Monday, February 07, 2005

Moving Beyond "Blogs are Cool"

Brad Hightower has some good thoughts as he encourages us to be more intentional about our blogs. I found his comments motivational.

Maybe 2 years ago I began to work to figure out what I'm supposed to do when I grow up. So far, I've come up with two answers:

1 - To optimize people systems for kingdom impact.

I love organizations. I love to read about them, think about them and swim in them. I'm into leadership, project management, conflict resolution, the limitations of organizations, how to run great meetings, running orgs that balance mission with nurture, etc. I believe I'm here to help people impact the kingdom more efficiently as a group.

2 - A subfocus of this is leadership development. I believe that a new (really an old) modality of leadership formation needs to be developed that's transpropositional and doesn't reflect the evangelical addiction to growth thru mere information transfer.

Hightower encourages me to focus more on these dual focuses with my blog!

The other thing I expect I'll continue to do with my blog is to keep up with what is happening in the emerging church.

A helpful encouragement.

6 comments:

brad said...

Steven,
This is brad. I actually am extremely similar to you in my calling. I work for a large company implementing world class manufacturing and the Toyota Production System. I find that good management is very "grace-based" and dignifying as opposed to authoritarian managmenet styles. I also facilitate team building and program management. In fact, I am leading a visioning meeting for my day job tomorrow.
brad

New Life said...

Dear Stephen,

I read his blog and couldn't DISAGREE more. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate content, but to assume EVERYONE should blog with similar motives is a little absurd in my opinion.

It seems you assume that everyone has the same intentions of blogging as perhaps you do. I agree, I see a ton of crap, but I cannot expect most folks to have the same motive as me when it comes to blogging. I am not so certain "blogging" should make a difference if it is not intended. I would add that perhaps blogging is making a difference in the individuals who read one another's blogs and learn or expand their library as a result. Blogging for many may be nothing more than a release or pure fun.

Thanks,
Rick

brad said...

Hmm..My post is about comparing blogging to Luther and the printing press which is going around a bit lately...The pre-supposition is if we are speaking about blogging as "this big revolution" then we need to realize its the the ol' beer in the mug not the mug itself that makes the room dance.
Love ya,
brad

Stephen said...

I think both of your perspectives are valid. There are some folks for whom playing the violin is a light way to pass the time and recreate. There are others that if they played the violin that way, it might be a sin. They are gifted musicians and are called to something higher. Blogs are a similar tool. They don't intrinsicially demand intensity. Nevertheless, it is only wisdom for some to consider whether their potential is being fully optimized.

New Life said...

Good point Stephen. Not everyone who picks up the violin wants to be the next Yehudi Menuhin, some just want to "fiddle" around with the fiddle and learn to play The Devil Went Down to Georgia for their cousins at the family picnic.

Run boy, run.

Rick

New Life said...

Good point Stephen. Not everyone who picks up the violin wants to be the next Yehudi Menuhin, some just want to "fiddle" around with the fiddle and learn to play The Devil Went Down to Georgia for their cousins at the family picnic.

Run boy, run.

Rick