Author Terry Glaspey

I love to read. Many of my readers already know this. Between audio books, my book collection, and eBooks on my Sony Reader, I have hundreds of volumes in my collection. A few authors have spots as favorites on my shelf. One of those belongs to a man perhaps many haven’t heard of. Terry Glaspey. Glaspey is now an acquisitions manager for Harvest House Publishing in the state of Oregon. I first met Glaspey over 10 years ago when his book “Great Books of the Christian Tradition” was published by Harvest House. I had him on as a guest on my radio show and enjoyed the visit so much I had him back a few weeks later. He was interesting, well spoken, and thoughtful as a guest.

Over the years, Glaspey has written other books that I’ve enjoyed. His book on prayer, “Pathway to the Heart of God” , is excellent. His revised version of “Great Books..” is called “The Book Lover’s Guide to Great Reading” can be purchased used from Amazon is well worth the investment. Using the guide to help me select classic reading choices has greatly strengthened my own faith and given me a much broader perspective of Christianity through the ages. I have Glaspey to thank for that.

Most recently, I blogged about Glaspey’s pocket-sized “One Minute Bible Guide” which I’m planning to incorporate into the ministry of the church I pastor. What Glaspey’s does best is write for maximum comprehension. Some books I’ve read are what I would term difficult reads. That doesn’t make them bad but they require the reader to really take time with them, analyze them, and mine out the information in them. Glaspey’s books, while having depth, tend to be more easily digested on the first read.

If you are looking to pick up your reading as the holidays approach, I’d suggest picking up his guide and making some reading choices from it. You can’t go wrong reading a classic and Glaspey’s helpful reading lists and tips make the process even more enjoyable.

Have a great weekend.

A Fun Idea!

One of the most important skills anyone can learn is how to communicate effectively. One of the key components of this skill is learning how to craft your message to your listeners. Who are you speaking to? Do you know what type of person they are and what drives them? That’s what the book “Kingdomality” tries to solve. Author Sheldon Bowles with help from Richard and Susan Silvano has crafted a fun, entertaining way of looking at yourself and the people you communicate with.

The book features a fictional narrative of an out of sorts King whose kingdom is not operating so well. A wizard happens along to grant him a wish and the king asks for wisdom in leading his people. From there, the king is taken to another kingdom where he learns about the various guildhalls (base types) and the people who live in them (more precise types). The book groups twelve different personality types into the four guildhalls (three in each group) and the king learns about each by meeting the various types. Such titles as the “Black Knight”, “Dreamer-Minstrel”, “Doctor”, and “Scientist” make up the kingdom. A read of the book (or listen to the audio book) is necessary to understand more about the various types. Titles are deceptive. For instance, “Benevolent Rulers” are not necessarily the kings in this kingdom. Any of the twelve types can lead but the key is to learn who YOU are and then learn about those you work with or lead. When you do that, you can be much more successful in being productive and leading those around you. By the book’s end, the king is grasping the fundamentals and is already making a difference in his kingdom.

What I liked about “Kingdomality” is that the book was a brisk, fun read. As a pastor, I see great benefit in learning how to improve in communicating with my congregation. Aside from the funny titles and engaging narrative, the book provides real, applicable ideas that can be tailored to your work setting. As a bonus, you can go to the author’s website and take the Kingdomality Profile test to get a handle on your type and its strengths and weaknesses. You can take the test by clicking here. I tested as a “Dreamer-Minstrel” which suits me perfectly. My wife is most likely a “Doctor” and that gives me great insight on the way she thinks and how I can best communicate to her as her husband. When you get the basic ideas of the book incorporated into your life, it’s amazing how much benefit you can draw for such a little book.

I’ve studied many management forms and personality typing. This book was the first of it’s kind to bring a bit of lighthearted fun to the process while stressing that nobody can be pigeonholed into just one main type. Our tendencies will always be found in a type, but there are shades of grey in the typing that the author addresses.

The book was released in 2005 and is available both in print and audio versions. The audio version is quite entertaining as the book authors elected to produce the text as a dramatic performance with voice actors, music, and various sound effects. This was also a nice change from the standard reading of the text in many audio books.

I recommend this book to you. Of course, as a “Dreamer-Minstrel”, I’m expected to be quite upbeat and positive about all things so my review should logically focus on the positive aspects of this book and what benefits you can draw from it! You’ll figure that out after you read it! Have fun.

A Fine Balancing Act

And masters, treat your servants considerately. Be fair with them. Don’t forget for a minute that you, too, serve a Master–God in heaven.
(Colossians 4:1 MSG)

Finding good help in church or business can be difficult. Whether you are overseeing a volunteer ministry organization or running a company, there is no shortage of people looking for positions. So why is it that mid-level managers and Human Resource professionals, not to mention pastors, struggle with keeping quality people in positions of need? Perhaps the answer is staring them in the mirror.

When Paul wrote his letter to the church in Colossae all those years ago, there evidently was a management problem then too. Sometimes the overseers take for granted the faithful workers so they can deal with the problems of keeping the business afloat. There’s a great parallel for business today as managers look to deal with costs in order to improve their bottom lines in this tough economy. Unfortunately, they are looking at people rather than systems to fix the problem. Incentives are leaving the workplace so profits can be fattened and in many cases, employees aren’t even being communicated with as to why.

The same scenario plays out in local churches as pastors sometimes fail to recognize the thankless work of their volunteers. Many times we are guilty of just nodding our head on occasion and telling them “thanks” every few months. Meanwhile we turn our attention to people who many times aren’t contributing anything to the mission of the church but who pull at our schedules wanting to discuss this and that. We do this in the name of service and because we don’t want to “rock the boat”. Meanwhile, our volunteers just keep chugging along doing the thankless jobs that are so badly needed.

It’s not that we shouldn’t be trying to connect with new people. We should. But I have learned that great churches (and businesses for that matter) are made up of people who do the little things well. I’m blessed with a church family who will take time for the little things. Wiping down a table, picking up trash, refilling the coffee pot.  All of this being done behind the scenes so everyone can enjoy worship. As much as is possible, I try to do little things for all of them to let them know I care and see. In business, we should do the same thing. Cutting incentives just to save a buck may increase profits in the short term but when quality people leave for better situations you will suffer by spending more to retrain inadequate help. Here’s a few things you can do to show your appreciation to your workers/volunteers…

• How about a coffee card for someone? Is $10 too much to let them know you care?
• Take 15 minutes and make five, 3-minute calls to people in your church/organization. Let them know how much you value them and their time. You don’t have to be long winded. Just take some time to let them know you care about them.
• Take another 15 minutes and write three brief notes to other people in your group. Thank them for their service and let them know you are praying for them.

Those three suggestions alone bless 9 people in about a half-hour. NINE PEOPLE. Can you do that?

Being a good leader means understanding that you cannot do it all nor do you have to. Understand the gold mine you have with your people and serve them today.

I recently purchased an audio resource by blogger, author, and pastor Bob Franquiz titled “The Productive Leader”.  The resource is directed at leaders in any business setting but has great benefit for pastors and Christian leaders since that is where Franquiz is serving.  The resource is a two CD set with roughly 90 minutes or so of information. In it, Franquiz shares 24 productivity tips to get you on a path to getting more done in less time.

As most of my readers know, I enjoy this type of material. I read a lot of books to help me be a better leader and lately, many new audio resources are making their way into my library. David Allen’s “Making It All Work” is a great audio book as is “Getting Things Done”.  Nelson Searcy has a similar audio resource available for leaders in churches and business that I own. I share these resources with leaders in my church to give them ways to grow. Not everyone has my love of reading so an audio resource like this one is a welcome addition.

In all, I liked what Franquiz did here. He gives you doable ideas, he’s to the point, and he doesn’t waste a lot of time. I listened to it twice in a week’s period and am now getting ready to share it with my other leaders. My only “negative” is this review is that the audio on the CD’s was each one long cut instead of “chapters”. This is a big deal for me since I rip these over to my MP3 players to use when I exercise or am in my car. I would have liked to have been able to bookmark the cuts rather than make a mental reference as to where I left off so I can fast forward there when I return. This is minimal though. I am in the process of taking the MP3 tracks I ripped and cutting them up myself into chapters for future use!

Franquiz did a nice job with this resource. If you are looking for something to jump start your productivity, then give “The Productive Leader” a try. And no, I’m not being compensated for this endorsement!

Will the growing eBook market go through the same piracy pains that digital music has in the past decade? According to a report from the New York Times it already is seeing a trend toward pirated ebook files on sharing sites similar to the well known Napster over a decade ago.

From my perspective I can see this happening but if publishers handle this situation correctly, it needn’t escalate to the levels the music industry took to try to quell piracy. Were restrictions needed? Certainly but not to the extent that the music industry took. Level heads can prevail and all can benefit if a few things are considered.

First, the cost of eBooks needs to be discussed. Seth Godin has discussed this issue on numerous occasions in his blog and in a post written fifteen months ago, mentioned the silliness of book publishers wholesaling eBooks to Amazon at the same price as their printed versions. They do this even though there are no additional shipping, production, paper, shredding, or warehouse costs with digital files. Clearly the eBook can and should sell for less. Once the file is available, it’s a matter of downloading it to your reader device or computer. Other than the server space used to store the file and maybe the relatively small cost of operating an online store, there’s not other cost involved. As a user of the Sony Reader, I pay anywhere from ten to fifteen dollars per eBook download and while I don’t totally mind the expense, I will say that I do budget myself and buy much fewer books as a result. If the cost of eBook downloads could be reduced to say five to seven dollars per download, I would be more apt to buy eBooks and more of them. Why can this not be done? Publishers first need to stop operating in a paradigm of paper. Understand that the eBook division is a different enterprise with different rules and allow for them. Trying to bind all the book sales into one does nothing but stifle eBook growth.

Second, the eBook market needs to agree on a standard file for readers. The ePub format is a start and I’ve downloaded a few files to my Sony Reader to try out. Most notably, I have the entire ESV Study Bible (footnotes and all) on my Reader in ePub format. I believe Crossway Publishers (Owners of the ESV translation) did this so they could control distribution. The format works on both the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader (as well as other brands I’m sure) and there is no noticeable difference in quality from the proprietary formats of either device. The point is that once I’ve purchased the eBook file, I should be able to have the freedom to read it on a device of my choosing. If the Sony Reader I own needs replaced and I want to change brands (I wouldn’t at this point), I should have that freedom without worrying if my eBook library will transfer to the new device.

It’s going to take some creativity for the publishing industry to embrace the different book sale paradigm that eBooks allow. Lower the cost and establish an industry standard and watch your sales soar. Better yet, give away some of that product to encourage sales and attract customers you might never have been able to previously. Will there still be piracy issues? Yes but they will be reduced substantially. I would rather pay for a commercial download that I’m guaranteed is error free without virus worries than I would a pirated file that isn’t guaranteed to be the entire file or one riddled with errors.

If the publishing industry acts now with a proactive plan including the ideas I’ve mentioned, I doubt it will see the problems that some claim are coming. Let’s not ruin a good thing folks. The eBook market is primed to change the way we think about publishing. Let’s enjoy the diversity rather than stifle its creativity.

I was talking with a pastor friend of mine about my thoughts on the blog this week when he shared an awesome vision for his church. He didn’t even realize he’d done it but I got excited just hearing him talk from his heart about his burden for the work and where he could see it going. The problem is, would others even buy into it? That’s a big question.

Building a culture in your church is an investment of time. Sometimes it takes years before you’re ready to make that bold move. It just depends on people. As I’ve shared this week about the cost of following Jesus and why it should be a joy for us, I’m painfully aware that sometimes, that isn’t the case. People don’t always buy in. They criticize the dream. They tell others and can potentially shipwreck any voyage into the depths of God’s amazing blessing. These “vision villains” can be anyone, including your family. They can really stifle your dreams if you let them.

I encouraged my friend to write down his vision and do it while it was fresh in his mind. Patience is the key in many instances. When we model a life of sacrifice to others, some will get on board. As others see the numbers increase, their influence will also increase and your “dream team” takes root. Jesus started with 12 disciples and left them to evangelize the world. It can happen!

When we understand the reality of the gospel and internalize it. When we make a bold stand for the Lord and strive to follow only Him. When we really pull up anchor and not look back. When all these things stir our hearts, then God can begin to work. He just calls us to a step of faith. A step that has no guarantees. It’s excited, scary, and refreshing all at the same time. Do it and you’ll never be the same.

Follow God boldly where he leads. You might be surprised just how far He’ll take you!

Be blessed this weekend.

Today’s church has many stresses placed on it by a culture of expectation. More than ever before, church planters are facing an ever higher mountain to climb in order to reach others with the gospel. The stress to have ready made teams to work in a variety of areas at the start, a large cash budget to pay for the many “things” that will attract others, and the basic need of trying to raise funds to support the team members themselves all put tremendous pressure on the team to succeed coming out of the box.  The established church isn’t immune either. It’s pressures might be a bit different in scope but the problem is the same. We build a church culture around performance but not spiritual expectation. What do I mean?

Look at it this way. You want to come to church expecting God to show up. I know I do. Many times though, the work can get stifled when we are so focused on other items, programs, and “things”, that we forget that the reason we gather to worship is not just to be taught, but to be challenged to expand beyond our limits to reach others with the life giving message of Christ. Is this the driving force of your worship? Author Neil Cole is asking many of these same questions on his blog recently.  His new book, Church 3.0 (pictured at right) is a manifesto of what he feels is the next wave of church life. It is due to be released next spring and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Some have criticized Cole for his ideas but I for one find them refreshing. In a sea of books awash with the latest fads, Cole is asking for a resurgence of the basic things that made the church great. You can do this in the context of modern culture but it takes work. Cole has overseen the planting of hundreds of churches so he speaks from a position of execution and not just theory. That makes a big difference.

It doesn’t matter the size of demographic makeup of your church. What I want to know is why we gather? What is our purpose in mission? Are we seeking Christ or self gratification? All good questions to ask at midweek as we ponder the weekend. Are you making a sacrifice for God’s church so that others might be saved? In life, we teach our children to make the sacrifice of getting up early to go to school, working hard and making something of themselves. This is sacrifice. We do this in every aspect of our lives so should our service to Christ and his church be different? Only when it costs us something, can we really feel fulfilled in our spiritual walk. God does incredible things with people who live a sacrificial life. I encourage you to search the scriptures, see how many times we are told to love others, and then challenge yourself to take action! Your life, and your church, will never be the same!

Under Construction!

In October, I’m preaching a series of messages on the sacrifice of the local church. If we are to be the kind of church Jesus died for, than the blessings of the Lord should come at some cost to us. This tends to fly in the face of people who routinely take scripture out of context and say that the Bible tells us that the blessings of the Lord are free and that we are not able to buy our way into anything. That is true to some degree. You cannot buy salvation. The bible is clear on this:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

My reply to people who take this route is to ask the question “Then what do we do about this passage:”

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.  (Luke 9:23 ESV)

It is not enough to just accept Christ’s grace in your life. As we are called to serve Him, we should also understand that the grace that purchased our salvation was not without cost. Indeed, it cost Jesus His life. In light of that, shouldn’t our focus as a church be on what we can give back to Jesus rather than what we can get? For many today, church is just too expensive. Thousands are spent on the various baubles and toys to attract people because we’ve been told it’s the only way to get them. But are we teaching people to die to self and to live for Christ? When Paul was training Timothy to pastor the church he said these words:

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,  (2 Timothy 3:12 ESV)

Really? Does all include me? If so, does all include the congregation? If it does, then are we teaching this to them? In my own church I was convicted that I was not and my studies into God’s Word kept drawing me deeper and deeper into this topic. It’s not a flashy topic. It doesn’t look good on a postcard and it sure doesn’t make for a good marketing campaign does it? Some might think it points to negativity or hopelessness but far from it. In fact, the Apostle Peter said as much when writing this:

Resist him (Satan), firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:9-10 ESV)

An eternal glory! That’s a great promise. That doesn’t sound negative at all. The problem is, many times, we forget to teach about the sacrifices we must make to follow Christ. To take up the cross and follow Him. I want to be a part of something that costs me. I don’t want to ride in for free. If it has eternal consequences, than I should welcome a commitment and a cost. To deny that is to deny the blessing of the Lord in my life.

This past week I was working out in a local gym and a young man crossed my path with an interesting t-shirt. On the shirt it said in bold letters “Pain is the body’s way of removing weakness”. There’s spiritual truth to that. How can we know joy without sorrow? How can we know love without experiencing evil? How can we achieve success if we don’t know failure? In the next few weeks, I pray my messages will touch hearts in our church and change the lives of those around them as they serve others. We are planning a big outreach day on the week following the series’ conclusion. My hope is that our hearts (mine included) will be ready to receive God’s blessings when we are well aware of the cost.

For the past few years I’ve been using the technique of “Mind Mapping” to help me think through many different situations. What’s that? You don’t know what a Mind Map is? Mind Mapping is another twist on brainstorming that has become popularized through a British man by the name of Tony Buzan. If you search YouTube for his name, you’ll find a number of videos that give a basic breakdown on the technique and how you can use it. There’s even Mind Map computer software available, some for free, others for a fee that will help you bring mind maps to life on your computer screen.

If you’re interested in learning more though, I would highly recommend Buzan’s brief but well written introduction to the process called “How to Mind Map”. How to Mind Map is a small, pocket sized book that breaks down the basics of how to get started with this “radiant thinking” technique as Buzan calls it.  He starts with a basic rundown of the process, helps you design your first mind map, and then spends the rest of the book highlighting various ways you can use mind maps to work through problems, outline a book, plan your week, and even plan your future. That’s just the start of what this little guide will do for you. There are a number of books on mind mapping available but most are filled with a lot of clutter designed to sell the book and not the process. How to Mind Map is all application and very little filler. It’s the finest one volume guide to the process of mind mapping that I’ve read and the only one I’d recommend to someone getting started with the process of mind mapping.

In the beginning, I started mind mapping quite simply with just a pen/pencil and paper. But as time has gone on, I’ve seen the benefit of color and have changed to a dedicated notebook and a collection of colored pencils that help me visualize the process. I use mind maps to takes notes at college, outline my sermons, plan special events, and to outline books for reports or reviews. I’ve used them in other areas as well but this gives you an idea of the versatility of a mind map.

For me, linear note taking is a bore. I’ve tried it and it doesn’t help me. If I’m making note of one thing, I can get by with it but if I’m planning a multi task project, taking notes in a class, or even laying out my week, I like sitting down with a blank sheet of paper, my colored pencils, and just get to it. My mind feels refreshed, and I have a visual picture that helps me see logical connections with concepts and that’s the key with mind maps. Your brain thinks this way so it’s natural for you to draw it out.

Give mind maps a try. Order this book and see if it doesn’t help you think clearer and better than you have ever thought before.

Bob Franquiz’s latest book “Zero to Sixty” is a primer for church leaders looking for ideas to help them in the minefield that is today’s ministry workplace. Franquiz leads a large church in Florida and is a prodigy of Bob Coy’s who also leads a large congregation in Florda. Coy’s church has been recognized as one of the fastest growing congregations in America by leading church publications and it’s obvious that Franquiz was a good study.

The thing I like about “Zero to Sixty” is that the book is applicable to any size ministry setting. Franquiz breaks the book down into four key strategic areas. These areas are: Leadership, Staffing, Ministry, and Personal Development. Under each heading, Franquiz lays out easy to digest, helpful ideas that you can use to avoid unnecessary pitfalls. In the early stages of my own church plant, I’ve hit several minefields that I could have avoided if I would have had this book. No book is going to keep you from having setbacks but I enjoy reading others’ comments from similar situations so I can at least minimize those times.

The book was an enjoyable read.  Some highlights were the chapter on “Frankenstein” churches.  These are churches that have no defined vision and a hybrid of just about any type of ministry to satisfy a few. Many church leaders I know fall into this trap and have to learn to say “no” to many things to keep the church focused. Tied in with that idea is the chapter on building a small group culture. This is something we are still working on at the church I lead but suffice it to say, you can’t have 150 things vying for people’s attention. Focus is the key. Another highlight for me were the chapters on personal growth. This is an area I’ve blogged about recently and a key area of concern for me as I try to develop new leaders.

In all, Franquiz delivers a helpful book with very usable ideas that you can adapt to your ministry setting. I highly recommend “Zero to Sixty”.