New Blog for Great Lakes Conference of the ECC

For those interested in the larger church family that Artisan Church is a part of, you can check out the new blog of the Great Lakes Conference (the region we're in).

Myself and Brad Henson (of Four Rivers Church in Paducah, KY) will take turns posting under the "Church Planting" section. My first post is now up: Why Connect the Church & Technology?

You'll also hear from Dick Lucco, our District Superintendent, and Larry Sherman, our Director of Church Planting and Assoc. Superintendent, along with voice from the areas of Church Outreach and Church Development.

You can learn about the Great Lakes Conference at www.greatlakes.cc

Leadership Mindset (Hint: First, Lose Your Marbles)

Yesterday Artisan Church had the honor of hosting PastorConnect, an every-other-month gathering of Rochester-area pastors for encouragement and connection. I also had the privilege of bringing the message to shape our discussion time.

We briefly tackled the concept of "mindset" and the differences of a Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset. Fascinating examples of this can be found in scripture with how various people reacted to Jesus messing with their heads (see John 3:9 and John 7:45-52 in context).

While incredibly helpful for the challenges of leadership and pastoring, the ideas have broad application for school, workplace, relationships, and even spiritual growth.

So how might God want to renew your "mindset" in the face of the challenges, failure, and success that come your way?

*********
"Mindset" (listen or download below)

[download audio file: Presented by Jason Condon at PastorConnect, Feb 12, 2009 at Artisan Church. Approx. 20 minutes message + 15 minutes of sharing from group discussions]

Notes & Handouts:

• My Message Notes
• Discussion Handout
• Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset (info graphic by Nigel Holmes)
  

Related Articles:

• The Effort Effect (Guy Kawasaki)
  
• More on Professor Carol Dweck and Mindsets (Guy Kawasaki)
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_Bias

Related Books:

• Mindset, Dr. Carol Dweck [amazon, rochester library]
• Talent Is Overrated, Geoff Colvin [amazon, rochester library]
• Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell [amazon, rochester library]

image credits: Nick Lobeck (Clay Head), Alicia Solario (Marble), via www.sxc.hu

Pastors' Technology Seminar

Welcome to those who attended the ECC Midwinter Conference seminar, "Technology Tools for 21st-century Pastors" (and any others visiting this post!)

The notes and slides are already posted below (I'll likely take the time to 'embed' them here later), and the video will be up today later this week.

Subscribe to this particular post's Comments (Atom) to get updates as new content is added, as well as follow along or join in with the conversation in the comments section (feel free to subscribe to the entire blog as well).

Any tech-savvy Artisan folks are encouraged to chime in. Others pastors and ministry leaders who have questions about the use of technology in ministry are also welcome to the discussion (review the notes, slides, or video first to familiarize yourself with the scope of the topic)

Blessings as you use whatever tools necessary to further the work of Jesus.

• Seminar Notes [google doc]
• Video of Presentation [vimeo]
• Slides available below:
  

Technology Tools for 21st-Century Pastors

**********
Need a new or improved website your church or ministry? Feel free to check out our webdesign shop: www.SiteArtistry.com

Resolved 2009: Blog

A few weeks back I decided that in 2009 I'd finally embrace the phenomenon know as "blogging." Why, you ask?

• All the cool kids are doing it (and others).
  
• An "artisan's" desire to create and share (likely a fancy way of saying, "I'm just arrogant enough to think others might care what I think.")

I'm not one to start something if I'm not willing to pursue it with excellence (thank you Seth Godin, The Dip for helpful language and further inspiration). But I imagine it will take a while to find my voice.

So many options:

• words of wisdom (*cough*)
• leadership development & resources (e.g. communication and change)
  
• pictures of my awesome cat (or wife & kids, whatever)
  
• ego stroking (so help me, that scribbling canuck is going down*)
  
• sweet, sweet sarcasm ("When everyone else leaves me, you won't let me down, sarcasm.")
  

Question for you: What significant new challenge are you taking on in 2009?

Finally, to make myself seem more clever and noble in this bloggish pursuit (ah, there's that sarcasm :), a favorite quote to close:

He is The Way.
Follow Him through
the Land of Unlikeliness;
You will see rare beasts
and have unique adventures.
- W.H. Auden

____________________

* I actually have a deep fondness for all things Canadian, having grown up 20 minutes from the New Brunswick border in Mapleton, ME. The combination of having more Canadian television stations, and the mostly-girls church youth group about an hour's drive into Atlantic Time (we always tried to get there before we left), didn't hurt either. So go enjoy the rather impressive art work of the other "Jason Condon," and please buy something or hire him for a massive project (because when he slips into oblivion off page 1 in google, I don't want that on my conscience).