RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Jony Ive, Apple's design chief, worked closely with Steve Jobs.  The two execs were very close both professionally and personally.

Jony said Steve would ask him the same question every day.

The question was...

"How many times did you say 'no' today?"

Ive says much of Jobs' success was due to the fact he stayed fully focused on whatever he was working on.  In Jobs' opinion, the more "no's" you said, the better.  Jobs taught him in order to have extreme, laser-like focus, you have to be willing to reject a lot of opportunities, even if they sound great.

The discipline to turn your back on something you believe in passionately so you can apply yourself to what's at hand is really remarkable.  It's a deeply uncomfortable but really effective thing to do.  -Jony Ive

Jobs followed this very advice himself back in 1998 when he shrunk Apple's product line from 350 to 10.  So instead of creating 350 crappy products, or 200 mediocre products, or 100 good products Apple focused on creating 10 incredibly designed products.

People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on.   But that's not what it means at all.  It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are.  You have to pick carefully.  I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done.  Innovation is saying 'no' to 1,000 things.  -Steve Jobs

It's easy to fall into the "yes" trap in children's ministry and fill up your calendar and plans with a lot of good things.  But if you don't say "no" to those things, it can keep you from saying "yes" to what you really need to focus on.

How do you determine what to say "no" to?  In this post, I share questions that can help you decide.

If your ministry is struggling, one reason could be you're not saying "no" often enough.  

Steve Jobs had a passion for excellence.  There's no denying his commitment has impacted the world.

Recently I listened to Walter Isaacson, who wrote Steve's biography, talk about the source of his success.

Steve took him to his childhood home and had him look at the fence in the backyard.  Steve had helped his father build the fence when he was a kid.

He had Walter rub his hand on the back of the fence.  Steve said when they started building the fence, his father told him...
Steve asked, "Why?  No one will ever see it.  No one will ever know."

His father responded, "Yes, but you will know."

Steve learned from this that if you're passionate about the quality of something, you even care about the parts that aren't seen.

It stuck with him.  When he designed the first Mac computer, he held it up to make sure the circuit board...which the customers wouldn't see...was beautifully done.  To him, the parts that no one saw was where true greatness originated.

The reason Apple's front fence has been so successful is because of their commitment to their back fence. 

What does the back of your ministry fence look like?  Are you committed to behind-the-scenes excellence?  What would parents see if they looked at the back of the fence?  What would your volunteers say about the back of the fence?

Show me a ministry that is successful and I'll show you a ministry that cares about the back of the fence.    

There's one word that will make you a better children's ministry leader...and the word is probably not what you think.

The word is...NO.

One of the secrets of great leaders is they have learned to say "no" to most things.  Listen to what Steve Jobs said.

"People think focus means saying yes to the things you've got to focus on.  But that's not what it means at all.  It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are.  You have to pick carefully.  I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done.  Innovation is saying no to a 1,000 things."

Saying "no" has just as much, if not more power than saying "yes."  Why?  Saying "no" allows you to say "yes" to what is most important.  But saying "yes" can keep you from what is most important.

Saying no allows you to do what only you can do.

Saying no allows you to be productive instead of just busy.

Saying no allows you to avoid doing what doesn't line up with you ministry's mission.

Saying no allows you to spend your time with the people that you should be spending your time with.

Saying no allows you to focus on your strengths.

Saying no allows you to do a few things with excellence instead of doing a lot of things with mediocrity.

Saying no helps you keep your personal and family life in balance.

Saying no means avoiding something good so something great can happen.

How do you determine what to say no to?

In this post, I share steps that will help you know what to say "no" to and what to say "yes" to.