Wednesday, January 05, 2022
Lawn Art and New Neighborhood Entrance
Along with the invigorating energy of Spring, Lawn Art With Neighbors (LAWN) is popping up near you from April 23 to May 8, 2022, with front lawn art created by your neighbors in Greene County and especially around Springfield, Mo.
LAWN thrives as a public art opportunity open to all community members and art forms. LAWN exhibitions include sculptures, paintings, installations, video projections, podcasts, social practice projects, and more.
In 2022 LAWN brings a whole new array of front yard projects and some recurring sites located in Springfield and other communities of Greene County. LAWN is also expanding to lawns in other communities in Greene County like Republic, Ash Grove, Willard, Battlefield and Fair Grove.
LAWN was founded and organized by Deidre Argyle, Jodi McCoy, and Shauna Smith. Current sponsors are Sculpture Walk Springfield, Springfield Art Museum, Missouri State University: Art + Design Department and University of Missouri Extension (Greene County).
Take a stroll, bike ride, or cruise and enjoy artwork
brought to you by your neighbors April 23 - May 8. The LAWN site map and viewing suggestions to
locate the artworks nearest you are online at https://sculpturewalkspringfield.org/sculptures/lawn-art-with-neighbors.
IN STONEY CREEK ESTATES
David Burton is creating a lawn sculpture that can involve other members of the neighborhood.
Some neighbors have already created spin art for the display (supplies and instructions provided). It is easy and fun to do.
The next opportunity to create your own disc for the display will be on March 20.
March 20 is "won’t you be my neighbor day," the birthday of Mr. Fred Rogers. That day I will have an area set up on our garage for neighbors to create their own spin disc for placement on the picket fence lawn sculpture.
The final sculpture will involve two or perhaps three picket fence panels and will have a spotlight on it during the evening.
After LAWN is over, this sculpture will becomes a temporary neighborhood entrance.
I just received permission from the parks department to move this picket fence sculpture to the corner of Bailey and Kentwood on the park's owned land. It will serve as an artistic gateway into our neighborhood for a year until replaced by a different display in 2023.
Solar spotlights have been purchased
that will help to keep the display lighted. I will personally be putting down
weed barrier and mulch at the corner and around this display so that parks
staff will not have something else to mow around.
If you have questions contact David Burton by email at burtond@missouri.edu or by text at 417-848-3442.
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Deacon Ministry Guidelines for Deacons at Ridgecrest
As stated currently in the Deacon Handbook
The ministry
of a deacon in a local
church is, by definition, a ministry of service.
At Ridgecrest, a deacon is an extension
of the ministry of the Senior
Pastor.
EXPECTATIONS & TASKS OF AN ACTIVE DEACON
·
Every deacon
must sign the Ridgecrest Leadership covenant.
·
Faithful in Small Group attendance
and worship.
· Each
deacon should be a promoter of unity within the church and a peacemaker.
· Have a
heart for prayer and be willing and able to pray in various settings.
· Able and
prepared to serve in the church and available to ministry.
· Willing
and able to witness to others about Jesus Christ.
· The
ability to show up at deacon meetings and church events / activities.
·
Every deacon is
challenged to be growing spiritually in loving God and others.
· Devoted
to God, and an example to others.
· Nurturing
to your own family, a good steward of relationship with wife and children.
· Committed
to Ridgecrest and the Senior Pastor
· Faithful in a daily time in
God's Word and in prayer.
· Faithful in tithing and
giving offerings.
· Be realistic about life
situations or stresses which would make them unable to serve.
· Able to attend deacon
meetings and fellowships.
· Advise Chairman of deacons,
if you are no longer able to fulfill these expectations.
QUALIFICATIONS OF
A DEACON
1.
A man of honest
(good) reputation in the church, as well as those outside the church.
2.
Full of the Holy
Spirit (Acts 6:3).
3. Full of wisdom (Acts 6:3) wisdom born
in a relationship with the Holy Spirit.
4.
Full of faith
(Acts 6:5) like Stephen's, a deacon's
power depends on faith.
5.
Grave (1 Timothy 3:8) one who possesses Christian purpose, who has great reverence for spiritual matters. One whose word carries weight.
6.
Not double-tongued (1 Timothy 3:8) dependable
and responsible in control of his tongue.
7.
Not given to
much wine (1Timothy 3:8) temperate in living, steward of good influence.
8.
Not greedy of
filthy lucre (1 Timothy 3:8) a right attitude toward material possessions.
9.
A holder of the
faith (1 Timothy 3:9) who possesses spiritual integrity beyond reproach.
10.
Tested and proved
(1 Timothy 3:10) a man who demonstrates his spiritual qualifications before being elected to serve as a deacon, tested and found true.
11.
Blameless (1
Timothy 3:10), no charge of wrongdoing can be brought with success.
12.
Christian family
life (1 Timothy
3:11-12) a man whose family is well cared for and
growing.
13. Husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3:12)
a model of faithful devotion
to one spouse, committed
Thursday, November 11, 2021
From the Sewer to Serving
by Bob Coleman
Jacque and met at 10 and 9 years old. We grew up, and married in Louisville, KY. In the early years of our marriage I worked at MSD: Metropolitan Sewer District. Jacque was a waitress at Jerry’s restaurant. My job at MSD was unequivocally the most foul job one could hold. I literally crawled the sewers of Louisville. Some on my stomach, some I crawled on my knees, and some I walked, that were so big, one could drive a semi truck through it. Literally.
When I share this truth with people, I usually get “How could you do that?” Or, “I could never do that.” I use to reply; “It’s a job.” And back then, it was. What I didn’t know then, but have grown to know and love today is; that that job was training me for ministry today. A ministry, that I have come to love and respect, as one of the greatest ministries one could serve. Hospital and Long Term Care.
You are probably wondering “How does one equate the two Bob.” Easy. They both are jobs that need to be done. And neither are for the squeamish or faint at heart.
While working at MSD, I also wanted to further my education and went to college. An interesting reality was quickly made to me. While in school I worked at ORMC: Orlando Regional Medical Center. And during those 4 years at that hospital, God showed me my ministry focus. The sick, the dying, and the elderly. You see, a truth that every man or woman who understands and loves the hospital ministry knows: loving, ministering, caring, and praying with the in-firmed, the sick and the dying; are ministries of the heart.
While rewarding in so many ways, hospital and home bedside visits are not for the faint, the squeamish, or the hurried. One has to be able to see past the tubes, the machines, past the blood and the scars; and at times, we must see beyond the anger, the God questioning, and the mental anguish.
I have personally been afforded the grace and privilege to visit many MANY people either at the side of a hospital bed, in a nursing facility, or at their beside at home. Many times I walked away from my visit praying; God have mercy on this person. Sometimes I left refreshed…….
Sometimes….. I didn’t make it down the hall, out of a driveway, or out of the parking lot without tears falling. While standing over Jerry Hall’s body in the ER room a searing pain flooded my heart. An anger I never once felt in any hospital, home, or long term care facility began to well up within me. I left in a hurry. I got alone and sought the Spirit of God. Whom gave me the peace that passes understanding, and the fortitude to do what I knew was coming. I buried my best friend.
Friends, there are times when we minister to our own friends and families, and several years ago I buried my best friend. Jerry was my Small group teacher and leader, until I took over for him. Jerry died of a brain aneurysm. And I buried him several years ago. Many of you remember Jerry.
While in a two year short term pastorate in Dalton, Ga. I met a man by the name of Wendell Bigham. Ohhh, let me tell you about my friend Wendell.
When I met Wendell, he was 80 years old. Wendell had only two jobs in his life. At 15 years old, Wendell started working at the small Hospital in Dalton, Ga. He was a painter……for two years Wendell painted the halls, the rooms, the closets…
Two years later war broke out and Wendell answered the Call of Duty.
Then four years later Wendell came home to Dalton, and started painting at that hospital again. Every room until he retired.
When I came to pastor at East Side Baptist, Wendell and I hit it off fast and deep. Weekly Wendell would invite me to the hospital to eat. “My treat”, he would say. I would respond, “Wendell. Let me take you to get a good meal.”
Each week Wendell would invite me to the hospital to eat. “Chicken today Bob. It’s good.” Have you ever eaten hospital food? Each week. I’d decline. Finally Jacque said something that woke me up out of a slumber. Jacque’s said: “Bob, you need to honor Wendell. Let him take you to the hospital to eat. At the hospital Wendell is somebody.” I was mortified. And said “Baby. You are so right.” You see, at the Hospital Wendell WAS somebody. I told Wendell, next Sunday Wendell, your treat, and I’m coming hungry. Next Sunday rolled around. “Are ya ready to eat Pastor Bob.” “Yes Sir Wendell. I sure am.”
We get to the Hospital and walked into the cafeteria. My jaw hit the floor. Half of the church was there. I stood with Wendell at the back of the line. Watching the cashier ringing people out. Man her hand was gettin’ it! I told Jacque to have a check ready. I was sure Wendell wasn’t prepared for so many people. After the tally, the cashier nodded then said, knowing his name: Mr Wendell. I clutched Jacque’s hand…. Mr. Wendell, she said; “That will be 8 dollars and 23 cents.” My jaw hit the floor as I looked at Jacque, then Wendell. You see, this lady, who knew Wendell, only charged Wendell the tax.
Now my friends. This is what you call integrity. Because Wendell was so loved for the two jobs he did for Dalton, GA; He could have brought in the entire city, and not paid a nickel. Why? Because Wendell H Bigham served with Gladness, and with Pride, and with Honor. Wendell Bigham was loved.
If I have one word of encouragement to my fellow deacons, to the staff at Ridgecrest, and to our Pastors….
My friends “In all that you do. Do to the glory of God.”
And friends, this IS why we serve. To give God and our Savior all the Glory and all the Honor.
Hospital & Bereavement Ministry: Things I Have Learned Through the Years
By Bob Coleman
When David asked me to share a few insights concerning hospital and bereavement care, I was delighted to do so. While often tough and painful ministries, hospital and bereavement care is equally rewarding, personally. To be able to assist hurting individuals and families during these inevitable and painful phases of life, is a blessing.
In Matthew we read:
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothed you?
And when did we see you sick or in prison, and visited you?” Matthew 25:35-40
Honestly folks? Hospital and Bereavement Ministry is not for everyone, but it could be. It is a rewarding ministry to love on those who are hurting, who are dying, or dealing with the loss or sickness of a loved one.
Now, with this thought in mind, and from an extensive history of visiting hospitals and home bedsides, here are just a few things I have learned over many years.
When going to the hospital to visit a church member or maybe a family member of a fellow church member, check ahead to determine if the individual is still there, moved, or sent home. Check on their status before going, so as to know what direction your visit will assume. Most of the time, you can call ahead to the church to get a brief enlightenment of the individual’s status. When making a hospital visit, one doesn’t exactly know every time, what we will encounter when we walk into their room.
I remember once a couple years back, a visit of a member’s grandmother. She was in her late eighties. When I walked into the room, she was laying very close to her bed rail peeking through the bars. I immediately felt incredible empathy. I walked up to her bed, and knelt down eye level to her. She didn’t speak a word in the 20 minutes I was there. I told her who I was and that I wanted to share a couple songs, and a verse with her
I sang My Jesus I love Thee. Jesus Loves Me This I know. And one verse of There is coming a Day. She quietly laid there teary-eyed, holding my hand.
And I did the same. I learned along time ago. If our Lord who knows the outcome of every single solitary thing, was likewise touched by grief and cried; so can I, and so can you.
In both hospital and especially bereavement ministries, one must allow themselves to be touched by another’s grief, but not overcome by their grief. Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that I am a bit of a cut up, a prankster, and fun loving person. But these same people know that I am soft hearted and bereavement care is very dear to my heart.
During my years of ministering to the sick, the in-firmed, and the dying, a couple truths have been a constant reality. (1) Bereavement Care is never easy, and (2) while sometimes painful, composure, while important, isn’t as important as being genuine. Even our Lord was touched by grief at Lazarus’ tomb. So…… Be genuine.
Through my years of ministry, I have been well acquainted with grief, death, and dying. In a two year span while Pastoring in Dalton, GA alone; I buried fourteen people. It is never easy to bury anyone, and it is a very painful duty of ministry to bury someone you love and treasure. Here in Springfield, I have thus far buried seven people. Burying Jerry Hall a few years ago was one of the hardest things not only in ministry, but in life I have ever had to do. Jerry was my dearest friend.
You will have to be prepared to go into a hospital room where someone is unsure what will happen to them. Or to lay someone to rest. I have been asked before, How do you prepare to bury someone? I answered with this thought. One doesn’t prepare to bury anyone. One must BE PREPARED to bury someone. Prayed up. Read up. And Composed.
How do I prepare for Bereavement Ministry? I read God’s Word. I pray for the family. I pray with the family, especially the closest to the deceased.
Ladies, it is okay to hold a grieving woman’s hand or touch her back. If you know her.
Men, quiet strength and sometimes a hand on the back or arm of a friend, is warranted and needed. However, male or female; never presume to be automatically close to an individual during this troublesome time, if you haven’t already been.
Only Time and the Holy Spirit can heal the wounds of losing a loved one; especially a wife, a husband, a child. Not my wisdom nor your wisdom will get a grieving person through this time. In this situation, when it comes to talking; less is usually best. Let the family member talk. Talking is good for them. Remember. Hurting people usually do not know or consider how they are supposed to act. Give them space and Give them grace.
The greatest information YOU need to understand afore hand is: Am I the correct person to offer physical condolences? If we haven’t been close to an individual before they lost a loved one; we very well may not be the person to console this person when they do lose their loved one. Do not be offended or feel as though you haven’t “helped the individual.”
Most times people just need the time and space to say their goodbye, to reconcile in their own heart too… and with… their deceased loved one.
Sometimes there will be a need to instill comfort, and their is no greater source of comfort than a listening ear.
The bereaved are mourning, searching, and questioning.
However, the bereaved are not seeking or ready for a short sermon. These times of ministry are not times for quips, like:
“You’ll get through this.” “You’ll be alright.” or “He or She is in a better place.”
The bereaved know these things.
Quiet strength and solidarity is what the bereaved need and probably seeking; even if they aren’t aware of it at the moment.
Men, Just standing quietly beside a mourning father, a husband, a brother instills a strength that is needed.
Ladies, quietly holding a hand, touching a back gives strength to a grieving wife, mother, or daughter.
What is rarely appropriate if one hasn’t been close to the bereaved, is to run up to them and start hugging them tight. The bereaved will almost without hesitation reach for you, if they feel a need of your comfort. If a grieving person does walk up to you and put their head on you or hug you; stand there in quiet strength, and give them all the time and grace they seek and need of you.
Most every bereaved individual have some thought to how the funeral should be conducted. Will it be somber? Quiet? Reserved? Will it be a home-going atmosphere; with lively music? Will it be quiet and reserved.
Assuming is never appropriate. Ask the closest bereaved or the person set in charged for the closest bereaved.
If you are one who is in a place of leadership during this time, insure all documents are signed. The particulars are cared for. Will their be music?
A soloist? A special music lineup? Dinner prepared, and where? What is the address of the Funeral Home and the gravesite?
Be humble. Be flexible. A bereaving family need to be heard, yet need for the funeral to be well prepared and cared for.
In finishing these thoughts. Grief sharing and Death and dying are wonderful ministries for the right individuals, both men and women. And both are needed.
May the Lord bless you if you are lead into such a somber but soul-stirring and rewarding ministry.
Monday, November 08, 2021
May Unity and Prayer be Our Theme
Unity & Prayer are the themes for our upcoming deacon meetings at Ridgecrest Baptist Church. Both are vital if our deacon ministry is to be a blessing to this church, its pastors, and its members.
As I’ve prayed over the past year about these deacon
meetings, I kept having this thought placed on my heart: deacons should
demonstrate unity, and to do so, we need to know each other well and understand
each other’s calling.
Consider these meetings our team training where “iron
sharpens iron.” The focus will be getting to know each other and be prayer.
This summer, I read a small book by Matt Smethurst entitled
“Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church.”
Matt gives a clear picture of what work the deacons are to
be about in their role. He says it this way: “As the pervasive world of social
media urges people to ‘promote yourself,’ deacons quietly set others up to
win.”
When American culture, dare I say church culture too, is
marked by division and self-promotion, deacons protect and promote church
unity. We are to safeguard the harmony of the church and set our pastors and
others up to win.
Part of the harmony begins in this room as we grow in unity ourselves.
1, Attending deacon meetings is an important part of that: thank you for being here.
2 Reading our weekly deacon emails so you stay in the communication loop is another good step: 78% of you opened this week’s deacon update. Thank you to those of you that did, but we could do better.
3. One final way to help build that unity among deacons so that it can spill over into the church is by having each of you involved in our meetings.
We need the
deacon membership involved at this and future meetings, leading devotionals,
leading trainings, giving reports, and leading in prayer. If you are not on
today’s meeting agenda, it means you are eligible to be on the agenda in
January! You can volunteer or get drafted.
Thanks again
for being here. Now let’s go team!
-- David L. Burton
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Will the Real Christmas Please Stand Up
The hype is almost over. It is nearly time for stores that had Christmas decorations up before Halloween to start taking down the holly and tinsel.
By the time you read this article, chances are that you have all the names checked off your shopping list. Christmas cards will have been mailed and season’s greetings posted to your favorite social media platform.
In a few days, shoppers hurrying to find the perfect gift will be kicked back on the sofa watching Netflix.
With all the pre-Christmas rush and commercialism almost over it is now time to ask: will the real Christmas please stand-up?
It is the Christmas with a fire in the fireplace and the strains of "O Holy Night" coming from carolers (or a music streaming service).
The real Christmas is the giving of gifts to the ones you love because you love them, not because their names are on your list.
The real Christmas is waking up Christmas morning and reading about the reason for the season over a fresh brewed cup of coffee (or hot chocolate).
The real Christmas is when business and building owners invest their own time and treasure to decorate their buildings windows and hang up lights on Main Street to spread beauty and holiday cheer. (See Ash Grove Main Street).
The real Christmas is an opportunity to be thankful for friends, family and our God for the blessings we have.
The real Christmas is the best of all possible times because it brings out the best in all of us. The good that resides in humankind bubbles up and the spirit of love walks the land.
The real Christmas can be a time of healing old wounds or rekindling old friendships.
The real Christmas is the one where money is dropped into Salvation Army kettles, people are generous to their neighbors and church congregations gather food, clothing and toys to share with those in need.
The real Christmas is a love filled experience that could be summed up with the following phrase: "Peace on earth and goodwill toward mankind."
The real Christmas is a time of miracles.
This year more than others, we need to be reminded that Christmas began with a miracle.
If there had not been a miracle birth at Bethlehem, no star in the east, no shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night, no "Silent Night, Holy Night," humankind would have missed the reason, intent and purpose of the Christmas season. Christmas is a birthday celebration of my Lord Jesus Christ. The blessings of hope, love, joy and eternal life that Jesus can offer is the real Christmas.
We need Christmas and what it does for us. It cleanses us and restores our humanity. It is the most human time of year. Here is hoping your family experiences a Christmas miracle and discovers love, kindness and peace this season.
###
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Invest in Getting to Know your Neighbors
In the meantime, our culture is becoming angrier and much less forgiving. We are more isolated. Part of the reason is that we have forgotten the art of neighboring.
It takes effort. It takes some purposeful planning. Neighboring will also take some time. But it should be a priority and the benefits are plentiful, both personally and for our community.
I am not asking that you try to be neighborly to everyone in town. However, what would our towns look like if we all made an effort to be neighborly to the people living next door? Your neighbor may be starved for a friend! On the other hand, your neighbor might have amazing skills or insights to contribute to a neighborhood.
Take time to get to know the widow next door, the single mom, the grandparents raising their grandchildren, the new family to the area. Yes, people can be challenging. We all have our own messes. However, we also need relationships and your neighbors are the perfect place to start.
Current social research is showing that many in our culture suffer from a lack of personal relationships, which leads to isolation, depression, anger and more.
Let me be clear, stalking what people are doing on Facebook is not a real relationship. In fact, there is a lot of new research showing very negative emotional impacts from being on Facebook a lot and seeing the highlights folks post from their life.
When my wife and I were young, we lived in the Meadows subdivision near the airport, south of Willard, Mo. I got talked in to being the president of our homeowners association. Then the calls started. A resident who said his neighbor’s dog barked all night and he wanted me to come tell the neighbor about the rules violation and to tell him to make his dog stop barking. Imagine with me how that problem might be better resolved if the neighbors had instead had a relationship by being neighborly.
I see the same thing with local government where residents are quick to call the city about a code violation but never consider helping a neighbor. In one example I know about, an overgrown yard was reported and cited with a ticket. It turned out the single mom living there was taking care of her terminally ill mother and the yard was the least of her concerns. Before you call the city about your neighbors two foot tall lawn have you considered checking on the neighbor and offering to help? Which action would be neighborly? Which actions would result in a strengthened relationship?
So let us get started. Plan a simple get together and invite your neighbors over. Extend an invitation to each neighbor who has a home bordering you (this includes across the street neighbors and back fence neighbors). Get acquainted and work on staying connected.
You may find that being neighborly not only blesses your heart and shows kindness to others but that it also has the power to improve our community one family relationship at a time.
You can find and download a useful “who is my neighbor” chart on the Greene County MU Extension website at http://extension.missouri.edu/greene.
Monday, June 10, 2019
Pastor Search 101: Seek God When Seeking a Pastor
Monday, May 13, 2019
A "Stop Doing" List Can Help Support Efforts to Undo Crazy Busy Schedules
It is not that the idea is bad. It is just that the idea never had a chance.
Our crazy busy lives are killing our innovation and causing us to be unreceptive to new ideas in our personal lives and our businesses.
How many times have you seen a great idea at work bubble up, and even be met with excitement, only to have it die because no one had time for it after the brainstorming session. When we have packed schedules already, new projects simply die when we try to add them to existing workloads.
That is why I advocate the creation of “stop doing” lists. It is not an idea unique to me. I first learned about this idea in the book “Crazy Busy,” by Kevin Deyoung, but has since seen others reference it as well.
Most of our work schedules do not have free time – especially if we have been at that place of work very long. Adding new activities without eliminating other tasks is a good way to sabotage the innovation. It is also intellectually dishonest.
Repeatedly, new ideas lose out to the demands of the day or the urgency of now.
That is why we need to begin our innovation process by talking about a ‘stop doing’ list before we add things to a ‘start doing’ list. We have to create the capacity or time for innovation first.
What are the barriers to productivity in your place of business? Each of those barriers is an opportunity to be more productive, to ask if the task is still important.
The ‘stop doing’ list should include its best friend and neighbor, the ‘do differently’ list. Together they offer a path toward creating capacity. It takes more than just trimming a few minutes here and there during your day.
Talking with family members or co-workers about tasks that take a lot of time but have very few impacts or are no longer productive or valuable, only traditional, might be a good place to start.
The whole idea is to have these stop-doing conservations so leaders can say no to some activities and say yes to others that could be more productive or impactful.
There is a method to leading a “stop doing” process that can be applied to work groups, organizations of all types, and even with our own families. The key is to identify some changes that free up capacity while realizing there may be some temporary disruption in work.
To begin the process, there are some key questions to ask.
What are the activities that take up the most time in your day and are they essential to the core mission? For the least essential, find alternatives.
What tasks are the most repetitive and least creative or demanding? If not essential, is there something that would be a better use of your time?
Are there aspects of the workflow that could be automated?
What is the highest-value, most productive use of your time in your role? What gets in the way of doing that activity more?
We all have the same 24-hours. There isn’t more time in a day. But we can change how we spend the time we have. Starting with a ‘stop doing’ list faces the reality that there is no more time and it also sets you up for success when you pursue innovative ideas.
Impact, not Participation, Matters Most
In real life, adults do not get participation medals. What matters for most organizations, businesses and even families, is impact.
Impact goes beyond just participation. Impact means results or at least a strong effect on someone or something that creates a solution or result. In both the adult and business worlds, simply showing up to participate might get you an hourly paycheck but creating a positive impact will get you promoted.
MORE THAN SHOWING UP
We teach children to participate in life, which includes participation in school activities, clubs, and sports. Most times, just “showing up” is all that is expected to be able to say they are participating.
As adults, we also often end up measuring participation. We recount how many meetings or activities we attended. If participation is the standard, then we have set the bar for success very low.
Part of the reason for focusing on participation is because participation is easy. Normally, participation does not require a person to put forth much effort to get credit.
The problem is, we should measure impact or the difference that our participation made. The challenge is that many people have become comfortable with participation.”
The other problem with participation is we expect more than is deserved.
Remember, participation does not guarantee results. You have to set goals and focus on impact to see tangible results. It also requires you to set priorities so you can focus on the high priority items that have the greatest potential of impact.
CREATING IMPACT
Impact does require hard work and dedication. Creating impact often takes times. In fact, creating impact means we have to set goals and keep focused on them.
I’ve seen the difference between participation and impact in the gym. Just showing up at the gym is better than sitting on the couch. However, I shouldn’t expect a benefit without putting in some effort. Just opening the door to the gym doesn’t help me lose weight.
Simply measuring repetitions and time is just like participation and it does not show impact.
It all starts with a paradigm change. Impact is when you become focused on changing things – like bad habits – to achieve your goals.
Individuals do need participation to have an impact. But the participation needs to lead to impact leading to change.
Impact means something is faster, better, stronger, more efficient, more competitive, improved, and no longer the same.
Impact is about making a difference with our efforts. When we stop accepting participation as the norm and demand impact – positive things begin to occur,.
MORE INFORMATION
Community development specialists with MU Extension help people create communities of the future by tapping into local strengths and university resources. The Community Development Program works collaboratively with communities to foster economic development, leadership development, community decision making, community emergency preparedness and inclusive communities.
Wednesday, February 06, 2019
Read More, Make More!
More of Me, Less of You
Saturday, January 12, 2019
You Can’t Go Home Again; But You Can be a Positive Force in Town
“You Can’t Go Home Again” is a book written by Thomas Wolfe. In it, he tells the story of an author who returns home only to discover that the town residents are mad at him because they see themselves in some of his stories. Then he writes this famous line: “Back home to time and memory which cannot be recaptured.”
For example, no matter how detailed or pleasant my memories are about the friendly small town experience of growing up in Ash Grove, things have changed. The town has changed because people have changed.
Those lazy, hazy days of the 1980s can never be recaptured. I can hop on a 10-speed bike and ride all over town, and it will not matter. I can cruise Main Street at night with my window rolled town playing music, and it will not be the same. I may even get pulled over by a local officer, but the town and the experience will be different.
If you have lived here long, you know things have changed.
Sometimes this change is due to external forces. Businesses come and go. Certainly, it can also have to do with changes in our culture. It can also be a reflection of changes in us.
However, the harsh reality is that it can also be because of the choices we have made. Sometimes towns change because good people turn a blind eye to evil or community challenges. Sometimes the changes have greed or pride at the root.
Our communities need leaders and volunteers who are positive. Our towns need community leaders that are agents of peace. This means being a community spark plug. It means devoting energy to community needs but doing it in a way that is not self-serving. It also means leading in a way that brings people together on issues, not creating a wider divide.
Being an agent of change may require you to make personal changes or alter your priorities. It may require that you establish peace in your family first.
Our communities need healthy individuals, stable families, and mission-minded churches and institutions that build and support the community.
Why wait for someone else to take a step forward to lead? Stop pretending that we can recapture the 1980s and start looking forward. While we cannot recapture past glories, we can work together to ensure a strong future for our communities.
Sign up for our Greene County EXCEL program online at http://extension.missouri.edu/greene and get regular updates about learning opportunities for Greene County leaders and volunteers.