Archives For Benjamin Kane

My Stop Doing List

Benjamin Kane —  October 28, 2015

I love books on leadership.  They are inspiring, enlightening and offer tangible help to my ministry.  While there are many out there, my favorite leadership writer is Jim Collins who wrote Good to Great (a must read for anyone in leadership or thinking about being in leadership).  Recently I came across a speech he gave at the Drucker Institute (click here to view the speech). The entire speech is worth listening to, but the last 10-15 minutes are pure gold.  He offers 10 pieces of advice to emerging leaders, two of which are: “If you woke up tomorrow and found out you inherited $20 million dollars while also finding out that you had a terminal disease and would be dead in 10 years, what would you stop doing right now?”  His next piece of advice is, “Create a stop-doing list.”  I immediately created one and here it is:

20120711-085901

1. Stop trying to memorize my sermons. I thought great preachers memorize their sermons and I want to be a great preacher.  So I tried, worried, tried some more and ultimately felt unfulfilled because I never found the time to do it.  I realized that I was setting myself up for failure and my gifts and time could be used elsewhere.  I know great preachers who use notes—and I know great preachers who don’t.  To each her own! Continue Reading…

In Advice, My Favorite Resources, Personal Development
 permalink

Why Pastors Make Ministry Harder Than It Needs To Be

Benjamin Kane —  September 16, 2015

I read an article by Jen Hatmaker in the Washington Post titled, “How a Consumer Culture Threatens to Destroy Pastors.” While I agree that our culture is a threat to pastors, I wondered whether we place too much emphasis on culture and not enough on our need to create boundaries and realistic expectations. (This spoken from a minister.)  What if we looked at ourselves and asked, “How do I make ministry harder than it needs to be?”  Below are five ways:

ministries_header[1]

1. It Feels Good to Be Needed

Ministers love to be loved. And one of the best ways to be loved is to feel needed. Yes, I’ll teach Bible study; yes, I’ll preach 45+ Sundays a year; yes, I’ll visit everyone in the church every month. Congregants love these ideas and pastors (myself included) love to be needed.

2. We Think Ministry Only Happens When We Are Present

It is a hard pill to swallow when a minister sees a successful ministry that s/he isn’t leading/creating/nurturing. This speaks to our need to be needed and how we often assume (we all know what that word means) we need to be the leaders/facilitators/guides for every ministry. Continue Reading…

In Advice, Faithful Discussions, Personal Development, Reflections
 permalink

Wrestling with Productivity

Benjamin Kane —  August 4, 2015

I love nothing more than a completed to-do list. Seeing each item crossed off fills me with a sense of accomplishment. Here’s the thing — even though I love the sight of a completed to-do list, I get bored with using that method as a means of being productive. So, in my hopes of being new and creative, I search for new ways to be productive. And let me say, I’ve tried quite a few. Books, websites, apps, and trainings—you name it, I’ve tried it (or thought about trying it!). The truth is, I never stop looking into new products and books; if I’m searching for information on being productive then I’m being productive, right?

DSC_0198

Nonetheless, ministry (and other professions) and life require us to do certain things at certain times. To that end, I offer three ideas about how to engage when you are wrestling with productivity.

1. TRY IT ALL—AND THEN CREATE YOUR OWN! Continue Reading…

In Advice, Productivity
 permalink