Experience planning isn’t a simple task, because if it was, everyone would be getting it right. I think it actually takes a lot of thought to not loose someone at hello.

Lets take my church, for instance. When a visitor arrives they are subconsciously asking themselves the question ‘who here is like me’, all the time wanting to feel safe and secure, and not having to be noticed or attract attention to themselves.

As you can imagine, it doesn’t take much to knock one of those.

The trick to keeping someone at hello, I think, is to get into someone else’s shoes and really into their mind and understand what it is like to approach you for the first time.

Your Leading Thoughts

• How have you learnt to keep someone at hello? What are your tactics?

This thought comes from Scott Gould's thinking blog for thinking people. Scott is also on Twitter and Facebook.

You Lost Me At Hello?

I find the Social Media world can be a contradictory one at times.

One of the virtues that is extolled in this social world that we talk about is valuing people for who they are, being relevant to them, and celebrating uniqueness. Yet I find that whenever I talk about how I am a follower of Jesus Christ and a pastor at my church, the conversation goes cold.

Part of this, I think, is that the Social Media talkers have this idea that Faith is a dividing line that separates people and causes exclusion. But here’s the thing:

• Is not my faith who I uniquely am?
• Are not many people dividing and exclusive about their Social Media opinions?
• Are their not bigger fights on Twitter than those about faith?
• Don’t some people religiously believe in non-religious things?
• Isn’t faith all encompassing – as in, people have faith in Social Media?
• Shouldn’t driving forces for good be celebrated?

My Christian belief is the biggest driving force in not only my desire but my actions that are about helping people.

I spend most of my week helping people – whether co-ordinating the homeless and displaced in our city, helping people in trouble, guiding people to be all they can be, nurturing the Like Minds community, forging connections, running International Nite to celebrate ethnicity in our city, spending time on the phone with many of you, and providing content on this blog daily that is helping people.

One of the most disturbing things out of all of this is how many people, when I’m on the phone with them, secretly admit that “I’m a Christian too.” I have no problem in putting my faith and my role as a pastor on my blog and on my Twitter profile – yet so many do.

So today I implore you – don’t hide your faith – celebrate it.

Because Social Means Celebration.

And on that note, here’s a poem I wrote on Good Friday many years ago. I think the message of doing whatever it takes, no matter what, stands for whoever and wherever you are:

Could you be seized without a cause,
Then to give no reply, but pause.
To be stripped of your only possession,
And be paraded naked in precession.
To be battered, beaten, bleeding and broken,
And to have your back whipped wide open.
Could you endure
To receive yet more,
And be silent by,
To only later cry:
Eloi.

Could you bear thorns in mocked-fame
Of the right honour due to your name.
And be then taken to the tree, and tied to it,
Fastened, knowing that you were to die by it.
To drag it to Golgotha, where iron nails
Should pierce the saving hands of Israel.
Could you resist
The angel’s assist,
And stay in place
And seek yet His face:
Eloi.

Could you watch those around
Bet your nothing by the ground.
And, past your blood-blurred view,
See your Mother screaming after you.
And watch your very own, your trusted friends,
Deny and leave you to the bitterest end.
Could you still die
To be denied,
And finish this task
Never to ask:
Lama.

Would you live this life and mission:
To be slain by your own creation?
And, after all, having done all this,
Pray then for their forgiveness?
And taking the sin of the world upon you
Holdfast as your father leaves you:
Would you hang in loss
Cursed on cross,
And, Fatherless
Die, answerless;
Sabacthani.

Love you all. Scott

This thought comes from Scott Gould's thinking blog for thinking people. Scott is also on Twitter and Facebook.

Social Means Celebration – Not Hiding

• How many more case studies can we read?
• How many more times can the same common sense be reinterpreted in 5 different points?
• How many more summarises and digest emails can we look through for the same content packaged in new ways?
• How many more comments can you leave saying “Great post”?
• How many more events can you attend?

Lessons from Church

I’m an assistant pastor at my church. We have similar issues: How many sermons can you sit through? How many times can you come to church and hear the same basic principles (change, love, give, help) said in different ways?

There comes a point when you realise you are preaching to the converted. At this point you realise that it’s no longer about what you say, it’s about what they do.

Check out the diagram below. I’ve adapted it from Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren (affiliate link) so that the language is more business orientated.

It’s pretty obvious, but let’s break it down.

• The Crowd are the people in your general vicinity. This could be your city. In Social Media this used to be everyone on Twitter. But now that people follow so many other people, your crowd is probably those that either you follow or who follow you – people that you are linked to, but don’t engage with. These often are not aware of you.
• The Community are those who in my case use the #likeminds hashtag and attended the last Like Minds Conference. You may speak with them occasionally. They are aware of you.
• The Connected are the ones that you speak with semi-regularly to regularly. You comment on and subscribe to their blogs. Sometimes you collaborate with them. They are engaged with you.
• The Committed are those you speak, discuss, update, collaborate and work with regularly. They are builders with you.
• The Core are those with whom your life is share. They lead with you.

You see the change here. At the crowd level, you aren’t aware of each other. At the core level, you are leading with each other. The difference is action.

The tipping point is going from community to connected.

If you feel you are preaching to the converted

Then stop preaching. Instead, start working with them.

A few ideas for you to turn community into connections.

• Schedule a skype call and get talking about your passions.
• Agree to work together on a small project
• Go out of your way to refer or make an opportunity for them
• Do something extraordinarily special for them
• Meet them

How about you? Are you preaching to the converted?

This thought comes from Scott Gould's thinking blog for thinking people. Scott is also on Twitter and Facebook.

Preaching to the Converted?

• 90% of the congregation are there on a Sunday
• 90% of our visitors come on a Sunday
• 100% of our income comes on a Sunday
• 80% of our teaching is given on a Sunday
• 70% of our pastoring work is done on a Sunday

Sunday is my favourite day of the week because everything from Monday to Saturday is building up – to Sunday.

When is your game day?

This thought comes from Scott Gould's thinking blog for thinking people. Scott is also on Twitter and Facebook.

Why Monday Is Quiet On My Blog