HOW DEEP SHOULD CHURCH BE, by Judge Wyld

Judge Wyld Radio Talk Show Host currently on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/judgewyld

Churches can be a great place to find God. To go find an atmosphere of peace and meditation. To find a calm set of people who are connecting with God. To walk in the door and find God right there waiting for you. You have no doubt that you are in a biblical church immediately upon arriving.

Some people think that a church should grow. Like a business. They need more money to build more buildings to provide more activities to get more people to get more money to build more buildings to provide more activities to get more people to get more money .....

So these churches become secular. They become as deep as a walmart and as shallow as a walmart. They become as varied as a walmart and as non-spiritual as a Walmart. Walk into a church that focuses on growing and you have an non-spiritual church. Never mind the trimmings. Never mind the religious rock band lyrics and the painted on smiles. Even a walmart has a christmas look without CHRIST anywhere in it. So does a church that is focused on growing.

I know of one church that grew without their main property getting bigger or abandoned. They built a second church in a separate neighborhood. WOW. What a concept. A neighborhood church!!! Remember the day of Grandma waking up, making breakfast, grabbing her worn bible and walking 5 blocks to church? What a great sight!!! What a great example for the children in the neighborhood. Everyone cherishes the sight of the old lady making that walk to church, hearing the church bells.

So now a church measures it's popularity (not it's spirituality) by buying acres and acres of land and building an ugly brown brick and steel secular structure. You don't see stained glass windows and true steeple as the major architectural features of the building.

Remember parking on the street? No....these mega churches have acres of parking lots as a primary feature of the property. So secular. So anti-spiritual.

When you walk into church. You want to find God right inside. Immediately. Within 20 steps in any door, you want to find God. You don't want to have to go searching for God in a mega church.

How do you find God in a mega church? One that focuses so much on growing that they lost God someone where back near the super-sized dumpster farm that they need to collect the trash from their secular activities.

Ok.... so you walk into the church. Is the Pastor there? NO. You find an administrator only. On Sunday you are greeted by a greeter who is so remote from the pastor. The administrator or greeter can not take you to God. What they do instead is try to label you. Are you blue collar or are you white collar? We have a professionals group for you. Are you single or married? We have a shallow clueless singles group for you. Are you a single mom? oh so sad, we have the aimless uneducated singles mom group for you. Are you divorced? We have the desperate, wounded, clueless adults trying to date like teenagers group. Are you a man? We have the hapless hopeless males group. You have kids? We have the empty future children programs to perpetuate that life is a playground kids groups. You have to wait until the day of the week that the group meets. You get fed NOTHING that day. The admin or greeter, gives you the name of the leader of that group. The leader of your label group has to meet with you. And they tell you how their group works so you can fall in line and do their activities instead of having your own life according to who you are and your talents are that GOD GAVE YOU. Even if you accidentally meet the Pastor. They will pass you off immediately to an associate pastor of your label. The associate pastor of your label will pass you off to the leader. No God. Passed over to someone else several times and not once was GOD in that chain of command.

So really. In mega churches. You are not an individual. You are a group category. In a small church, you walk in the door and you are a person. No labels. No groups. Just you. Who you are. Love you. Jesus Loves you. God loves you. God greets you immediately. Isn't that simple? Isn't that spiritual? In a real focused church, God helps out right away!!! It isn't as if you walked into the mall, but actually walked into a HOUSE. A HOUSE of God!!!

So let's look at the difference between a large chain convenience store versus a mega department discount store / food store.

If you are looking for a sandwich, or a slushy drink, or a camouflage hat, you walk 20 steps into the convenience store and you have it. That store gets a lot of business. If it gets too much business or wants to serve more customers, does it build a store 40 times that size? NO. It builds a store on the next corner the same size as the first one. Then it builds another one on the next corner beyond that and beyond that and beyond that. The number of customers who access their products is growing but the service stays the same. The accessibility stays the same. The neighborhoods get more service near where they live; near where it matters. They get the need met within 20 steps of the front door. And they can rely on it. They are comfortable there. The grandma's of the neighborhood can walk to the store.

Churches don't 'get' this. The mega churches pattern themselves after the mega walmarts. You want a tomato? Go look for it. We put them way over there. You want an automotive battery? Go look for it, it's way in the back. You want to talk to someone personally about your personal shopping needs? You have to go through several people who don't know anything except how the store is organized but NOTHING about the products. [Mega church: You go through several people who don't know anything spiritual except how the church is sort of organized but NOTHING about the product.]

Grow your church by building another neighborhood church. A chain of neighborhood churches is much more spiritual and serving GODs people than a mega carnival God mall in the middle of acres of parking lots.

Ok... so maybe the label thing is something you accept as your need and you love that you found the needy group that matches your label. You are happy with that. But are the activities spiritual?

The churches promise and pay for so many secular activities to try to lure and keep people next to God. I don't understand this strategy. Churches have a unique product. Sell THAT product. You don't need to become more secular or you water down your product. Stay with your strength. Are you luring in the stupid people by pretending to be a volleyball or basketball league? Are you luring them in by pretending you are a toxic, fat producing, caffeine drug dealing coffee bar? Are you luring them in by pretending you are a shallow recreation center with a toy emporium or movie house? Are you faking them out away from the quite adequate bible by being a peripheral self-help bookstore? Why do you support the shallow cultures of skiing, bowling, and NFL? Why promote secular activities? They already exist out in the community. Let them go there occasionally to enjoy. But let them come to church to find GOD. God is the product. The Pastor care is a product. Sell the comfort and reverence. If you lose the reverence and spirituality, you have nothing unique to sell in a chaotic secular world.

Church is most effective and sincere as what it is; a specialty store. By definition, God is not everything to everyone. God is God. You come to God and adapt to God. You do not adapt God to the secular world. Churches are to be focused and intimate within the outer walls. No need for a small chapel off to the side. Scripture is what it is. Don't fake up the product. Sell God honestly. And put God within 20 steps of the front door.

Sincerely and Spiritually,
Judge Wyld

Nice Guys Directing Traffic Become Road Kill

From a professional blog co-authored by Judge Wyld.
A Judge Wyld post.

The ‘nice guys finish last’ is not an empty cliché. A nice person can be conflicted when trying to lead.

Situation: You are a ‘Nice Person’ who is a beginning Project Manager. You may be leading a multi-discipline team. Some of the experts whom you will rely on are very nice also. No problem.

Problem: One or two people on your team are running down the wrong road. So what is steering them there?

1. Their own perspectives and self-awareness.

Experienced people may stand firm on their professional or personal principles. They just can’t follow your approach to some aspect of the project.

2. Their ‘other bosses’ priorities.

Over committed people have no time to properly contribute to your project and the ‘other bosses’ really don’t want to share a prized expert. They miss information put out in meetings, they skip over your emails, their answering machine is a galactic black hole that you toss your voice into, and even face-to-face they can not commit to your project tasks and timelines.

3. Their spouse. (Or other strong personal life interest or influence.)

Obstacles may be declared such as the dreaded, “can’t finish THAT today; need to leave early to go get a hitch installed on the truck for my family’s two-week vacation starting tomorrow.”

Challenge: The Project Manager tries to find reliable ways to achieve project success. What challenges cause the ‘nice person’ to hesitate to firmly direct the wayward traffic?

A. No authority to fire or punish the wrong-way team member.

Rewarding does not apply if the other person is determined to not cooperate. Textbook answers say to get the Sponsor’s help.

B. Stigma of not being able to accomplish a project on your own.

Asking for help each time you have a personnel performance issue can give you a reputation for not being an effective leader. Textbook answers say to get the Sponsor’s help.

C. Self-image of being a nice person who thinks the best of team members and allows for different ‘workstyles.’

Assuming the best motives of the team member and rationalizing their lack of cooperation will make the situation worse. Nice people fail when they hope a persistent deficiency will be resolved in some low key way on its own without ever having bad feelings.

Unavoidable Truth: A nice person wants to get along and will give undue respect to others even when they are running down the wrong road. A nice person tends to run with them awhile to see if where they are going is good. But eventually, no matter how a project manager intends to cover their tracks, the project manager will be responsible for the extra cost, extended schedule, and lack of performance. There are no guaranteed answers. A PM must know upfront that having responsibility to rule the road with no authority or personal strength to direct the traffic, will lead to becoming ‘project manager road kill.’

Don't Overlook the 'Lowest Common Denominator'

From a professional blog co-authored by Judge Wyld.
A Judge Wyld post.

Issue: No Project Manager wants to be tripped up by the basics. No Project Manager wants to be shamed by having a project fail due to lack of attention to the basics. Cost growth and schedule loss are involved in recovering from avoidable blunders.

Solution: Every team needs a person capable of examining the 'basics' across the project. Recruit this person as the designated 'Lowest Common Denominator' (LCD) in addition to their usual team role. Their responsibility is to point out the flaws in the basics.

The lowest common denominator (LCD) is a math term for the lowest integer that is divisible into each of two integers being compared. Boring.

However, LCD as applied to the 'human dimension' is the smallest element of human perspective common to a group of people. A bit more exciting.

For Project Management, LCD items can be basic understandings of schedule flow, cost efficiency, effective communication, realistic work scope expectations, product suitability, and customer/stakeholder satisfaction. Project teams need to move forward without being bogged down with complications concerning the LCD items but must have the basics correct so that overall quality can be maintained.

Here are skills needed to be a designated LCD:

1. Role Player. Capable of viewing the project as an uninformed outsider of any category; upper management, other department head, other professional peer, non-industry stakeholder, and of course, customer.
2. Outspoken. Not hesitant to point out potential flaws in big groups, no matter how small the item appears to be.
3. Experienced. Knowledgeable of processes, best practices, and lessons learned and passionate about quality.

Here are actions the project manager must do to create a supportive environment for the LCD:
A. Assure the LCD that their role playing is key to the quality of the products.
B. Inform team members that the LCD will be playing a role and the comments may seem elementary but are welcomed and essential.
C. Assure the LCD that the depth of their other skills is valued and that 'LCD' is a role that is respected as well.


Final Point: Some people are self-appointed LCDs who seem to be undercutting your attempts to focus on more important aspects of the project. Consider them an ally to achieve higher quality and project success. Approach them to define their role more formally. They will be on your side and you may avoid the shame of failing on the basics.

Sincerely,
JUDGE WYLD

Love is about chivalry amongst the worthy, NOT about being a ceremonious fool.

Wyld Wisdom. Excerpt from a Judge Wyld online 'other blog' post.

A lady desires to pay for herself. She is no less of a person because she is a lady. In fact, being a lady implies that she is resourceful, undemanding, unexpecting, and a good companion. A good companion NEVER puts on airs or puts themselves above others to be provided for. If you want to be the 'lil woman' then play games about men making a first move, or paying for another adults' bills. If you want to be a partner and be respected, then be a lady.

And you men who are trained dogs, stop telling us that you were 'taught' such and such. Grow up. Get an education. And treat women with respect. Accept the ladies as the partners they are. When you view them as frail, you diminish the truth of the tough, strong, conservative women who do their part in relationships.

If you are paying the way of women you barely know, then you are desperate. It has NOTHING to do with respecting women. You are weak and are rationalizing your weakness. Women do NOT respect fools who spout off how they are going to take care of a female even when they don't know her. These ladies aren't dumb.

Love is about chivalry amongst the worthy, NOT about being a ceremonious fool. There are a lot of things your parents told you that do not apply across the board. Ask them. They grew up and learned. So you should too.

I remember my dad teaching us to wear a suit to church. So as an adult I still do. But I learned that for the last 20 yrs of dad's life that he didn't wear a suit to church or even own a suit. He said.. times change. Never would have guessed that from how he drilled into our heads that you ALWAYS wear a suit and tie to church.

Same thing here. Grow up. If you are a gal, get over the childish dating games they told you as a teenager. If you are a male. Be a man which means to know HOW to apply chivalry in a way that is recognized as being a solid male respected by men AND women.

Sincerely,
Judge Wyld
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Project Management for the Soul

From professional blog co-authored by Judge Wyld. A Judge Wyld post.

Project Management for the Soul

Sole (shoe leather), Sole (singular self satisfaction), Soul (essence of empowerment.)

How you approach project management is affected by your motivation. There are people who love project management and there are those who can’t stand being the center of expectations. If you are the type of person who loves project management, what is your motivation?

1. Do you love the activity; the hustle and bustle of planning, communicating, solving daily unexpected challenges? There is a wearing down of shoe leather as you plan, collaborate, connect pieces, and follow up. Is it the rush of activity that gives you a ‘rush’? Do you rise to the step learning curve while working with many experts in their fields and seeing what they have to offer?

2. Do you love the personal satisfaction; making sure that you implemented the processes to the letter which provided the project positive results. You were the focal who contributed your project management skills that integrated the mechanisms and turned the gears to bring about a product meeting the requirements. Do you enjoy that feeling of professionalism and proven skill that a mature project manager possesses?

3. Do you love helping everyone become better; encouraging others to understand more about their own capabilities and to appreciate others for their unique contributions to the Team’s success? Did you initiate and foster contributions beyond the assigned utility of each person or organization? Each stakeholder and team member can obtain a personal goal in addition to their participation toward the success of the project. Do you thrill in managing a project that moves team members forward in life?

Sole, Sole, or Soul: project management is about people; it’s about you, it’s about others. The people on a project team can achieve a deeper satisfaction from producing a product than the satisfaction derived by the people who end up using the product.

Sincerely,
Judge Wyld

My Fault, And THIS is What I'm Going to Do to Make it Right

From professional blog co-authored by Judge Wyld.

My Fault,
And THIS is What I'm Going to Do to Make it Right

Project Management.

Professionals want to be perfect. Project Managers want to think of everything and to have a plan to keep the project running smoothly despite 'surprises'. But when you don’t think of everything and a glitch occurs, how do you handle the situation with others?

As you read below, imagine a situation such as materials delivered to the wrong place, not inviting your sponsor to a major project change approval meeting, or an important strategy meeting with key team members that you were hosting but failed to attend.

1. Accept that the resulting situation was YOUR mistake. Other factors may have contributed, but ultimately the mistake was YOURS.

2. Accept that other people on the team or outside the team were affected. They arranged their day or even their week around a particular expectation. Your mistake affected not only that event but other events that they had to arrange. They will also be affected by accommodating your workaround.

3. Communicate number 1 and number 2. Call, stop by, and email; all three if possible. Mention that the mistake was YOURS. Mention that you want to followup with the corrective action. Detail the steps of your efforts that will make the correction convenient for them.

Why take this approach?

1. If you don’t then you will be seen as someone who makes excuses and blames other 'things'. "Oh well, things happen!" sounds immature.

2. If you don’t then you show disregard for all of their efforts leading up to their being prepared for and making up for the fumbled event. "Oh well, it was ONLY an hour of their time," sounds naive.

3. If you don’t communicate that you are aware of your mistake, their loss of time, and the followup efforts, they will not be willing to follow you in the future.

You are dealing with people on projects. You cannot avoid being judged when you make a mistake, but forgiveness is still possible on the rare occasions that you make mistakes.

Sincerely,
Judge Wyld