Insights

I made my first pinky promise last night.  I made it with a 6 year old girl.  She made me pinky promise she could lead prayer in AWANA.  

I didn't think much about the promise.  I smiled at the idea of locking pinkies with this precious girl and smiled as I anticipated a prayer for her goldfish, a puppy, or some other child-like prayer.  

But when it came time to make good on my promise . . . when this little girl prayed and begged God to make her mommy better and bring her home from the hospital because she missed her ...

If you've worked much with Social Media...you know how easy it is to lose the "social" aspect! Your organization's Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn or whatever platform you're on somehow slips from being a social tool into a boring chore. And the tragic part is...there's no hiding it!

When an organization becomes bored with the social side of Media, it's all too apparent. Posts, tweets and conversations are stilted and un-engaging. Interaction diminishes and content generation is nowhere to be found. And the truth is, it's incredible easy to have this happen!

There ...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the search results you get? Bing certainly thinks people do. That is exactly what led to their latest marketing push to become the "decision" engine...not just a search engine.

The main idea? Without a relationship to the actual search term, the results can be far-fetched, overwhelming and useless. Basically, it's a direct attack on Google's main 'value' to provide the most relevant results each and every time a user hits "search."

So what's next for the sparing Search Engines? Google rolled out +1!

+1 is basically Google Search's version ...

Raise your hand if you associate "spring cleaning" with clearing your closet of old clothes or vacuuming under the couch cushions.

I see your hand, thank you.  You may put your hand down now.

Now, raise your hand if -- when you think of "spring cleaning" -- you picture setting aside time to clean out your organization's print materials.  I'm talking about every brochure, flyer, newsletter and even envelopes that have your pre-printed return address. 

Not too many hands.  Just what I suspected.

I imagine that some of you -- at the very mention of those printed pieces -- sighed a heavy ...

MVP - a coveted acknowledgment for an athlete playing a team sport.   The MVP is the player who contributes the most to the game-the player who gives their "all."

My 8 year old softball catcher daughter was named MVP in her game this week - she tagged someone out at home, making the third out and then hit in the winning RBI.

I was so proud of her.  She was so excited-a gigantic smile as her coach presented her with the certificate.

But on the drive home, her mind was already on other things - what's for dinner and can I play ...

Fundraising!  It's a conversation we avoid!  To the extent we'd rather do it poorly than commit to doing it full out, no holding back.

I wonder if we'd struggle with it so much if we did the task of raising funds and cultivating of relationships with gusto!  Would there be less angst if we believed what we're doing in ministry truly is worth inviting others to join us?

I can't answer those questions for you.  But I do want to encourage you to understand the choice you're making.  True fundraising, that sustaining and ...