MIM Ezine - September 8, 2006

IN THIS ISSUE--

-- Starbucks Ice Cream, by Charles Marshall

-- Book Review – Leading with a Limp: Turning Your Struggles into Strengths, by Dan Allender, reviewed by Teena M. Stewart

-- Interview of Dan Allender, by Karen Patterson, Assoc Editor, Ministry in Motion

-- Smash for Cash:  Sometimes it Pays to Destroy Things, by Teena Stewart

Starbucks Ice Cream

By Charles Marshall

The only reason I’m writing this is to get my wife off my back. Also because she might have a point. And because I love this particular subject matter as much as she does. Also because I have nothing else to do.

Maybe I should start at the beginning. Just after dinner one evening, my wife, in a move not terribly unlike Eve’s in the Garden of Eden, slipped up behind me and told me to close my eyes and open my mouth. Since she’s usually pretty trustworthy, I complied. What followed was a taste sensation I hitherto had not experienced. The origin of this delectable delight was Starbucks White Chocolate Latte ice cream.

There are certain moments you remember in life—your first kiss, your wedding day, the birth of your children, and your first taste of Starbucks White Chocolate Latte ice cream. The moment I tasted it, I was instantly transported to a happy place where all things are wonderful and time has no meaning.  For me, it was kind of like being at Home Depot.

You’ve heard of some foods being sinfully good? If this particular ice cream had been around back in Moses’ time, there would have been eleven commandments instead of ten. I mean it.

Who knows? There may even be some untranslatable phrase in the Dead Sea Scrolls placed just after the Ten Commandments that goes, “Oh, and one more thing, Moses. Tell everyone to stay away from that Starbucks White Chocolate Latte ice cream. Ooowee, is that stuff good!”

All right. Now that I have you all jazzed about the ice cream, I’ll break the bad news to you.

They don’t make it anymore. That’s right. My wife e-mailed Starbucks and confirmed it. They have discontinued the flavor.

It’s okay. Let it out. Remember crying is a vital part of the mourning process.

The elimination of this product makes perfect sense to me, though, because everything my wife and I go ga-ga for either goes out of business, is taken off the market, is outlawed, or all of the above.

Start praying now that we don’t discover your favorite foods, restaurants, and toiletry products.

So, my wife, believer in me that she is, thinks that if I write an article about this subject, it will serve as a catalyst for a national, ground-swell movement to bring back our favorite ice cream. I think she envisions Starbucks being bombarded with thousands of e-mails and phone calls requesting—no, make that, demanding—that this wonderful flavor be once again placed into production. She sees Jesse Jackson, Pat Robertson, and possibly even former child star Gary Coleman (if he’s not already booked) leading a million-man march in front of the Starbucks headquarters in Seattle.

Such is the vision of my wife. Such is her resolve. Such is her ice cream addiction. She will not be

gainsaid in this matter. She will not be moved. (Translation: I’m going to keeping hearing about this unless I give in and write the silly article.)

So, if this insane little gambit actually works and Starbucks starts making the flavor again, you’ll

have to taste-test it and tell me if you agree.

And speaking of taste-testing, Psalms 34:8a says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good...” (clever transition, huh?)

That’s how confident God is. Once you experience an authentic relationship with him, you’ll find that he can be trusted with all the things that matter most in your life—your hopes, your fears, your relationships, your finances, everything.

Engaging in a relationship with Jesus is not a laborious, eat-your-spinach experience. It’s much more, well, delicious, like diving into a bowl of your favorite ice cream, with no weight-gain repercussions or consequences.

And, one of the best things about this particular source of goodness is that the Lord will never be discontinued, unlike a particular ice cream flavor I may have mentioned elsewhere in this article.

Oh, and about the ice cream, I should mention that the White Chocolate Latte flavor is slightly addictive, but don’t let that keep you from joining my cause. Just think about all the health care workers that are out of work at the Starbucks Detox and Rehab Centers. Those people need jobs too.

For those of you bonkers enough to join me in this senseless but highly rewarding quest, you can visit the Starbucks website at www.starbucks.com, click on their “contact us” tab and demand they starting making my ice cream again!

© 2006 Charles Marshall. Charles Marshall is a nationally known Christian comedian and author. Visit his Web site at www.charlesmarshallcomedy.com or contact him via e-mail at charles@charlesmarshallcomedy.com

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Reviewed by Teena M. Stewart

Leading with a Limp’s primary theme is that God chooses to work through broken leaders.  We are often more damaged than whole and more insecure than secure. Many leaders find themselves leaders by default. God seeks out the flawed to lead.  Though we may not have the official title “leader” if we are currently being sought out to give leadership or advice, we are indeed leaders. This knowledge alone is enough to make many of us want to crawl under a rock.

Dan Allender, author of Leading with a Limp and president of Mars Hill Graduate School, is a licensed therapist and popular speaker. Allender tells the story of how he, and several other scholars, decided to start a graduate school.  In order for the school to be a licensed, accredited institute, they needed to choose a president. Allender was chosen by default, and like many true leaders, he stepped into power reluctantly. A leader of leaders, Allender found his position exhilarating, intimidating, and downright difficult.  He’s had to deal with hiring, firing, disciplining, and making tough decisions regarding the future of the school. He has often felt incompetent in knowing how to proceed.

Along the way Allender learned to admit his shortcomings to himself and to those he leads and this experience led him to write the book. He gives leaders permission to recognize they too are imperfect and urges them to make the best of their situation as they work to lead others. Leading with a Limp provides inspiration and advice on how to become the leaders we were meant to be.  Allender states, “To the degree you face and name and deal with your failures as a leader, to that same extent you will create an environment conducive to growing and retaining productive and committed colleagues.”

Allender shares many difficult leadership decisions he has been forced to make.  The recurring theme is not only that we must work from our shortcomings, but that leadership is difficult.  Leadership comes at a high cost. Leaders are often targets for criticism and hostile actions. The sooner we realize that, the better.  We must count the cost. Because we want to appear to have it all together, the natural tendency for leaders is to hide any weaknesses and not talk about mistakes.  Allender believes there are three primary reasons for this—fear, narcissism, and addiction. And he talks about these more in depth.

Some of the topics Allender covers in addition to the aforementioned include: handling betrayal, escaping isolation, dealing with exhaustion, facing crisis and more.  If you are called upon to lead others, whether in an official position with title or whether you are simply sought ought by others, you should read this book. No doubt you will find this book both a comfort and an inspiration.

(Look for an interview with Dr. Allender in this same issue of MIM.)

   Teena Stewart is a published writer, a ministry consultant and coach, and a product developer for Ministry in Motion. You can email her at smartwords@sbcglobal.net.  To learn more about Teena, her writing, and consulting services, click here.  

INTERVIEW WITH DAN ALLENDER, PhD 

by Karen Patterson, Assoc Editor,

Ministry in Motion

Dr. Dan Allender is the president of Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle, and a professor of counseling and a therapist in private practice. He is the author of Leading with a Limp: Turning Your Struggles into Strengths (WaterBrook Press, 2006) as well as The Wounded Heart, To Be Told: Know Your Story, Shape Your Future, and How Children Raise Parents.

What is a limping leader?

In 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul makes an extraordinary statement. He claims to be the chief of sinners. That verse in some ways is the pivot point of my entire book, Leading with a Limp, calling me to say we are to be an example of the mercy of Christ to whom we serve. A leader makes budgetary, personnel and strategic decisions, but there is a place for delegation and one’s own initiative.

My book is not an effort to supplant the excellent books out there, but I don’t hear anyone saying that our failure is indeed the prime value of our work in our ministry. There is a great deal of importance in authenticity and self-disclosure, even in failure. My book says my weakness is the tapestry to make clear and make known the glory and the greatness of God. That is the most basic understanding of 2 Corinthians 12 and other passages that say: it is in our weakness that he reveals his strength.  The question then to a powerful leader is, “How do you let your weakness and failure be an example?   How are your sin and failure the canvas on which the gospel is painted for his glory?

What are the five most common leadership challenges?

We surveyed 1,200 people in pastoral and corporate leadership and asked them questions such as: What are your core struggles in your work or ministry? And what do you find to be some of the hardships?

First, we found that crisis is inevitable. People are dealing with either too much, not enough, or not the right information.  Most people feel they are drowning in complexity. 

Second, crises inevitably brings greater complexity because we’re never prepared for crisis.

Third, in the context of the complexity of crisis, people are regularly betrayed. Trusted associates and people one has cared for, ministered to and supported in hard times stab you in the back. (David talks about the heart ache of betrayal in Psalm 55.)   

Fourth, after many betrayals self-absorption and isolation results in loneliness. You cut yourself off from people around you resulting in a deep sense of loneliness. Often there is no contact among ministers, so to divulge to others the struggles going on in your ministry would be inappropriate. But the question is: who do you share with? So loneliness is a reality, but is also protection from being betrayed again.

Finally, all of these issues result in “workaholism” leading to exhaustion.

What is your advice to the ministers who fit the model you described?

In my book I hoped to point out how ministers must learn to tell the truth because ministry often ends up being pressure and performance. When you have an incredible weight on your back that both you and others put on you, the question of pressure boils down to: what is righteous for any human being to carry? If you are carrying not only yours but other loads, you cannot care for those in your congregation that you have to care for.

I want people to come to this crucible of telling the truth and actually acknowledge they were not meant to be here and were not meant to do what they are doing, which then leads to the question, “What is the alternative?” Part of this is whether you will tell the truth to the people of God, not just the truth about your situation but about all of the situations we all face.

We are all leaders. Leadership is inevitable for all humanity.  All of us face these five challenges. What happens when we see it is not our strengths, but our limitations and failures God intends to use as a means of redemption?  In our daily life this translates into “doable principles”; the four, six, seven or twelve steps. We have principalized the gospel and made it a self-help structure so that anyone with a reasonable mind, good intention and active will can accomplish and understand it. God, in that sense and in that context, is an ornamental addition to the self-help plan.

What I invite people to is to a crucible where God shows himself mysteriously, and by starting to tell the truth, and live in and with the truth, there is a freedom that is the antithesis of pressure.

What would you recommend to ministers who are struggling with the complexities of telling the truth?

My book is based on the story of Jacob in Genesis 32. The name of Jacob means surpplanter or in the vernacular it means “con artist.” He was a liar and a manipulator, and his name eventually became Israel, which means “the One Who Wrestles with God.” God loves those who fight him. We train pastors to wrestle with God long enough that they end up in a naked brawl with him. If this is not Christianity, then there is a misunderstanding of what the gospel calls us to do. And we as a people have lost a profound desperation that compels us to wrestle with God. 

The leader must be the great cultural revolutionary in the congregation. So that people see an alternative to being driven, and to living with pretense and Godless pressure. Leaders should be paradoxical. They should be the happiest and the saddest people in the congregation and know death more deeply than anyone. And they should know life more so than anyone. 

Romans 12:15 says, “Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep.” Not because ministers are good actors, but because death and life are constantly at work in them in a way in which they are inviting people to a deeper gospel rather than a cultural gospel.

(Look for the review of Allender’s book, Leading With A Limp, in this same issue.)

   As a professional writer for more than three decades, Karen Patterson has been an editorial writer and weekly syndicated columnist for the Gannett and Thomson papers, and has authored and edited nine books. The most recent is, Heavenly Herbs: A Journey Through Biblical Gardens.  Karen lives with her husband, John, in southern Ohio with whom she shares four children and four grandchildren.

Last weekend I participated in a fundraising event for our youth group. It was so much fun I thought I would share it with our readers. Churches often need extra cash.  You can adapt this for whatever purpose or cause you choose.

Our church is in the middle of a building project and building anything in California is costly in both time and money. The cost of building a new building has escalated as we fight red tape and countless revisions to our building plans.  The good news is we actually do have a new building now and will soon be able to relocate from the warehouse where our church currently is housed.

The bad news is the cost has increased so much that we keep slashing our budget. This means that the used modulars on our new property -- in addition to the new sanctuary --are not going to get all the new equipment and furnishings we had hoped for. Our staff is coming up with creative ways to raise additional funds.  One fun idea youth director, Johnny Walsh arrived at was a car smash. He had this brainstorm one day when he and another staff member decided to smash up an old desk that was just taking up space in a back room.  After a satisfying time of trashing and smashing the desk the other staff members observed, “You know. This is so much fun. I bet people would pay to smash things!” Never say things like that to a youth minister. It could be dangerous.  Johnny’s wheels started turning and matters progressed (or should I say, digressed from there.)

Johnny pitched his idea of a car smash to some of his leaders and shortly after a mother of some of his youth group kids donated her old Volvo for the event.  The group promoted the event with flyers including a picture of the car, date, and location where it would be smashed.  They even managed to get front-page press from our local paper.

On the date of the event leaders were well prepared.  Those participating in smashing had to sign a release form.  Those under 18 needed a parent or guardian to sign for them. The youth group leaders also set up a table with photos and activities of youth group activities and programs plus other church programs for non-church people who might attend the event.

People paid $50 to smash a windshield or back window and $20 for each side window. For $10 you were allowed 1 minute of smash time.  Someone recorded who paid for what.

Plenty of safety precautions were in place.  Leaders set up saw horses and taped off the car with yellow caution tape.  Only one person could smash at a time.  They allowed no sandals or opened toed shoes. Participants wore coveralls and helmets with plastic face shields (such as hockey helmets.)  Someone certified in CPR stood by, just in case.

Before the event and after the car was placed on the location, someone drained all of the car’s fluids: oil, gas, brake, etc.

Leaders also lined up a charity car drive donation organization to come and haul away the junked car after the event so there was not fee for towing.

The group raised approximately $450 and would have raised more had the smash site they had chosen been more visible and had they had a longer time to promote the event. (They only had about a week.)

Additional things we learned in the process.

• Tape the handle of the sledgehammer with duct tape to protect it, because it will take a beating.
• Avoid Volvos because they are built like tanks and are promoted the safest car in America. (Now we know why.) Yes they are smashable. It took countless blows to even make a dent in the windshield which thick safety glass and the sides were pretty tough as well.
• Hold the event in a visible location and have plenty of signs with good directions. Our event was held on the new church site, which is very difficult to see from the road. The main sign was also set back on the fence so it might not have been as visible as it could have been. Perhaps having helpers holding the signs would have attracted even more attention.
• If you can provide an announcer and PA system to cover the event, it makes it even more fun.

If you liked this fund-raising idea, feel free to use it. Be sure to send us additional fundraising ideas you have.  If we like it, we’ll share it with our readers and archive it on our fund-raising page.

   Teena Stewart is a published writer, a ministry consultant and coach, and a product developer for Ministry in Motion. You can email her at smartwords@sbcglobal.net.  To learn more about Teena, her writing, and consulting services, click here.  

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