CPC Breakout notes-Seasonal Leadership w Craig Jutila

This was the last breakout of CPC and I decided to go to Craig Jutila's breakout on Seasonal Leadership. I'm in a season of life that seems crazy and hectic to me (2 young kids) but may not be compared to other people. I wanted to hear what Craig had to say about leading through these times.

Here's my notes:

Church is always busy season, but families go through different seasons.
What is your season? Live your season

Biblical example--Jacob. Jacob's struggle with Esau, moved away, last thing Esau said was 'I will kill him'. When Jacob moved back with all his family, Esau tried to get him to run ahead and join him. Jacob looked at his family, his flocks, and said 'If I drive them hard, I'm going to lose them'. Jacob said he will travel at his own pace (even though it would seem smart to all of us that he do whatever Esau wanted!)

Season examples: Single no kids, Married no kids, Married w kids, Single w kids--the more responsibility you have the less time you have to work.
Jesus was single with no kids. As good as it sounds to minister like Jesus did, at his pace, we can only do that if we are in that season.

What happens when one spouse is living seasonally different than the other? The 'V' of marriage drift.

Desired \ / Detached
Exciting \ / Exhausting
Important\ / Insignificant
Dreams \ / Disillusioned

Your job Your marriage

Priorities need to be
Individual---they fit your season
Intentional--They fit your calendar
Investments--They fit your family

Priorities that promote health
1. How are you practicing Soul Care; Take in
2. How are you investing your time? Time out-Buy the opportunity-Take advantage of the opportunity you have
3. How will you connect with others? With your spouse? Team up
Questions to ask your spouse
What was negative in the past few years/weeks/months?
What is going well?
What do we want to do going forward?
4. Who or what will you say no to? Turn Down--good opportunities may not be good for you? everything you say 'yes' to means 'no' to something else

Questions:
Do you recruit people in their seasons? Ask them-don't say their no. Help them reach their potential, not burn out. Talk to them if they are doing too much


This workshop came at a great time for me. I have been choosing, in this season, to spend more time with my family versus more time at church (without neglecting my responsibilities). This was confirmation for me that I am doing the right thing and, no matter what may happen with my job, I will never regret the choices I am making to invest in my family.
Someone else will eventually have my job, no one else will be the husband to my wife that I am supposed to be, or be the father my kids need.
Thanks Craig for a great workshop. I am looking forward to reading his book (coming out in April) called "Hectic to Healthy".

My CPC Notes--Reggie Joiner

General Session #3--Reggie Joiner

No room in God's kingdom for competition--(side note-he never mentioned or pushed 'Orange' curriculum)

No one has more potential to impact a child for God than their parent

23.5% of children live with both of their biological parents married to each other.

Stock family-what picture are we holding up for families?
Even if our pictures don't turn out the way we thought they would, there's a bigger story going on.

God is inviting families into a bigger story, not a better picture.

When you do ministry from a 'bigger story' perspective you give every family hope.

Never buy into the myth that you need to become the 'right' kind of parent before God can use you in your kids lives. Let kids see the struggles and problems and give them a front row seat to the grace of God.

You should
--always have parents who don't get it
--celebrate small changes
--make it easy for parents to win

Churches should do less for kids and more for families.

Make a 'stop to do' list

What happens in YOUR home is more important than what happens in YOUR ministry.

CPC Breakout--First Impressions-Environments matter

CPC Breakout-First Impressions: Environments Matter, led by Sam Luce

Love Disney's intentionality of creating environments. Also Starbucks
Environments are not good or bad, not good vs. evil
What is an environment that kids want to come to? Has to be intentional

Environments matter because they matter to God Exodus 26:1-6 (details of tabernacle)
Goal is not so people will be impressed with how cool our church or stuff is, goal is that people will be overwhelmed by what God is doing--something different--something kids will want to come back to

We will never be able to match Disney or Nickelodeon, but they will never be able to match the relational impact the church can have

Tools only go so far-environments have to be 'values driven'
Redeemer (Sam's church) uses 4 Be attitudes
Be attitudes:
1. Be Safe--check names, backgrounds, cameras in rooms, etc
2. Be courteous--Welcome, smile, be happy to be there, look for people who need help
3. Be engaging--someone needs to know kids names and care about them, if you can't do it all, empower others to do that.
4. Be consistent--use our influence to show that kids matter every week, not just at special events, VBS, etc.

7 ways to make kids feel welcome
1. Talk to them how they talk to you-if they're shy, be shy, etc.
2. Make fun of yourself
3. Stoop down to their level
4. Stay up on kid culture
5. Give them things
6. Learn their names
7. Always greet kids before their parents