Nancy Beach

Green Room Reflections

     We experimented yesterday with a new event, The Green Room, broadcast live from Chicago to 76 sites around the country.  With a combination of new talks and classic archive Arts Conference talks, we sought to serve church artists and pastors with a solid day of inspiration and training.  The overall feedback so far has been positive.

     For those of us in the room, it was definately different from our usual conferences.  We were essentially doing a studio event, though we had about 70 people participating in our venue. Disciplining myself to look into the camera instead of around the room was not easy, especially because I love to "read a room" and receive responses from those closest to me.  I had to trust that God would do something through the satellite feeds, something I could not see, but something that would still be impactful.

     In this economic downturn, training must not stop - but it MUST innovate.  We will continue to experiment to find ways to ennoble and equip church artists and leaders.  While I will always prefer the power of gathering lots of like-minded people in a room, current realities require us to take a new approach. Earlier in the week, I did a one-hour Skype training with a seminary class located in another state.  We had a great time together, and I never left my office!  It would have been much more human and fun to actually meet together and maybe even share a meal.  But I will try to celebrate the opportunities technology affords us these days to connect in new ways and to be more cost-conscious and efficient.  Just don't ask me to give up on real face time with family and friends!

A Church's Culture

     I just returned from investing four days at Cornerstone Church in Livermore, CA.  I so enjoyed sharing this experience with my husband.  Warren met with some of the Compassion/Justice ministry teams, I met with several groups, and together we met with the leadership team led by Senior Pastor Steve Madsen. Cornerstone is a thriving congregation of about 5,000 in the East Bay area near San Francisco/Oakland. 

     As I got to know the staff team, taught about 200 volunteers on Saturday, and spoke at the 3 weekend services, it was obvious that like every church, Cornerstone has its own unique culture.  The culture of a team/community was on my mind after interviewing Dr. Henry Cloud last weekend on the subject. A culture can be filled with energy, or it can seem sluggish, with entropy setting in.  A culture can be joyful or mostly serious, it can feel safe and trusting, or toxic and dysfunctional. Cultures reflect the leaders who set the pace - and yet every individual contributes to the culture either positively or negatively.  It's almost as though when you get to know a church team, you sense something in the atmosphere - you can almost smell it!

     At Cornerstone, the first impression I had of the culture was joy.  They are a delightful group of people who have a great deal of fun ministering together.  And boy, do they love to eat!  I'm sure I gained a few pounds with all the incredible food they fed us.  Of course, there's more to their culture than joy and food. It's not a perfect place (I haven't found one of those yet), but there's so much good to celebrate.

     What words would you use to describe your church culture?  Whether you are a volunteer or staff person, you contribute to the creation of that culture.  I want to be one of those people who show up with enthusiasm, who seek after both truth and love, who add to the joy and fruitfulness of any time on which I serve.  None of us should under-estimate the part we play in the formation of a culture.  What words would you like to describe your team's culture?

Musings on American Idol

     I've just tuned into another opening round of American Idol, with Ellen DeGeneres now joining as a judge.  Here's what I love most about watching this show - seeing the early rounds tells me it's not only in the church world that people can be sadly deceived about their gifts!  I realize some of the competitors are putting on an act...but there are others who clearly believe they possess far more talent than they really do. Even when the judges hold up a mirror of truth, the contestants refuse to accept it.

     I'm increasingly aware of my own ability to deceive myself.  Currently I'm reading a classic book titled Leadership and Self-Deception, by The Arbinger Institute.  The book is an international bestseller which should tell us something about the ease with which so many of us see ourselves with fuzzy lenses. I know that I will always tend to give myself the benefit of the doubt, and see situations from my own subjective perspective.  That's why we need to be so intentional about the practice of silence, solitude, and genuine community.  When I'm alone for an extended time, I am more likely to take a deeper look.  When I sit with a trusted friend, I might hear some truth spoken in love that I desperately need to hear.

     When Jesus saw his new follower, Nathanel, walking toward Him, He described him as one "in whom there is no falsehood." That would be a tremendous goal to strive for...no falsehood, no deception, clarity about who I am and who I am not.  There would be a real freedom in that!

Reflections on Jury Duty

     I spent a day and a half last week serving on a jury in downtown Chicago.  I see this as a duty of citizenship, and don't resent serving.  HOWEVER, this lawsuit seemed like such a colossal waste of the taxpayers money and time.  Essentially the case was about a 3 car accident.  This lawsuit was brought against a driver who had violated no laws, whose car was hit by a speeding van, and who spun around 3 times trying to control her vehicle and not die.  The driver of another vehicle was trying to sue for damages with the insurance company, but was instructed that first he had to make an attempt to go after this innocent driver.  After hearing what was supposed to be "evidence", the judge ended up decided there was not sufficient evidence for a jury to deliberate on, and found in favor of the defendant.

  The judge, in my opinion, did an excellent job explaining to us what was going on, and after it was over, she filled us in on the parts of the case she was then free to discuss.  I looked around the room at 11 other jurors.  It was a portrait of the diversity in our city, with a wide range of ethnicity, age, and socio-economic background.  We all sighed, walked to the elevator, and had to live with the sense that at least we did what we were asked to do.  But it was hard not to feel frustrated by our litigious society and what it costs all of us in terms of dollars and time.

     On the other hand...no other country in the world matches our privilege of bringing cases before a jury of our "peers."  While it may often seem messy, I choose to celebrate our system of justice.  The more I travel overseas, the more grateful I am to have been born in the United States - even with all our flaws, we enjoy a kind of freedom not experienced in so many other parts of the world...

My Parents' Romance

     Yesterday I took my Mom and Dad to lunch - they each have a birthday this Spring and will be 89 and 87.  Recently my mom uncovered a four-page piece she wrote about meeting my Dad on a blind date in 1944 and their whirlwind romance before he left the country for WW II.  The story is filled with details - what she was wearing ("my navy blue suit with white dickey, grey hat, black patent leather shoes, white gloves") and how he even kissed her on the first date!  After just a week, he had to depart for the war, and they became engaged.  Talk about a quick romance.  And now, 65 years later, they are still together taking care of one another as they wrestle with health issues.

     It's a little disconcerting to read my mom's romantic thoughts about my Dad. I feel like I'm peeking into something I'm not supposed to know.  And yet, I also see my parents as more three-dimensional.  I think of them differently, seeing their humanity and their giddy attraction for one another that led to a lifelong commitment. I am grateful for the 29 years of marriage I've been blessed with, and hope my devotion to Warren will grow and not recede or become lifeless as we age.

     What a gift to read these words...if my mom was in her prime today, I suspect she would write a blog!