by Clarence E. Stowers | May 18, 2011 | Communication, Decisions, Leadership, Self-Leadership, Vision
Jesus was an innovative teacher who taught in an innovative way. He came on the scene to explain God to a group of people who were confused about God. They saw God as as distant, demanding, and unapproachable. Therefore, Jesus used word pictures, parables, and fatherly imagery to show how God desires a relationship with His people. Jesus’ innovative way of teaching upset the status quo and ultimately played a part in His crucifixion and death.
What’s the lesson: Innovation is costly!
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com recently shared his approach to innovation—both how to do it and how to stay focused when critics question high-risk projects. You can read the entire article HERE.
He said:
I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you’re going to innovate. That’s actually a serious point. If you’re going to do something that’s never been done before – which is basically what innovation is – people are going to misunderstand it just because it’s new.
Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO of Amazon.com (BusinessWeek.com April 17, 2008)
I agree with Bezos’ thoughts on innovation and see why most leaders play it safe and copy others. Innovators drink from the fountain of being misunderstood while ultimately paving the way for others.
Question: Do you agree or disagree with Jeff Bezos’ statement?
by Clarence E. Stowers | May 12, 2011 | 2011, Accountability, Decisions, Empowerment, Excellence, Goals, Self-Leadership, Vision
I recently heard someone say, “Life is a cruel joke and I ain’t laughing.” I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, the majority would agree that life comes at you fast, doesn’t play fair, and is downright unpredictable! Wouldn’t you agree? Since life doesn’t play fair, why should you? If you plan to excel, you’d better learn how to “hack” life and make it work for you. Hack life, what in the world is that? “A life hack a clever solution to a tricky problem,” according to UrbanDictionary.com.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | May 9, 2011 | Apple/Mac, Christian, Christianity, Prayer, Preaching, Technology, Tools
I finished last week’s post mentioning how how I used my iPhone, Cloud Storage, and a few Apps to prepare messages in 10 minutes or less. Let’s face it – there’s no way we can escape technology. It’s here to stay and we may as well leverage it for the glory of God. Furthermore, given the consumerist mindset of most church goers, presenting a real and relevant word (grounded in biblical truth) remains challenging. Communicators must learn to quickly “size” up their audience and adjust their message for maximum impact. I had to do this this earlier this year while preaching at another church.
As a pastor, I’m invited to preach at other churches during their pastoral or church anniversaries. While worshiping, God begin to impress upon my heart that the message I prepared wasn’t quite right for the occasion. I quickly discerned the room was filled with broken people who had looks of despair in their eyes. I came to encourage the pastor, but discerned that the people needed a Word from the Lord. I prayed and God revealed they need encouragement, healing, and empowerment. I opened my Bible, pulled out my iPhone 4, placed it in my Bible (to hide it), and began crafting a “NEW” message.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | May 2, 2011 | Christian, Christianity, Church Issues, Family, Relationships, Technology, Worship
Quick! How do you keep the attention of a generation of church goers eternally distracted by the internet, cellphones, and technology. You make technology your friend – you leverage it for the Glory of God.
Mars Hill – TWO Churches in ONE Location
As much as I hate to admit it, in reality, I pastor TWO distinct congregations. Since we began offering additional worship experiences, I’ve noticed they’ve morphed into two very distinct, different, and unique congregations. We’re still Mars Hill – now we’re TWO churches in ONE location. How did that happen?
8AM Classic Worship Experience
Older church goers, business-types, and families with older/adult children mainly attend our Our 8AM Worship Experience. It’s early, convenient, and 60-90 minutes long. They enjoy softer music and love to reflect on the music and message. It fits their lifestyle and they primarily want worship and the Word! Period! However, it’s quite different during our 10:30AM experience.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 27, 2011 | Current Affairs, Dating, Decisions, Empowerment, Men, Relationships, Women
The beauty and challenge of pastoring an urban, thriving, and large congregation are the number of singles who attend.
Our church is filled with people who’ve never been married, recently divorced, and widows. Since I counsel them all, most are eager to get back into the game before they’re healthy and ready. Since I’m a pastor, I approach dating from a biblical perspective and having a relationship with God is a given. However, since I like to keep it real and relevant, I decided to strip away the layers and give it to you – “straight up – no chaser.”
If you’re dating…considering dating…I advise you to NEVER break this rule for anyone:
If a man or woman doesn’t like you for who you are, just stop.
Why? If you have to change who you are to attract, or keep them, you are cheating both yourself and them.
Whoop, there it is (Man, I’m showing my age). What are your thoughts? Sound off?
