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Communicating vision and mission to your staff or volunteers is a monumental task.  The opportunity for people to hear, understand and then respond is huge.  How you begin the training sets the stage for the entirety of it.  Don't think too small.

We've all been there, sitting through training we were forced to go through.  We know we'd rather be somewhere else, and we know the speaker communicating the message would rather be somewhere else as well.

In the past, I've written about what I think are the three key elements in effective organizations.  The second part of that is how you train your staff.  I think great, effective training begins with setting the stage well.  It starts in the beginning.

As many of you know, I work with a ministry called Pine Cove.  This year, we will hire roughly 1,400 college students from all over the country to work in our various ministries during the summer.  We have a staff manual that we teach everyone through over the span of a week.  For two of those days, we have everyone together, covering the major philosophical elements of this ministry.

The staff manual is called the "Pine Cove Way," or "The Way" for short.  In an effort to protect the process of going through our staff manual from become a boring event, we decided to get creative with how we kick off the training.  It has brought the training to a new level.

Picture all our college staff in a rented auditorium.  The lights go off, and to begin our staff training they see this happen in front of them:

That was the beginning for last year's training.  The year before, the team came up with something different.  They ended up organizing our entire resident staff to create a one-shot video announcing the arrival of our staff manual.  Here is what we played to begin our training in 2010:Our goal in these openers is to get our staff engaged from the very beginning.  They understand quickly that our mission is important to us.

What do you like or dislike about the training you are a part of right now?

If you liked this post, check out Kevin's personal blog, Following to Lead, where he regularly writes on following, leading, fostering and family.

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When I pray with my kids, I can tell their minds are somewhere else.  They might have their eyes closed, but talking to God is the very last thing on their minds.  I guess for us adults, some things never change.

Years ago I read a quote by Mother Teresa.  When asked what she says when she prays she answered, "I listen".  When asked what God says, she responded, "He listens".

All too often, I look at prayer only as presenting my requests before God.  After all, that is exactly what He asks me to do.  By viewing prayer solely through this lens, though, I miss out on so much that prayer is.  Can prayer really be a conversation?

Most of us never experience this.  Our lives get busy, and we start "dumping fuel" at any possible moment, just trying to keep our heads above water.  Prayer becomes a luxury.  It is something we do in the midst of our frenetic actions that we call life.

When we consider the health of our prayer life, I think there is a simple key that would take it from being on life support to being intimate, real and replenishing.

People pray effectively when they create space and a place to pray. When I get busy, I somehow get this God complex, thinking that sleep is more important than connecting with God.  But when I believe I am weak and crave time with my Father, I enjoy time in a chair in my den with a good cup of coffee and my Bible.

In his book, Spiritual Direction, Henri Nouwen describes a threefold process of prayer this way:  "We first cry out to God with all our needs and requests.  Then we turn our unceasing thoughts into continual conversation with God.  Finally, we learn to listen to God in our hearts through a daily discipline of meditation and contemplative practice."

The results of our prayers are far out of our control.  What is in our control, however, is the time that is set apart to pray.  Instead of focusing on the results, it is freeing to think of just making myself available.

I have been reminded again that time early in the morning for me is something I desperately crave.  Augustine says, "My soul is restless until it rests in you, O God."  The same is true for me.

Somewhere between 6 and 7am, I'll be in my chair in my den, trying to focus my heart on Jesus.  Yes, my mind will be distracted.  It will wander.  But I believe over a period of time, God will continue to show me how to listen.  I'll be eager to hear what He says. Maybe it's time for you to create the space and designate the place to let your heart and mind dwell on the richness of God.  Don't worry about the distractions.  Don't focus on the results.  Be still, and know that He is God. What is your prayer life like?

If you liked this post, check out Kevin's personal blog, Following to Lead, where he regularly writes on following, leading, fostering and family.

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My oldest son starts school this next fall.  Sad thing is, I don't think he is ready.  If academics is all we are concerned about, then he would be fine; he is reading and doing math far beyond his years.

No, we are much more interested in where his heart is.  There is something I tell college students quite often.  The line rings around in my head right now even as he is beginning Kindergarten.

"Don't let your grades get in the way of your education."

So my wife and I have been praying and discussing this concept.  We don't want our son's grades to be the only defining factor to let us know how he is doing.  Because of this, we have come up with some key areas we want to focus on this summer to prepare him for school.  They are:

Honesty - This fall begins much more of outside influences on his life.  I want him to learn early on that we want to live in the light, being honest about everything - including our shortcomings.

• How - We simply plan to make a big deal out of the times this summer when he tells us the truth, even if it cost him something to do it.  Our hope is that he begins to understand that honesty is what God desires, and that being dishonest is not really an option.

Obedience - Public schools have a wide variety of students.  Some kids are unruly at home and at school.  We hope to bless his teacher by our son understanding what it means to obey, and how to obey.

There are three simple lines we use when it comes to obeying.  I'm sure we heard these lines somewhere, I just don't remember where.  Obedience means doing things all the way, the right way, with a joyful heart.

• How - We give him opportunities daily to learn to be obedient.  Sometimes he does exactly what we ask (all the way), responds quickly (right away), and has a great attitude while doing it (with a joyful heart).  At other times, he gives us the openings in the door to discipline and teach.  Both responses give my wife and I the ability to speak into his life.

Responsibility - I don't look at my son as a boy, but as a man in training.  Therefore, I don't expect him to act like a boy.  I want him to learn to act like a man.  Men take responsibility; for their families, their employability, and their actions.  Now that he is entering school, we want to teach him what it means to take responsibility for his actions.

• How - We give him areas for which he is responsible.  Cleaning his room, helping clear the table, or helping take care of his siblings, this is a great chance for us to continually teach what it looks like to be responsible for things outside of himself.

Self-control - Kids have to learn how to deal with their emotions.  Our son is no different.  There are times when he is overcome by emotion because of frustration, exhaustion, or whatever.  There will be people in his class that drive him absolutely batty as well.  We are trying to prepare him now for how to deal with that when the time comes.

• How - For our son specifically, this begins with him knowing and believing he has strength.  From there, we want to teach him for his strength to be under control.  Practically, we want to teach him how to breathe when he is frustrated.  We hope this becomes a building block for future years when we teach him to restrain other desires as well.

Hopefully, this will be bathed in grace.  We don't expect him to be Superman.  Each time he lets himself or us down, we get to remind him that we love him not for what he does, but for who he is.  Those are always powerful moments for us.

At the same time, we know that none of us ever drift to anything good.  Instead, we set a plan.  This is our plan for this summer with him.

What would you add or subtract?  What are you doing to invest in your kids?

If you liked this post, check out Kevin's personal blog, Following to Lead, where he regularly writes on following, leading, fostering and family.

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Most people are incredibly lonely.  Sure, we smile on the outside.  Most likely, we keep ourselves busy so we aren't able to process the pain associated with not being associated - with anyone.  We might be married, but living as if we weren't.  Many people live life this way, hoping that someday they might eventually be noticed.

It's sad, but true.  I'm not even talking about the socially awkward people.  I'm talking about you and me; people who have friends, but keep them at a distance.  We are social enough to make people laugh, and care for others when they are hurting.  But deep down we know that only goes so far.

My wife showed me this blog late last week.  Apparently, it is one of her favorites.  Recently, they posted  this video below.  I think it is so accurate in using humor to communicate a point that is right on.

Uncomfortable at Bible Study? Try the Shallow Small Group! :)

So why do we do this?  Why do we hold people at an arm's distance?  Why is it that we can have friends, and even influence people, yet have no clue what it's like to experience community?

Because it requires effort.

Very few of us ever spend time with people that are much different than us - unless we have to.  If it is part of your job, your ministry, or just because of sheer geographic location, then we might succumb.  Other than that, many of us tend to drift to where we are most comfortable.  It takes making a conscious decision to step out and say hi.  To go beyond your yard into someone else's.

Because it requires patience.

When I don't like someone's opinion, my tendency is to want to persuade them to mine.  Of course, when they aren't quick to come to the "light," it is easy for my attitude to shift to something or someone else.  What if we chose to look at each person as a person, and not as an opportunity?  That would allow us to downshift, and to just be with them.  No rush.  Just be someone's friend.

Because people don't meet our expectations.

My wife quotes Psalm 62:5 often: "My soul, wait thou only upon God; For my expectation is from him."KJV  What if we set our expectations fully on Him, and released others from trying to live up to ours?  Instead of always being disappointed, we could choose to see people as a recipient of love from us, as opposed to source of love for us.

Because it requires vulnerability.

Someone has to take the first step.  A phone call.  An invitation.  Someone has to lead, to show others how to get to where they want to go.  I'm not always willing to do that.  This is the case in my marriage as well.  Sometimes I wish we were more intimate, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to try to get us to that sweet place.  If we lead, and nobody follows, then what?

We were created to be in relationship.  At times, we think that being alone is the place to be.  That is good for a season, but eventually that well runs dry.  We want to be known.  We need others, and they need us.

Maybe we should ask the question what it would look like for us to just take a step in the direction toward community.

And then do it.

If you liked this post, check out Kevin's personal blog, Following to Lead, where he regularly writes on following, leading, fostering and family.