7 Milestones You Should Celebrate

 

It was 7 years ago today....Monday, September 11, 2017, that I walked through the front door at First Baptist Burleson to start my new (GOD) sized adventure. It was God sized because its not every day you wait 365 days for God to move in your life. That's exactly why I chose the new start date when offered the new position. Of course when looking back on that year long sabbatical, God was moving all around me teaching me, molding me, changing me, and strategically placing people in my path that would lead me to where I came on this day 7 years ago. (GOD)

That year long sabbatical came to a close with a phone call, out of the blue, from someone I did not know or had ever met. Christopher Cass was the Executive Pastor at First Baptist Burleson who called me at home one Thursday morning telling me that my name was given to him by three different people to call about a position at his church. (GOD). The following Sunday Becky and I attended worship services at the church which was 4 hours from where we were living. Everything about our visit was confirming this was the place God had picked out for us. (GOD).  I was offered the position and within a week or so I was in my new office with a window overlooking Burleson, Texas. Seven years later I am now known as the fastest hire ever made there. (GOD). Within weeks we found an amazing home of our dreams that we both fell in love with and moved in a couple months later. (GOD) There was a white silk glove laying on my office desk that day I started and when I slipped it on, it fit perfectly. (GOD) 

This will give you goosbumps! Prior to the phone call I had asked Becky if we could move anywhere, where would she want to be. She responded with the Fort Worth area. At the time all three of our adult children were within an hour of Fort Worth. When I asked Christopher on the phone call that day where his church was located, he responded Burleson, Texas just a few minutes south of....Fort Worth. (GOD)

Another milestone was created in my life that needs to be and has been celebrated ever since. Today, September 11, 2024  marks that milestone for me at First Baptist Burleson. I'm a firm believer in celebrations so, allow me to share mine.

Birthdays - I celebrate my birthday all month long each year. This year is my lucky number 7 as I slide into 70 years 

Wedding Anniversaries - this December I get to celebrate 48 years with the same wife. She is  amazing!

Children - I am blessed and get to celebrate three adult children that are amazing and fill my life with fun and great childhood memories as they grew up.

NGD - that's when I get to buy a new guitar. I am bless to have a wife that encourages my addition to playing, buying, and selling guitars. Last count - 16

Friends for Life - I got to graduate from high school with the same people I went to elementary school with. This October I get to celebrate my birthday with my best friend since 5th grade.

Faith - I get to celebrate, every day, the day I placed my faith in Christ in 1981 in the living room of my home along with Becky at the same time.

Work - I get to celebrate every year where God places me to serve Him. 

"Always celebrate when you can, and celebrate for as long as you can". Rick Cadden

 

What about you? What do you celebrate? Comments?

No Regrets Here

Some work the same job for 30 years and retire. Some pastors preach at the same church for 30 years and retire. There is nothing wrong at all with that and to me would be awesome. However, that was not God’s plan for me. I started my first job in a family-owned business in 1970 at the age of 16 and made a career in selling auto parts for the next 25 years with my dad. Little did I know back then God had a different plan. I started my first full-time ministry position in 1995 and have been serving for 26 years. In my 51 years of work, I have been terminated 2 times; both were churches with young pastors in their first pastorate. There is a pattern there I believe.There were never any accusations other than standing for what I believe is right. After the last termination, I debated in my mind and heart if I should stay in the ministry. Maybe I should have stayed selling auto parts. Is God through with me? However, that was not God’s plan.

In my 26 years of ministry and the five churches I served, lifelong relationships were made with people I am still friends with today. Each church was different but the relationship building was the same. If you look through all my Facebook friends today, you will find friends from each church. Some more than others. I thank God almighty for each opportunity to serve him and make friends along the way. God had a plan for me my entire life. Even though I had to endure two terminations in my ministry, I regret nothing. Had God not placed me in any of those churches, I would never have met so many incredible people. I hate to think what I would have missed in making friends for life at those churches.

Five years ago, God provided a year-long sabbatical for me to heal and for him to teach me his infinite love. In that time I met the most amazing church staff who wrapped their arms around Becky and I and loved us like no other. I was privileged to serve on staff there for a short time with amazing people. Had I not been on that sabbatical I would have never met them. I hate to think I would have missed that. My dream my whole life is that I would end well and during my ministry years that I would end well for Jesus, especially as I got older and on the tail end of life. It looked dim and dark at times. However, God had a plan for me.

Today I celebrate another 4 years of ministry that boosted me to the 26 years. Four years ago today, out of nowhere, in just the right moment in time, a total stranger made a phone call to me. Calling with references from 3 of my friends, (see there!), he was looking for his next staff member. The rest of the story is about pure joy serving on one of the best staff I could ever imagine. God has placed me in just the right church at just the right time, again. Should I have stayed selling auto parts my whole life? Heck no! Should I have quit the ministry after 2 terminations? Heck no! No Regrets here.

 Comments?

Get to Know People Now

 

I assume by now almost every human being has a social media profile somewhere. More than likely you have a hundred friends or more and some of you have a thousand friends. It is not a contest! With the likes of Facebook, we have been allowed to know more people and to connect with them, however, and whenever we like. We all get invites to be friends from people we don’t even really know. A friend of a friend maybe! The bottom line is we have tons of people that we are connected to. Do you know them?

Paul was a close friend of mine for 20+ years and although we lived far apart we talked often by phone. We had a lot of friends in common and saw each other in person at friend gatherings. In the last years of Paul's life, he was battling cancer. I spoke at a conference every February in his home town and we would meet for dinner each year and get caught up with life. There was a lot to talk about being friends for so long and with so many common friends. Cancer took his life and at his funeral, I realized something about Paul. Did I know him? Paul was married and although separated for many years up to his death, I realized I had never met his wife. Then there was Grace, his daughter. Never met her either.   

At one church during my minister, I served there for 9 years. I was sitting in the sanctuary attending a funeral of a long-standing member of our church. Reading the memorial tribute with his picture and life accomplishments, I suddenly realized I did not know him. I thought I did know him. We spoke and shook hands every Sunday at church and stopped in the halls a few times to just visit. I knew Jim and he knew me. After hearing more during the funeral about who Jim was and what he did during his life, I felt strange. He was a great leader in our community and church and why did I not know him well. Why did it take his death for me to know Jim?

I see myself as a people person and love to meet and network with people. That’s one of the main reasons I am on any type of social media today. Every time I post on Facebook I am taking a chance. I am opening up and being vulnerable and transparent with the world at large. It is one of the best ways I can get to know people as well. I spend time on social media to share my life and to allow them to know me for who I am. I don’t want people to show up at my funeral and be shocked at how I am or what oi have done in life. Please, get to know me while I am alive for heaven's sake! Why did I not know about Paul's wife and daughter and get to know them while he was alive? Why did I not know Jim was a great leader and professor and get to know him before he died? Get to know people while they are alive. Spend time with them. Hang out with them. I had lunch the other day with a friend I have known for 3 years and did know what he did for a living. Turns out he is in sales. That is what I did for 25 years before ministry.  We had a great lunch laughing and reminiscing old sales stories. Get to people now; do not wait until you hear about it at their funeral.

Comments? Suggestions?

FM101: Before You Begin

Church facility management encompasses a lot of diverse areas that all need to be managed on a regular basis. Before you dive in to the "how to" portion of managing your facility, start with these inputs. There are four major inputs you should address before you start managing. These areas will vary according to the size of your church, the facility, and the campus you have. By taking a look at these inputs and making sure you understand them and have done them, you are then ready to start managing that will result in more savings of time and money. 

Assessing Your Team

This may be an ongoing process in finding the right people for the job. Here are some question to ask yourself and work through:

• Volunteers - can I get by with just volunteers?
• Building and Grounds Committee -do I need one and what is their role
• Paid staff - do I just hire it all out, or can I mix in volunteers?
• Outsourcing - do I use this for housekeeping or build my own in-house team?
• Vendors - how do I find vendors that want to become partners with me in facility management?
• Facility Manager - at what point to I hire this person and what is their role?

 Mapping Your Facility

It is very difficult to manage what you don't now you have or where it is! Take the time and effort to map your facility. This can be used for so many tasks in facility management plus it is a key feature to consider. Mapping will also save you time and money with vendors charging you by the hour for their services. Things you can map include:

Types of...

• flooring
• roofing
• square footage
• HVAC
• gas or electric
  

Location of...

• breaker panels
• shut off valves
• fire extinguishers
• thermostats
• mop sinks

How many...

• sinks
• toilets
• soap and paper dispensers
• acres
• vehicles
• parking spaces
  

You get the idea! Mapping can also tell you how many people you will need for each task by knowing your facility size and what you have.

Assessing your Equipment

Take inventory of what you have on hand and the condition it is in. Keep a record on each piece taking note of when it was purchased, the cost, the age of the unit, and any repairs on it to date. Items to take inventory and assess include:

• vacuums
• buffers
• carpet extractors
• tile cleaners
• mop bucket set ups
• carts
  

Training and Skill Levels

This is so important in facility management. There are 4 keys areas to consider in training and knowing your team. 

1. Know and understand the level of skill of each staff person on your team
2. Assess the training needed for the areas that you are lacking in
3. Know where to get training like vendors and suppliers
4. Begin an ongoing training program especially for any new equipment you purchase

So, there are your four inputs for facility management that will greatly increase your output once you get started. 

Comments? Suggestions?

Church Growth Sales Analogy

Disclaimer: I am not a church growth specialist or strategist. However, I firmly believe churches can benefit from this analogy from business sales.

Whether you are creating growth strategies for your your church or for a business, there are similarities that can be useful in both. I grew up in sales! From the day I got my driver’s license I went to work in a family owned business selling auto parts. I stayed in that career for 24 years selling in both retail and wholesale markets. During my career, I was both self- employed and worked for other large companies. Early in my sales career, I was taught from day one that sales were driven by customer service. You could have the best price and the best product but if you fail in customer experience, you did not grow. 

During my last years in sales before making the transition into full time ministry, I worked for a large auto parts wholesaler. At the time, we were the # 2 sales volume auto parts wholesaler in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and growing fast. Each year we increased sales and pushed our way into becoming a leader in the industry. I was the Fort Worth District Sales manager then. The owner of the company was in my opinion the smartest businessman I had ever worked for. Add together his keen business sense with the level of customer service we provided, and the company grew quick in sales.

So, how does all that relate to church growth? It's very similar. Before we move to that analogy, first, you need to understand this. There are three key components to business growth, assuming you already have a great product and a great price. Current customers already buying, new customers, and making sure you are ready for the growth. Each month I monitored my current customer list on how much they purchased. I made goals to move each customer up the ranks in dollar amounts. Those buying $500 a month were worked to $1000 a month. Those buying $3000 were worked to $5000 a month and so on. In addition to that I would cold call finding new customers to add to my list moving them to $500 a month as fast as I could.

 I learned that customers buying zero eventually dropped off. But once they hit the $500 mark, they stayed and grew to larger customers.

It was a combination of working current customers and new customers at the same time that gave me growth. However, what we did before implementing that strategy was a key part to success. We had to make sure all our locations (we had 7) were fully stocked and staffed and ready for the extra business we hoped to get.

So, how does all this relate to church growth? I am glad you asked. It is very similar. The church has current members already attending but maybe they only attend and serve once or twice a month. To grow your church, you would need them to attend and serve and give every week. Then you have those in your community that are believers but do not attend church anywhere. You also have those that are not believers that don’t attend church anywhere. There is your market, so to speak, in church work. The church is called to go and make disciples and tell the Good News. You must work your members and cold call at the same time. You know what I mean!

Remember the pre-growth strategy? Just like a business must be ready for growth or they might miss it, a church must be ready for growth or it might miss it. Are you staffed and ready? Is your campus and facility ready? Do you have the right programs in place? Do you have the space you need for growth? Do you have enough leaders in place to grow? You get the point. First, be ready and prepared for growth and then think for growth. 

 

If you are a church with 500 in attendance and want to grow to 1000, then think and operate like a church of 1000, even before you are there.

 

As I stated earlier, I am not a church growth specialist. However, I believe that church growth has a lot of similarities to growing a business and can be applied to a church. I believe the key is balance. A church must balance working current members for growth and retention, look for new members, be ready for growth and ensure that customer service is alive and well. What would happen if new members came but they had a bad customer service experience? Or the campus was not ready? Or you spent all your time on new members and current ones left? Or you spent all your time on current members and never reached new members. You would not grow. 

Comments? Suggestions? Thoughts?

Priority in Purchasing

I have been teaching and speaking for many years on church facility management and love saving money. Wherever I speak I always set the session up with this "hot tip" first. It sets the tone for so many other ways to save in church facility management. We all have to make purchases large and small and there needs to be some structure to the purchasing process. Here is what I use and in this order of priority.


Service
Quality
Price... and in that order!

What gets people the most is why price is at the bottom they. Price is not the driving force for a great deal. It's just part of it, but not the top priority. First, I want the best service for what I am buying. I do not want to be left with a product that is not serviced properly. Second, I want a quality product. I do not want to buy an inferior product that you normally get for the lowest price. Third, I want the best price possible. If you let price drive the process, you may miss out on service and quality. I always want all three!

Recently, I used this as a negotiation tactic with a vendor that I wanted to become my partner in church facility management / operation. I had two offers on the table from two different companies and already knew which one I was leaning toward. While meeting with that vendor, I simply let him know about my priority in purchasing and that they had checked the boxes for service and quality but not for pricing. His next move was to check that box by offering more savings to the tune of $3000. That set this offer up to save me a total of $18,000 with other factors we worked through. All the way through the sales pitch, I focused on service and quality and saved the best for last, price! It paid off too.

Using the priority in purchasing method proved to be fruitful once again!

Comments! Suggestions!

Tractors and Backhoes not Required!

In the mid 90's, I was on staff at a small Baptist church as their Business Manager with oversight of the campus and facilities. It was a church of about 200 people with one main building and eventually adding 6 double classroom portable buildings. We relied heavily on volunteers for a lot of activities and getting things done around the church. I met a man named L.K. Choate and discovered he was the influence for about 10 other men that loved to build and fix things. If I needed a facility project done, all I had to do was call L.K. Chote and it got done. What a blessing to have these servants at our church.

It was time for my first "All Church Work Day". You know the drill; we line up tasks and projects, ask the church to spend a day working all around the church giving it a makeover, feed them lunch and go home. I put all that together and asked the members to bring gloves, shovels, rakes, and hand tools for most of the tasks. I arrive first thing that Saturday morning for the work day, and within a few minutes people starting arriving. Only the ones arriving early were L.K. Chote and the gang...driving tractors, backhoes, cement mixers, and dump trucks to the church. It looked like a construction site!  WOW!

I asked for shovels and rakes and got tractors and backhoes: these guys were serious workers!

I'm planning my first "work" day here at First Burleson this coming spring. The word "fellowship" comes to mind for ours though. Sure we can work and repair and build and fix, but lets add some fun and fellowship to it. At First Burleson, we do L.I.F.E together and the letter F stands for Fellowship. There will be coffee and donuts, some organization, meeting people, some projects around the campus, then a lunch meal together and then stand back and see the beauty of our work.

The day will be designed for everyone including families, singles, couples, all ages, and students. Projects of all sizes and skill levels will be listed. Supplies will be on hand and let the fun begin. Come and fellowship and work along side of people you may not even know. Make some new friends. Learn a new skill. Snap some pics and enjoy the morning. Tractors and backhoes not required!

Your comments! What skills do you have?

The Art of Negotiation

According to Dave Ramsey, everything is negotiable. In his FPU financial training series he says to pay cash for everything and always bargain. For the most part, I agree with him. However, have you tried going to Walmart and at the check out counter pull out cash and try to wheel and deal? I didn’t think so. I am sure Dave was not referring to retail big box stores. I do agree that money talks and have experienced it many times. My best friend is the king of negotiating and I have witnessed this multiple times. Here is his simple plan of negotiating and most the time it works great. 

• When shopping carry cash in small and large bills to use in the negotiating process 
• Never act like you are crazy for the item and just have to have it no matter what
• Walk by it several times and stop and look
• Once the clerk asks if you are interested in the item, say no and walk off
• Keep going by the item and looking at it
• Once the clerk asks again if you are interested in the item, now ask how much
• Always respond that’s too much and walk off
• The clerk now asks what you think the item is worth after the first price was given
• Reluctantly offer much lower and thus the negotiations have started
• Next pull out cash and make your offer. If they decline, then walk off.
• Stay firm with your offer and most the time the clerk will take a cash offer

Here is the art of negotiation. Don’t just accept the deal as is and let them know you really want the item. This process can be applied at home and in business. I use it all the time in business and have saved thousands of dollars over time. Let’s say you are working with a vendor offering you a service. You feel the cost is too high and you need a better deal. Use the same process above. You may not be using cold cash in the deal, but the rest applies. The vendor presents you a service at a cost and wants you to sign a contract. Start with acting like you don’t have to have his service. Look at the contract several times but walk away. Tell them you need to shop it more. The vendor adjusts the contract and pricing and you still look and walk away. You even get other quotes that are way less and have the same service. The vendor says this is his bottom deal. You respond with your other quote and ask him to match it or walk away. That’s cash to him and he takes the deal. Booyah! You just saved a lot of money from negotiating the deal. 

I try and use this art of negotiation from my best friend and Dave Ramsey’s advice about cash but it takes practice. Recently I was at a guitar show and stopped by a vendor with accessories. I spotted a nice guitar strap and asked the price. I was told $40. I walked away. The clerk stopped me and said she would take $35. I pulled out a $20-dollar bill and said I would give that. She took it! I was looking at a guitar online and the cost was $80. I offered $65 cash and he took it. You get it the message, right? Negotiate wherever you can at home and in business. The best part is after the deal knowing you made a huge savings.

 Your comments! Suggestions! Have you tried this?