2009 Leadership Summit notes:

Session 7 – Chip and Dan Heath ~ To bring about change, one must appeal to the emotions. Big problem, small solution. In our quest for success, failure is a necessity. Is it a people problem or a situation problem? Bono is up next, then Tony Blair. It's an amazing day.

Session 5 – Dave Gibbons, executive coach; pastor: Our pain and suffering are our connection to humanity. Walk slowly, see the people. Failure is success. Our weaknesses guide us. Relationships trump vision. Best discipleship happens in life on life.... Hang out with people unlike myself. Read authors I disagree with. Understand that obedience is more important than passion

Session 2. Gary Hamel - Atheism has quadrupled since 1990. We should feel grateful that so many people are no longer pretending to be Christian. Church needs to be the most vibrant, adaptable, flexible institution in the world.

The kindest form of management is the truth but in the church world we tend to twist that into avoidance.

1st session Leadership Summit - Bill Hybels: The old “normal” may never return. Rough patches force new levels of courage and commitment. Leaders know that these type of conditions draw out of us elements of leadership that otherwise may remain hidden. Nobody is coming to church for a mild dose of God. All killer no filler! People will still give to a white hot vision. Are we having honest conversation?

The View From Conservative Mennonite Conference

For the second time in as many years I produced the main stage sessions at annual conference. I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked but this gives you some idea of what happens.

Summer = Family

Hey all Daudy and Mommi Miller peeps...Announcing the Elmer T. Miller family reunion at our house on Friday, August 14 starting at 6pm and ending when ya'll go home. We will provide the hot dish and each family bring a salad AND dessert. (If someone else has an idea on how to keep the amount of desserts and salads balanced, let me know but for now we'll go with this.) I am going to try to gather old photos between now and then and scan them for a nifty slide show that should be quite entertaining. I need lots of submissions from all of you, so send them to me at gbtroyer@comcast.net or let me know that you have some and I'll come get them. All photos will be returned after scanning. I doubt that any of the Amish relative will see this (who knows? they might have e-mail accounts and go to the library or the neighbors to check it...) regardless, if it comes up, yes, they can drive their horse and buggies to our house. We need the fertilizer...

See ya then!

Artsy Amish

Earlier this year I stopped in at Uncle Alvin and Aunt Mary's for no reason other than to say hello. Per the usual I ended up staying for longer than I intended. I don't see some of my relatives nearly enough and so when I take the time to reconnect. I reconnect. Interestingly enough, my Amish heritage is filled with "artsy" individuals. Alvin and Mary have always been into art (though they just think it's what they do, nothing special, chust us...you know), now in retirement and in their 80's, Mary is a quilter and Alvin paints. Mary, Aunt Katie and Cousin Jewel all at one time or another practiced the art medium of tinsel painting. A picture of one of my favorites is shown is this collage. Aunt Katie painted this particular one. The other pieces are paintings Alvin created. He typically paints on a small scale primarily on saw blades and hand saws. After my initial visit I commissioned Alvin to paint whatever he chose on a larger canvas and though intimidated by the size of the canvas, he painted the scene pictured above. Obviously, I was very happy with what he did. Additionally, I started my own mini collection of his round saw blades. He has many for sale at very reasonable prices. The farmer or wannabe farmer in your life would treasure one of his originals. Contact me if interested.

Best Student

Okay yes, I'm a really proud Dad. After hoping that she would just make it through school...(Morgan used to be way more social than studious) she is now into engaging her mind and doing amazingly well. As the picture indicates she was named the female best all around student in her 8th grade class!

Less Clutter, Less Noise #2

Years ago Brenda and I bought a burgundy, Chrysler, Town and Country van. Up until that time we hadn't noticed that there were other vans of same make, model and color on the road but after making the purchase and feeling like we had a great van that was perhaps "special" we began to notice that there were many other vans just like it on the road. Okay, so our van wasn't that special after all...the point is that once we had a "felt need", which in this case was less need than awareness, we began to notice and tune into the information that our brains said we needed.

Kem Meyer, author of Less Clutter, Less Noise, says she experienced the same thing the day they decided that their daughters needed a kitten. Suddenly, she saw signs for Free Kittens, Kittens for Adoption etc...everywhere, she even began noticing stray cats. What made the difference from the day before? On that day, she "needed" a kitten for her kids.

The fact is people's needs drive what people pay attention to. People usually only notice what will benefit them in some way. That's the definition of a felt need - anything people consciously lack, desire or need help with (time and money management, relationships, stress, pain, etc.). Connect with a felt need, and you will connect with an audience. On the other hand, if you share information without wrapping it around a felt-need, it is almost impossible to make a connection. Remember, it's easy for people to miss what they're not looking for.

It's a Fricken' Elephant

Just started reading the book Less Clutter. Less Noise. and I think I may be posting quite a few excerpts if the rest of the book strikes me like the first couple pages did. Kem Meyer, Communications Director at Granger Community Church wrote this book for anyone involved in communications but especially to those in the church world. That's where I find myself, in the church world, trying to get the word out and struggling at times to know how to proceed.

In reality it's not what you say; it's what people hear.....

I heard a story about a grandpa helping his four-year-0ld grandson learn to read. The boy pointed to a picture in a zoo book and said, "Look, Grandpa! It's a frickin' elephant." The grandpa took a deep breath and asked, "What did you call it?"

His grandson repeated himself.

"It's a frickin' elephant, Grandpa! It says so on the picture!"

And, so it did. When the grandpa looked down at the picture, it read,

"A F R I C A N Elephant."

It's not what you say; it's what people hear."