I am up way to early this morning but I went to bed too early as well. Does going to be bed at 9:30 mean I am officially old? Instead of tossing and turning, I am turning out another post about what I learned at the Killer Tribes conference this past weekend and I hope through these posts you’ll feel like you were there too.
The bloggers and influencers who shared this weekend all had similar themes and were tops in their categories. Ladies, you were well represented at this conference, this is was not an all boys club event. Crystal Paine is a sweet person with zero pretentiousness. She offered the Five B’s of Building your tribe. Her blog is The Money Saving Mom, so go check her out ladies, and guys, if you smart, you’ll pass this on to your wives and girlfriends.
The Five B’s of Building Your Tribe
1. Be A Leader
This is said over and over again in many conferences but how often do we grab hold of it. Youth workers, where can you start stepping up and quit being a follower?
2. Be Authentic
Crystal has go this down to a tee. She shared photos of her imperfect recipes gone wrong. “But ” you say, “If I show that I am imperfect, won’t people quit following me?” No. More people will follow you. The remarkable thing about Jesus (among many) was how, though he was God, allowed his humanity to capture heart. John 11:35, the shortest verse in scripture, says, “Jesus wept”. The people at Lazarus’ funeral marveled, :Look how he loved him,” Does crying make God imperfect? No. It showed he was intune with those who followed Him.
3. Be Generous
I love this one. As one who gives away free youth material through my Get It First newsletter, this is a big B. Too many youth workers and too many ministries think they have a “secret sauce” they cannot share or they’ll go broke or lose out. Be generous to your tribe. Brag about others. promote their stuff. You don’t have to give away the farm, but a few eggs and pig won’t kill you. You workers, be generous to your kids and other youth workers. We’re in this thing together. It does not and will not cost you to be generous. In fact, you’ll be so blessed you won’t know what to do.
4. Be Discontent with Status Quo
Experiment with your blog, program, or website.
Ask lots of questions. You don’t have to have all the answers.
Set specific goals. Go ahead, no one else is probably doing it.
5. Be Persistent
Too many people quit too soon.About two months ago i wondered if I should quit blogging and do something else. I decided to double down by making a commitment to write every weekday. II believe in the fruit that ha come and is coming still. Maybe this is why I love youth ministry, if you stay in it long enough, the harvest comes. Don’t give up. Pray through. Quit the other stuff but not your dream of making an impact.
Tomorrow I’ll be sharing about Brad Lomenick (Catalyst organizer) talk and you don’t want to miss that. I’ve decided that Killer Tribes may take all week to cover but I think you’ll find it worth it.
How about you? Which B do you need to stretch out and grab for yourself today? Leave comment and share your journey.