Creativity – Leading Happy

Category: Creativity (page 1 of 4)

The Pickled Priest and the Perishing Parish: A Review

What an oddly enjoyable book. I am sure you have heard, never judge a book by it’s cover, but I did. In a good way. I mean, come on, what an odd title – The Pickled Priest and the Perishing Parish. I thought to myself, either this guy Hal West is either uber creative or he’s just mad at the state of the church and trying to sneak in judgment through creativity. First impressions had me leaning towards the later. For those that know me, I am man enough to admit defeat and say I was wrong, and boy was I wrong.

Hal West in The Pickled Priests and the Perishing Parish is like traveling with a older, wiser, and humorous mentor who has watched and participated (and at times shunned) the radical changing trends of the church through a life of faithfulness. Nevertheless, when many boomer-aged pastors are looking for the greener pasture of a ninth hole fairway, West feels his time to truly make an impact is now. Not only is this a solid read for pastors who are just now coming into their own and needing advice on what church was in the past by a true practitioner, but it is also a wonderful read for boomer age pastors to realize the value they still can add to the church. West is truly the humorous and whimsical Gandalf for the hobbit-like pastors who need guidance on their journey and for the elders who still need to stick around to share the wisdom of the past so we all do not make the same mistakes previous church leaders have made.

Before we go too far, one important note, Hal West is not a priest and has not ever lived in a parish. He utilizes this terminology because of the power it elicits for spiritual guidance and the longevity inherent within. Pastors are to be the long term, spiritual leaders of their community. With modern pastors moving and changing jobs so often, no wonder little to no impact has been made over the last decade or more. Being the constant figure in the community someone can go for spiritual insight and reprieve from a world gone wrong, this is the message many boomer pastors can pass down to their proteges. Instead of lamenting the rise of the young, rock-star, self centered pastor, those who have pastored faithfully for years can pass on wisdom only found in the truly faithful – those on whom we build our legacy.

The overall message is one all spiritual leaders must face – to get past our “pickled” perspective, regardless of tenure perspectives to approach the transformation of the church with an open mind as to proved spiritual vision and restoration to the modern church and to the souls they serve regularly. West does the best I have seen from a boomer leader through humor and through poignant experiences that qualify him to be a coach and consultant to other boomer leaders and especially to the rising generation of spiritual leaders.

I highly recommend this book to two major groups – boomer age pastors and young pastors. Truly the book does such an amazing job speaking to the issues of older leaders fighting change and younger leaders feeling like everything must change. There is a middle ground that is often ignored, but not by West. I also recommend this book to anyone who feels that their aging pastor has become too “pickled” to change and transition which can be hurting the overall health and growth of the church. West understands how they feel and where they are coming from and his book can offer needed advice to change for the betterment of their spiritual journey as well as the church they love and serve.

The Pickled Priest and the Pershing Parish is a humour, heartfelt read by a pastor with a huge, humble heart for his contemporaries and the next generation of rising spiritual leaders. Younger pastors need the wisdom of the experienced pastor and seasoned pastors need to hear out the new perspectives the next generation brings so that everyone can reach their full redemptive potential in the communities they serve.

This book is a wonderful primer for such a timely, needed conversation!

West, Hal. The Pickled Priest and the Pershing Parish: Boomer Pastors Bouncing Back. Nashville: Westbow Press, 2016. 130pp. $15.00.

*I received a free copy of this book for review purposes.

Making “WOW” Happen!

January 25, 2017 / davidlermy / 0 Comments

platform-get-noticed-in-a-noisy-world-michael-hyatt-edit

I am currently reading Michael Hyatt’s Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World.

I have actually read it before when it first released but never followed through with the principles. Am I the only one that does that?

This go around I am reading to apply, but wanted to share some of the bigger insights with you all.

Since I pretty much read as my hobby, I will read, summarize, and save you time. Now that’s what we call a Win-Win!

So here are Hyatt’s six ways to find the courage to make “wow” happen:

Take a stand for greatness.
Connect with the original vision.
Remind yourself what is at stake.
Listen to your heart.
Speak up.
Be stubborn.

Seems so simple right? Well Hyatt goes into creative depth on these points to not only motivate but to provide guru-like advice. Know this, I do not bestow the Guru title on anyone, but this book is Michael Hyatt’s journey from leaving a CEO job to become a blogger, podcaster, and speaker. He is a personal brand genius because he tried ideas, through out the junk and honed in on the principles that worked.

For example, “Remind yourself what is at stake,” (3) is about knowing that you will fail, you will get frustrated, and you will want to quit. Personal branding and getting your ideas out in the world is what is at stake. The world needs your ideas, your council, and your charisma. There are people out there that only you can inspire and reach. What’s at stake is you! You matter. Preserve!

People want to be wowed. People want to hear the story of personal courage. Speak up, be stubborn, and take a stand for what is great.

We often hear people say, Bring it! I like to say, Bring WOW! @MichaelHyatt feel free to quote me! Click To Tweet

So I will continue to post fun ideas from Hyatt’s book and mix my thoughts in there, but I highly suggest you get a copy and get your message…your WOW…out there into the world that needs it!

Bring your WOW and get noticed in this noisy world!

The Cause Within You: A Short Review

November 2, 2016 / davidlermy / 0 Comments

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Barnett, Matthew. The Cause within You: Finding the One Great Thing You Were Created to Do in This World. Carol Stream: Tyndale, 2011. 240pp. $14.99.

I am probably a bit biased here, but I have known and have had the privilege of being around Matthew Barnett and doing mission’s work at the LA Dream Center for many years now. If you have ever been around Matthew you know it can be an intoxicating experience of cause-drivenness and passion for the least of these all wrapped up int a fireball of a guy! He truly is the Master of Misfits and the Champion of Causes in this generation. Just knowing him has made me more aware of Jesus calling us to serve the least of these, the forgotten, the hurting, the destitute, and poor, tired, and the hungry.

In The Cause within You, Barnett urges readers to see that God creates us to do great things for his name and his kingdom. By sharing his story in the beginning and weaving it in and out of the rest of the chapters, he leads a reader through an inspirational ride of Scripture, reflection, and challenges that will move the reader from passive pew sitter to passionate pursuer of God dreams! Matthew urges readers that if God can use him in great ways, he can use anyone he chooses. It simply takes faith, and truly that is the crux. Faith inside a person may drive their thinking and activities, but the one’s looking at the faithful from the outside think they have gone crazy.

Well, maybe it does take a bit of craziness to do big God-sized things. Click To Tweet

Just saying. 🙂

The chapters are each written in a manner that will help you process living out a God-sized cause. This type of cause is more than a vocation or occupation. It drives you to get out of bed early and go to bed late…and do it over and over again. You will have to stand up to persecution and pushback, sometimes even from close friends and the hardest of all – family. Through all of this attitude is everything. How you talk to those who follow you, those who persecute you, those you serve, and those you wish to impact matters more than any other single trait. Maxwell once said attitude is everything to the successful, and Matthew Barnett is proof in the pudding! His dream was not an easy road, but the right attitude helped him navigate the straightaways, curves, and potholes that derail too many dreams.

All great dreams need great teams. Click To Tweet

The LA Dream Center and all it took to get there and now to run the multitude of programs and outreaches is all team based. Your cause may start in your heart but it must begin to burn in others too. Recruiting, training, empowering, and releasing high energy teams of staff and volunteers is paramount to your success. As my two daughters often say (because they hear me say it all the time). Teamwork makes the dream work! I got that from my time around the LA Dream Center and following the amazing cause based career of Matthew Barnett. What began in LA has now extended internationally through the Dream Center Network. Amazing!

I highly recommend this book to leaders who have a cause in their heart and need an inspirational roadmap for the journey to see it lived out. WIth discussion questions in the back this can be done alone or in a small group or especially with the team surrounding the cause! This book isn’t for everyone. Many who have seen dreams come and go will baulk at all the stories and the antidotes and the inspirational quotes. For some it may be too late, but you never know. Maybe an attitude change could change the outcome of your past faded desires. It’s easy to be negative to those living and asking others to live their dreams. I simply believe that God has greatness for us all and that can be different as night and day for his children, but still greatness is there for us all!

I gave this book 5 stars because I feel Barnett captured his story and found principles to help others live their own story. It isn’t simply hype to get you excited, but a clarion call to action for those who need our gifts the most. If you are happy where you are at, great. Don’t read this book. If you feel a cause burning inside you, I cannot recommend a more readable and approachable book than The Cause within You. Oh, and if you can, get out to the LA Dream Center for one of their missions activities. Trust me, you will never be the same afterward.