What Does Your Drink Say About You

Drinking Alone Doesn’t Equal Community

Below is a an excerpt from a recent CNN article:  this article is yet another reason why Churches Need Bars & Bartenders……

As part of his research for the book,“Everything but the Coffee”, Professor Bryant Simon of Temple University visited hundreds of Starbucks coffee houses, presumably drinking a lot of coffee but also watching his fellow customers, and here’s something he discovered: very few of them talk to each other.

We drink our coffee, we type on our laptop computers, we may read our books. If we came in with friends or business associates, we talk to them, of course. But Professor Simon writes that he saw very few spontaneous discussions among strangers.

He’s disappointed about that because, “Talk and ideas are crucial to the making of community.”

In “Bowling Alone”,  Harvard University sociologist Robert Putnam wrote about membership declines in everything from bowling leagues to churches to the PTA, and linked those declines to a breakdown in civic participation.

Once upon a time, big ideas were discussed in coffee houses. In 17th Century Britain, people sometimes called them “penny universities.” Coffee house discussions in colonial America helped set the stage for the American Revolution, and the New York Stock Exchange started at a coffee house in 1792.

These days, we have other places to share our ideas: we can blog, we can tweet, we can call radio talk shows. But based on Professor Simon’s observations at Starbucks, we may need a little more help communicating face-to face. Perhaps we’re all just too busy with our laptops, but maybe the solution could be something as simple as changing the furniture: I was in an independent coffee house outside Pittsburgh recently. Customers there sat around a semi-circular counter, and the conversation flowed as freely as the coffee.

Church Bartender Tip: it’s time to move beyond self-serve coffee that has been placed against a wall and create ways to facilitate conversation; changing the shape of our facilities can shape and cultivate our lives in such a way that conversation face to face is a normal part of community.

(exert from Drinking Alone by CNN writer Jim Dexter)

A Tale of Two Vineyards

My Favorite Video from The Nines

Margaret Feinburg

Unleashing Beauty – Oct. 10th

There are so many conferences these days! Some are quite amazing to experience while others are not that great, especially when you consider the amount of money you have to invest for participation. Given our current economic climate, more people are being intentional about which conferences to attend. I think this is a good thing.

Personally, I like conferences. Let me rephrase that… I like conferences that bring something of unique value to the table that results in collaborative and sustainable action.

One such conference is “Unleashing Beauty” on October 10th in Irvine, CA at NewSong. It is a FREE 1 Day Global Leadership Conference with actual leaders from around the world. It is a collaborative effort of both NewSong and the Mosaic Alliance. Here are 5 reasons why I think you should attend:

1. Unleashing Beauty is Diverse
   • It’s rare to find conferences that have diverse leaders from around the world. During Unleashing Beauty, leaders from countries including Thailand, England, India, Mexico, China, and Korea will be present to facilitate conversations about global care for the things that resonate close to the heart of God.
2. Unleashing Beauty is Inclusive
   • This conference is NOT just for church leaders. In fact, many of the sessions will be facilitated by people who lead businesses, organizations, and movements. The heart of this conferences seeks to integrate the entire church towards becoming God’s beautiful expressions of love to the world.
3. Unleashing Beauty is Accessible
   • This conference was designed so that everyone could come to the table. Yes, it’s absolutely FREE for YOU! Organizers are picking up the tab on the cost of putting together an event like this. Loving the generosity. Also, if you live too far away to be there in person to experience, you can join the event online at www.global.newsong.net.
4. Unleashing Beauty is Timely
   • One of the hopes of Unleashing Beauty is to inspire and provide practical tools for many, especially during these difficult times, to re-imagine and re-center who God has called them to be. There’s great anticipation about how God will use this event to refresh, renew, and inspire new directions for people seeking change.

5. Unleashing Beauty is Outward
   • Unleashing Beauty is designed to inspire and encourage leaders to continue to move outwardly in their faith expression through tangible generosity, compassionate justice, and city-care. There will be numerous examples of how people are practically engaging their respective cities (all around the world) with their families, churches, organizations, and businesses.

I really hope to see you there!

The following is information describing the heart and focus on the event along with other important details found at www.unleashingbeauty.net:

What is Unleashing Beauty?

“Unleashing Beauty” is a free day of training focused on justice, loving the outsider, and radical sacrifice.

Who is Unleashing Beauty for?

This event is designed for church, business, non-profit leaders to feel empowered to change their local, global, and online communities in the midst of this economic crisis.

This one-day leadership event is open to any leader in the OC/LA area and those who desire to join us online at: www.global.newsong.net (Yes, it will be streamed live!).

What are the hopes for Unleashing Beauty?

• Refresh, inspire, and connect leaders during these turbulent times.
• Create opportunities for leaders to re-invent and innovate their leadership.
• Develop compassion/justice opportunities to become tangible expressions of God’s love for the world.
• Provide opportunities for leaders that are jobless to network with each other.

Leading from Behind the Bar

On September 9th, 2009 – leaders from across the country were asked to submit videos of 9 minutes or less – focusing on leadership lessons they would like to share. I’m thankful to the team at The Leadership Network for allowing me the opportunity to pour out my heart and pour into the lives of others.

I hope the next few minutes adds value to your life and community.  I look forward to any comments or questions that we can dialogue about.

Special thanks to @MarkClement from Big Picture Media Group for some video maintenance so I could post this.

Dream Lab:: Birmingham

It’s time that our communities, our companies, our churches, and our environments work to help each other uncover and unleash the dreams that are inside; extracting and developing the uniqueness of others.

Sometimes when we think of dreaming, we think of things that are suppose to keep us in bed, but I’m talking about the kind of dreams that get us out of bed, the kind that are so profound and so compelling that they cause us to jump out of bed and to live out those dreams.

A dream isn’t just a hobby, it’s not just an exercise in futility – dreaming is where the future is created and if we can dream of a better future, we can create one too.

I’ve registered to Host a Dream Lab here in Birmingham this Fall and look forward to seeing the dreams of others become realized and lived out as we collaborate together.  Let me know here if you’re local and would like to join this Dream Lab.

“Now what you have to ask yourself is this: am I willing to move from what I have to what I could create? Am I willing to give up what I know for what I don’t know? Do I keep shrinking back to the life I have because it’s the default mode for existence? Am I willing to risk everything I have to create the life I could have? This is the same tough choice that those who came before us and were marked by faith had to make.”

That’s why I’m so excited about something called DreamLabs by Erwin McManus and the amazing dreamers at Awaken. Watch this video:

We’ll ask ourselves questions like:

1. If you lived out your dream would the world be a better place
2. Is there a dream that is trapped under the rubble of your failure
3. What dream is waiting for you just on the other side of your fear

Maybe you’re like me - “What is inside of you that someone else calls dysfunction, God calls Talent.” I look forward to dreaming with you and to living life Wide Awake.

If you want information on hosting your own Dream Lab in your area email dreamlab@awaken.org to request more information. (HT: to @bradruggles for pictures)

Laundry Love Project

What an amazing way to start a day and a week – with this video and the heartfelt statement::

“Life is not about wondering when the storm will stop,

but about learning how to dance in the rain” that comes near the end of the video.

Join Just4One in the initiative Laundry Love Project

Social Media: it’s so Trendy

Time isn’t moving any faster than it ever has – after all – it’s Time.  But the rate of change however is an entirely different story.  Check out this insightful video about where we are and are going with Social Media.

Welcome to the Future

I don’t really care if you like country music or not. This video is worth its time. Watch it, listen to it, and I promise you’ll find your self Laughing, Reflecting, or Dreaming –

Please comment below about what part made you Laugh, Reflect, or Dream.

Visual of How Americans Spend

I like pictures and this gives an interesting look at how American’s are spending their paychecks.  Created by Visual Economics