Now, I love studying the topics on marketing, branding, and innovation, and I recently ran past something that I thought was pretty interesting. I’ve seen this book at Barnes & Nobles and I’ve heard some buzz about it over the Blog-waves, but it wasn’t until now that I realized that I gotta get this book and add it to my library. The book... is called “Groundswell”, and what I recently ran past... was an article about the book.

The article - written by the actual authors of the book, Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff - discusses the idea behind Groundswell. From the short research that I did about the book, I discovered that the Groundswell is about how Web 2.0 is having a major impact on businesses and organizations. The power controllers of the marketing and publicity of businesses today is landing in the hands of bloggers, social media mavericks (i.e. Facebook'ers, Myspace'ers, etc.), and everyday web surfers who are leveraging Web 2.0 to make their voices heard. Though this may seem intimidating to most companies, the authors of Groundswell present an amazing opportunity for businesses and organizations to creatively leverage Web 2.0.

Since the introduction of Web 2.0, more and more people are seizing the many opportunities that are now being offered through blogging, social media, online video, viral marketing, etc. Never has there been a time when a college student - like myself - can sit in his dormroom, connect with the world instantly, say almost anything his heart desires, and draw an audience of millions in the process. Today, students, online entrepreneurs, freelancers, and marketers are beginning to use the idea of the Groundswell to do the impossible. Businesses are starting to see that partnering with and satisfying those who have a voice in the web is helping them build momentum in their business in ways they could never do alone.

But that’s not what’s really rocking my world right now. Think about this...

Can you imagine what sort of impact churches, church leaders, ministries, and organizations could make if they found unique ways to leverage Web 2.0 with a clear understanding of the Groundswell? What kind of people could they draw to them that may never take a foot into their church or organization physically? What kind of buzz could they create within the web that would make a difference or get people talking or thinking?

Think about it... how can you leverage this for your church, organization, or business?

Check out the article and the book.

T H I N K | C H A N G E

unChristian -recently released - is a book written by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons based on groundbreaking research from the Barna Group done over a period of 4 years that delves into the perceptions of 16-29 year olds - both Christian and Non-Christian. David and Gabe uncover the hidden views and overlooked issues dividing today’s church and today’s generation. They unpack interviews with prominent Christian leaders and unbelievers, and present up-to-date statistics on relevant issues. This book has spearheaded conversations in church services, staff meetings, pastoral conferences, and coffee shops. unChristian is confrontational, transparent, and direct in its attempt to open the eyes of today’s American Christianity to the reality of the perceptions of those who are non-Christian.

I personally consider this book extremely vital for every follower of Christ to read; it is even direr for unbelievers to read. If there is any book that I would recommend to anyone alive right now in this day-and-time, it would be unChristian. Not only has my perspective dramatically changed, but my faith has been impacted as well. The insight has been life-changing!

Here are a few snippets from the book...

“Christianity has become bloated with blind followers who would rather repeat slogans than actually feel true compassion and care. Christianity has become marketed and streamlined into a juggernaut of fear-mongering that has lost its heart.” [p.15]

“Most people I meet assume that Christian means very conservative, entrenched in their thinking, anti-gay, anti-choice, angry, violent, illogical, empire builders; they want to convert everyone, and they generally cannot live peacefully with anyone who doesn’t believe what they believe.” [p.26]

“It’s not just our lifestyles that have gotten us in trouble; it’s the very way in which we convey the priorities of being a Christian. The most common message people hear from us is that Christianity is a religion of rules and regulations. They think of us as hypocritical because they are measuring us by our own standards.” [p.48]

“Does your life point people to a life in Christ that bursts with freedom to love, restoration, purity, and transparency?” [p.60]

“Intentionally or not, we promote the idea to outsiders that being a Christ follower is primarily about a mere choice to convert. We do not portray it as an all-out, into-the-kingdom enlistment that dramatically influences all aspects of life.” [p.79]

“Most people in America, when they are exposed to the Christian faith, are not being transformed. They take one step into the door, and the journey ends. They are not being allowed, encouraged, or equipped to love or to think like Christ.” [p.82]

“Christianity is a way of seeing all of life and reality through God’s eyes.” [p.87]

I recently finished this book and I must say that Andy Stanley has won the trophy for one of the best writers on leadership in my book. I love his style of writing and his ability to deliver on important aspects of leadership. He touched on key aspects of leadership that any next generation leader would be insane to overlook. He opens the hatch on the importance of character, competence and clarity and gives precise direction for the next generation leader. This book inspired me and a group of friends to begin meeting and casting vision for our lives and our future as next generation leaders. Whether you're in training to lead, a novice to leadership, or an expert on leadership, this book will be an asset to your development as a leader.

Here are a few snippets from the book...

“Leaders must channel their energies toward those areas of leadership in which they are the mostly likely to excel.” [p.11]

“The moment a leader steps away from his core competencies, his effectiveness as a leader diminishes.” [p.21]

“Don’t strive to be a well-rounded leader. Instead, discover your zone and stay there. Then delegate everything else.” [p.24]

“Next generation leaders are those who would rather challenge what needs to change and pay the price than remain silent and die on the inside.” [p.51]

“Leaders are not always the first to see an opportunity. They are simply the first to seize an opportunity. It is the person who seizes the opportunity who emerges as the leader.” [p.53]

“A lack of focus eventually translates into a loss of vision. When the vision is fuzzy, people can’t follow.” [p.70]

“As leaders we can afford to be uncertain, but we cannot afford to be unclear.” [p.88]

“Character is what makes you a leader worth following.” [p.131]

“As a next generation leader it is incumbent upon you to do all you can now to prepare yourself for your eventual success. Your gifts will open doors. Your character will determine what you do once those doors have opened.” [p.153]

“As a next generation leader you have been given the ability to shape the future.” [p.162]

This book was absolutely remarkable. I must say, I gained a lot of insight on the importance of presenting one “big idea” at a time. Dave Ferguson and Jon Ferguson delivered key insight on several topics such as the importance of small groups and community, how to build a team in ministry, how to map out message series, teaching techniques, and the significance of innovation and creativity in church.

Here are a few snippets from the book...

“We have bombarded our people with too many competing little ideas, and the result is a church with more information and less clarity than perhaps ever before.” [p.19]

“The effective teacher is like a person who takes a strong rope, ties one end around the big ideas of Scripture, ties the other end around the major themes of life, and then through the power of the Spirit struggles to pull the two together.” [p. 22]

“What if we gave people one clear and simple Big Idea and asked them to put it into action.” [p.24]

“If we send people home with a lot of little ideas, we diffuse the energy; but with the Big Idea, we create missional velocity and maximize the impact!” [p.58]

“The Big Idea is relentless in making sure that people are not just getting information but experiencing transformation.” [p.81]

“We want to maximize impact. I have a personal conviction: the most important truths ought to be communicated in the most unforgettable ways. Big Idea helps us accomplish that.” [p.84]

“The Big Idea is simple... it’s a basic move that involves the decision to link whatever happens in its weekend services to one major idea and to link the environments surrounding those services as well.” [p.85]

“With the Big Idea, there are no more late Saturday nights searching the internet for sermon ideas; no more begging God to please give us something important to say.” [p.112]