Leaving Mediocre Behind | Jeremy Scheller

Nov 24, 2008

Mentors, Part 2

Finding a mentor may seem daunting but in reality, the world is becoming a small inter-connected web. Don’t think about just who you know, think bigger. Who do you want to know?

I suggest you find mentors in a number of places:

1. In your church
There are authentic leaders in your church. I suggest you look for people in your church who have a high sense of self and high degree of confidence in their abilities. I seek out people who are clearly advancing in their careers and I ask questions. At times, I’ll have coffee or lunch with a mentor in an un-related field just to tap into their leadership qualities.

2. Through your church partners
At Sanctuary, we started off with some seed funds from Woodland Hills Church and Church of the Open Door. I was at Open Door for many years and had contracted to do some design work for them. I then moved on to Woodland Hills where I volunteered and helped to design the campaign that not only was building their Youth Center, but also funded the Sanctuary planting fund. At both of these places, I gained from my experience, but also built the necessary relationships to go back and say, “I don’t know what I’m doing…can you help?” Find your local church networks and step out of your comfort zone, get to know the people who make influential decisions and grow the relationships.

3. At conferences
The modern church is conference crazy. Literally crazy. Throw a dart at a map and there’s probably a conference going on that week. I think I’m averaging attending 2-3 conferences a year now…Not exactly a conference scenester, but taking in enough to get the much needed restarts that help you to avoid burnout. Pick a relevant conference to your job. Maybe it’s just on leadership, maybe it’s on your specific field. Go. Get to know. Grow. I try not to leave a conference without making 1-2 truly valuable connections. Sometimes it’s outside of my comfort zone, but it’s well worth it. Talk to someone after a workshop they taught. Ask real questions that further the conversation.

4. On the web
If you aren’t on Facebook or Twitter, you should be. Everybody else is. These applications make it easier for you to actually connect with people you once thought were untouchable. For instance, this guy or this guy. These applications are making geography irrelevant. There’s a very good chance that someone you believe would be a great mentor is just a few clicks away. Start the relationship small and grow it with care.

Finding a mentor all comes down to being real about pursuing your goals. We all reach thresholds where we stop growing on our own. Mentors will help you move on to the next level. But, you need to have the courage to take the first steps towards building the relationships that can make a difference in your life…

Nov 21, 2008

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Mentors Part 1

Quite honestly, when I started out in ministry, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing (some might argue I still don’t). The one thing I did know, however, was there were a lot of people that I was connected to and a lot people I would get connected to that could help me along the journey and would share the load in making me more effective at what I do.
I’m going to spend a few posts talking about mentors.

Types of mentors
I am a perpetual learner. No matter what the subject matter, I probably have some interest in it. That curiosity has led me to mentors to play several different roles in my career and personal life.
When most people go looking for a mentor, they probably start by asking, “Who do I know that does what I do, and does it better than me?”

That’s a good place to start, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to learning how to be a true leader in your career and personal life. I would suggest you spend some time in your life to find mentors in 4 areas:

Role Player
This is the no-brainer. Find someone who has played your role and done it longer than you. For me, it’s church communications. In the past 5 years from volunteering to full-time ministry, I’ve had the pleasure of taking part in significant mentoring experiences with 4 people who do what I do. Every church is different. Every organization has its own structure. Those differences make it all the more beneficial to glean from different leaders who have more experience doing what you do.

Leadership Groomer
I’ve been fortunate to cross paths with people who have had jobs that required them to be a strong leader. Vice presidents, owners of advertising firms, one of the greatest designers in the world. These people had more than skill to get to the position they are in, they’ve had leadership qualities that pushed them to excel beyond their pack. They may not have things to teach you about your specific role, but they likely understand how to work with people in such a way that they maximize the potential of others.

The Spiritual Director
This person is more consistent in their journey with Christ than you are. They’ve been in the walk longer, have seen God move, and recognize what choices they had to make to experience God more abundantly. They are also willing to hold you accountable. I’ve had these people in my life, but have rarely taken steps towards this, but I’m feeling now is the time.

The Objective Counselor
This person is in your life because they care about you. They care about you to the extent that they are willing to be brutally honest and hold you accountable in your relationships with others. If you have something to confess, they push you to confess. If you’re letting yourself get walked over, they push you to stand up for yourself. They know that you are a better person when you push through your weaknesses and harness them for your long-term growth. My wife has been one of these people in my life. She challenges me to confront my weaknesses, knowing that I and we will be better on the other side.

Oct 8, 2008

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Thanks.

My friends at the Sanctuary CDC are very thankful that many of you have become new supporters of the work they do. Numbers aren’t completely in yet from the challenge I put out to my readers last week, but it sounds like there was a really incredible response. If you have the chance to leave a comment to let us know that you’re on board with the work of the Sanctuary CDC, I’d love to hear about it.

And for those of you reading this on Facebook, you are awesome! You are the core!

Thanks from me, and my friends at the Sanctuary CDC.
We’re all excited about the work being done in North Minneapolis to restore people’s Christ-centered identity, to empower young people to not just “get out of the ghetto,” but to be young leaders who will shape this community into the future. And we’re excited about the ever-increasing web of connections between organizations who want to help this community live out its full potential.

Thank you.
Your gifts have been amazing.

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity, I encourage you to skip two lattes this month. Or pass on the Jamba Juice with protein boost a few times. Or bring your lunch for a week instead of eating out. Do these things and make a small donation to the Sanctuary CDC. These people are living out their passion to make a difference in the lives of others.

Sep 23, 2008

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My New Top 5 Signature Themes (Strengths)

I recently have retaken the Strengths Finder test to see if there is anything new I could learn about myself.

A few of my signature themes have changed.

Previously, my top 5 was: Self-Assure. Learner. Significant. Deliberative. Analytical.

This is what I look like now…I’m sure Analytical and Learner are still a part of my broader profile (anyone who knows me knows I’m endlessly observing and I like to read), but I’ve got a few new strengths to explore.

Maximizer

Excellence, not average, is your measure. Taking something from below average to slightly above average takes a great deal of effort and in your opinion is not very rewarding. Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling. Strengths, whether yours or someone else’s, fascinate you. Like a diver after pearls, you search them out, watching for the telltale signs of a strength. A glimpse of untutored excellence, rapid learning, a skill mastered without recourse to steps—all these are clues that a strength may be in play. And having found a strength, you feel compelled to nurture it, refine it, and stretch it toward excellence. You polish the pearl until it shines. This natural sorting of strengths means that others see you as discriminating. You choose to spend time with people who appreciate your particular strengths. Likewise, you are attracted to others who seem to have found and cultivated their own strengths. You tend to avoid those who want to fix you and make you well rounded. You don’t want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack. Rather, you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed. It’s more fun. It’s more productive. And, counterintuitively, it is more demanding.

Deliberative

You are careful. You are vigilant. You are a private person. You know that the world is an unpredictable place. Everything may seem in order, but beneath the surface you sense the many risks. Rather than denying these risks, you draw each one out into the open. Then each risk can be identified, assessed, and ultimately reduced. Thus, you are a fairly serious person who approaches life with a certain reserve. For example, you like to plan ahead so as to anticipate what might go wrong. You select your friends cautiously and keep your own counsel when the conversation turns to personal matters. You are careful not to give too much praise and recognition, lest it be misconstrued. If some people don’t like you because you are not as effusive as others, then so be it. For you, life is not a popularity contest. Life is something of a minefield. Others can run through it recklessly if they so choose, but you take a different approach. You identify the dangers, weigh their relative impact, and then place your feet deliberately. You walk with care.

Self-Assurance

Self-Assurance is similar to self-confidence. In the deepest part of you, you have faith in your strengths. You know that you are able—able to take risks, able to meet new challenges, able to stake claims, and, most important, able to deliver. But Self-Assurance is more than just self-confidence. Blessed with the theme of Self-assurance, you have confidence not only in your abilities but in your judgment. When you look at the world, you know that your perspective is unique and distinct. And because no one sees exactly what you see, you know that no one can make your decisions for you. No one can tell you what to think. They can guide. They can suggest. But you alone have the authority to form conclusions, make decisions, and act. This authority, this final accountability for the living of your life, does not intimidate you. On the contrary, it feels natural to you. No matter what the situation, you seem to know what the right decision is. This theme lends you an aura of certainty. Unlike many, you are not easily swayed by someone else’s arguments, no matter how persuasive they may be. This Self-Assurance may be quiet or loud, depending on your other themes, but it is solid. It is strong. Like the keel of a ship, it withstands many different pressures and keeps you on your course.

Input

You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information—words, facts, books, and quotations—or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.

Significance

You want to be very significant in the eyes of other people. In the truest sense of the word you want to be recognized. You want to be heard. You want to stand out. You want to be known. In particular, you want to be known and appreciated for the unique strengths you bring. You feel a need to be admired as credible, professional, and successful. Likewise, you want to associate with others who are credible, professional, and successful. And if they aren’t, you will push them to achieve until they are. Or you will move on. An independent spirit, you want your work to be a way of life rather than a job, and in that work you want to be given free rein, the leeway to do things your way. Your yearnings feel intense to you, and you honor those yearnings. And so your life is filled with goals, achievements, or qualifications that you crave. Whatever your focus—and each person is distinct—your Significance theme will keep pulling you upward, away from the mediocre toward the exceptional. It is the theme that keeps you reaching.

Sep 19, 2008

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The Heart Behind Innovate 08

I’m not going to lie. I was very skeptical. I’ve read about, seen some clips of, and had some wild assumptions about Granger Community Church. I know people there. Good people. But I was still skeptical of a church that has a hundred foot screen in their auditorium and every service is truly a multi-media pop culture experience.

My skepticism couldn’t have been proven more wrong.

The people at Granger pour everything they have into the Innovate Conference. And when it all comes down to it, it’s all about pursuing God’s kingdom here on earth. It’s all about bringing people into a relationship with Jesus and moving them deeper into missional living.

I expected a lot of glitz. And while I trust the people I know there, I still had an expectation that something would be off. Something would be contrived. And it wasn’t.

I spent the last few days getting truly inspired to stop talking and start doing. Inspired to get results. Inspired through stories of transformation that were ignited by people responding when they heard God calling.

Their passion is genuine.

The tools they use aren’t overdone.

The leaders know who they are and what they want to do.

And that is why they are a church and a community that makes waves.

A church we hear about.

A church that gets a spotlight shined on them.

A church that I would champion.

A church that leads.

Thank you Granger Community Church. Your leadership was inspiring.

Sep 19, 2008

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Innovate 08 – 10 Takeaways

Ten takeaways from Granger Community Church’s Innovate 08 Conference.

Balance is static. Who needs balance? You have to lean into progress. – Mark Beeson
The Gospel is Good News for Right Now. Stop Talking, Start Doing. Mark Beeson
Stuff=how we tell the story. Spoken, Sung, Printed, Visualized. Brand Schizophrenia = When we fall in love with the stuff instead of Jesus. – Shawn Wood
Leveraging Technology for Ministry is all about engagement. It’s not about toys, it’s about tools to reach the increasing population and their shortened attention spans. – Bobby Gruenwald.
We forget the promise and forfeit the payoff because we faint in the process. We need to understand that the process is the point. The payoff of God’s promise comes in the processes we go through as we’re faithful to act on what we hear from him. – Steven Furtick
An organization is the reflection of its leadership. Leaders must be willing to “get naked.” The difference between where you are and where God wants you to be is the pain you’re unwilling to endure. Accept the pain of the journey and enter in to God’s kingdom here on earth. – Life Church Directional Leadership Team
Pop Goes the Church. Harness pop culture in the church to:
- Package events to attract a crowd.
- Get people to Think or Laugh
- Provide a new interpretation of a pop cultural element
- To encourage people in their service.
WHY do all of this? It’s all about engagement. – Tim Stevens
Better off going 30 ft deep in 3 places than 3 in deep in 30 places. Don’t confuse the great commission with the great commotion. – Rob Wegner
Social Media allows people to fulfill their human desire to affiliate, associate and belong on a smaller scale. It’s also an environment where trust and relational collateral is developed at levels as shallow or deep as you want. - Kem Meyer, Zach Montroy, Tim Schraeder and Jeremy Scheller (Ha!)
Changing the course is good. Be confident in knowing who you are and what you want to do and then you’ll have the space to be creative in how you do it. - Mark Beeson

I’ve got a second much more important post about Innovate coming next…

Sep 16, 2008

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Innovate 08

Tomorrow, I’ll be heading to the Innovate Conference and Granger Community Church in Granger, IN.

I’m really excited about this conference, especially as Sanctuary looks to the road ahead and we talk about the potential for having multiple sites, better integration with new media technology and a better grasp on the use of pop culture elements into who we are as a worshipping community.

I’ll be blogging and tweeting from the conference for the next three days.

Jul 15, 2008

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Context over Dogma?

Sometimes we get stuck in the rut of thinking the church should have one look, one feel, one experience, one message that hasn’t changed in two thousand years. The reality is that even Jesus put his message in context for the people he was communicating to. When he talked to fisherman he used fishing metaphors. When he talked to farmers, he spoke of the grains in the field.

Dogma is the hard and fast rule. The way things were, and to the dogmatics, the way things should be. Context is the variable that is constantly changing. The mold isn’t fixed. People are different. People who live a mile apart can have tremendously diverse contexts. Things that were once solid, welded, defined, are now taking new shapes and providing flexibility in our experiences.

The Gina Project at BMW represents an aggressive shift in thinking about how we can experience our environments. The user defined experience is going to change the way we do things. Even in the church. Whether it’s through providing content at the touch of button or having our people be a part of developing content and the community around it.

Are you flexible? Are you ready to reach people in their context? Put your innovative foot forward and think about how people experience Christ in your community, or how they could? Be there.

If the church really is the body and Jesus the head, then we should have in mind the human way of doing things. Responding and anticipating the felt needs of our communities.

Check out this video on the GINA project:

Apr 17, 2008

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Times 2

Last night we agreed with friends, Betsy, Corey and their kids Lily and Jonathon to “live in community.” About two months ago, they spent a week in our house testing the waters. It was a trial run of sharing meals, letting the kids entertain each other, and working more from our strengths.

We took time individually sharing our highs and lows based on our experience from that week. We set a few ground rules and parameters for what we all hope will be a great experience.

Rule #1 – Transparency.
Just like in our conversation last night, we all said what we meant and meant what we said. That’s not always comfortable for me. I generally try to avoid conflict, but I put my feelings out on the table.

Rule #2 – Maintain Rule #1 and we can handle anything that comes at us.
I strongly believe that communication that hides, is also communication that hurts. I tend to let my introverted nature take hold. I share what I think are necessities and the other 95% stays in. Not a great way to build trust and community. It builds apprehension and separation as others feel like they don’t really know you. I’ve always sucked at this, especially in my family, but I’m trying to forge new relationships.

Transparency builds:

Trust

Community

Forgiveness

and most importantly, Life Together

So, it really feels like it’s time to stop talking about living in community, and dive in head first. Hopefully we’ll rise to the top of Life Together.

He who loves his dream of community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial. –Bonhoeffer

BTW – if you haven’t read Life Together, I think you should. It’s in my top 5 of all time. Bonhoeffer is deeply challenging to the modern Christian.

Life Together