simple Ways to Become Efficient

5 Questions To Help You Move Further Faster

By

Running

If you want to move further faster in your leadership, then you not only need to overcome the obstacles that are ahead of you, but you also need to submit the obstacles that are within you.

The way that you lead is deeply affected by your life experiences – and not always in a positive way:

  • For example, when you know that you’ve done a great job on an assignment, do you strive to tell others overtly or subtly? Do you care whether or not you’re praised and encouraged for it? Why is that anyway?
  • Or, when you know that you have done a poor job on a project, what’s going on inside of you? Do you avoid others? Do you rationalize? Why is that?

Here are five questions that every leader must ask themselves to overcome the obstacles that are preventing them from moving further faster:

  1. What are the experiences that have shaped your life?
  2. Are there any patterns underneath your current behaviours that disturb you about yourself?
  3. What are the things in your life that you are holding onto tightly?
  4. What would it look like if you let those things go and surrendered them to God?
  5. Are there any hidden patterns or addictions in your life that are hindering you from moving further faster?

“The freedom question, then, is not whether we can do whatever we want but whether we can do what we most deeply want.” – Gerald May, The Awakened Heart

The New Wave in Storytelling

By

Gary Vaynerchuk, the founder of VaynerMedia and a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author as well as a self-trained wine and social media expert, does a great job challenging us to stop storytelling like it’s 2007.

Although his language is a bit crude at times, he challenges us to story tell in micro moments because times have changed. People don’t open email marketing anymore, banner click throughs are obsolete, TV advertising is useless since people just PVR everything, and billboards don’t always work since people are texting while driving.

He asserts that story telling is more about the context than it is about the content – so what is the psychology around people who use Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter? And how should that alter the way you advertise on those means? What would it look like to figure out where people’s eyes and ears are, and then develop our marketing strategy around that?

He concludes with an assertion that we need to give people value. He says, “Let’s give, give, give, then ask…You don’t need a business objective for everything.”

In light of this fascinating talk, how ought our advertising in the church change? How can we continue to give our congregants value, and help them understand that it’s value?