Randy's May Review

Chapters 5 & 6
These chapters challenged me. It caused me to think of ways to engage people’s interest. A majority of my communication is in writing. So I've sought to be interesting when I approach typed print but I can get better in everyday conversations. I am challenged to become more interesting when I teach children and when I have conversations with adults.

Being controversal: I'm like a bull in a china shop when it comes to this topic or at least that's the way I feel. I haven't been afraid of being controversal; I sometimes rush into it and leave a path of destruction. This is an area I will seek to improve.

Jesus actually chose to need people from the moment He was born throughout His life on Earth. I like this statement. I think we will be judged on how we treat the people we don't particurally need. The human part of us doesn't want to need people. But when we do show our human side we will better connect with people. Jesus showed the woman at the well his human side and his thirst need. This beginning led to eternal consequences. Jesus took what she was familar with and tied it to the reality of the thirst in her soul.

Can we step into a time machine and peek into someones future and help pull them through? When I was a older teen I had a friend that did that with me. It changed my life. JD saw something in me and treated me as such. Recently I had a team meeting with a young lady that I'm legal guardian over. I used some of the teaching found in this chapter. I asked questions that helped her and the team come up with a solution. She and the team did not want to change anything in her case plan because everything was going good and why rock the boat? I saw a different future for her, a different place she should travel to. After the questions were asked she then didn't want to accept "status quo". I don't think she ever wanted to accept that "safe" place. A new and a little daring future point was then mapped out. We as leaders do need to help people get from point A to point B. Jesus helped Nicodiumus make that transition. One point I wish the book would of brought out more clearly is our reliance upon the Holy Spirit. Yes, we need to improve our conversational stategies but at the same time we need to be listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying. He will give us the right word at the right time.

Allison's RI Chapters 3 & 4

Both of these chapters were eye openers for me! One chapter made me realize a gifting I had and the other a downfall. I personally relate to Chapter three as the Story Collector, as a person who can draw out specific details to a persons life in a very short amount of time. Not the facts of life but their personal feelings and passions in life. This chapter made me realize that my probing as I meet new people is not just silly Allison. But someone who is after what a persons is all about, what moves them, what there passions are. I plan on using the information in Chapter three to perfect the gift of Story Collecting.
Chapter 4 tells about the Energy Setter, a person who can set the tone of a conversation, a room, a meeting. I have always admired people who are able to carry a room with their own quiet energy.Pastor Anette has this quality, just to give a shout out. I find it exciting to get an inside look on how an energy carrier processes the attack on any given situation that may not be flowing in the right direction. I am going to apply the different techniques talked about in this Chapter and hopefully become skilled at setting the tone. I do offer one critic on this subject matter for the the Author. I wish that he would not only talk about the pros of a tone setters but also the cons. The con I see for desiring to set the tone in the direction a person wants it to go is that if not Holy Spiirt led it becomes flesh led.

Jodie's RI Chapters 3 & 4

I am loving this book.  Wow- what I am learning.  I hope now to apply it.  I get so excited about something I read and then either forget about it or don't make the change in my life.  To be a story teller would be something I would really like to strive for in my relationships.  How do I make others feel when I talk to them and how do I get them to engage in conversatation.  People love to talk about themselves and there is a gift to ministering through that.  I would hope that after they are finished with a converstion with me that they will feel inspired and have a kindred spirit with and by me.  May their day be brighter because they had an encounter with Christ through me.
 
What drives others to do what they do and how they got that drive to do it.  And at what level will and do they want to accomplis it.  I hope to push others to reach that and that I will also learn and be inspired by them.  When people can speak out verbally of what they dream about they may get that new focus they needed at that time.  Steering a converstaion, asking the right questions and patiently listening are qualities I will work on as a leader.

30 Day Goal by Pastor Randy

Prepare for Camp
   Talk to Leader from North Sioux City – Kids going to camp  - Done

   Get ahead on my regular work  In Progress

               Worship Planner – Schedule in advance

               Curriculum – Hand out

                Birthday Cards – Prepare for June

Prepare to switch into Summer Schedule

    Summer Curriculum  Prepared Curriculum

Mike's March review - RI chapters 3 and 4

Before chapter 3 started, the author outlined 6 defining roles of a relational genius, then set a chapter aside for each of these roles. Chapter 3 has to do with being a story collector which means getting to know other people and to do so with a genuine interest. A story collector will focus on three areas to get to know a person better. The person's dreams, life history - exploring the story of their past, and personhood - core identity, personality type, fundamental beliefs, convictions, and values. Story collectors should know how to use the power of questions to steer conversations to a more interesting place in order to draw out distinct facets of people's story. Open ended questions will usually produce a better response. Chapter 4 was titled the Energy Carrier. It started out discussing two types of people, those who can read the tone of a group, and those who can set the tone. The author used the analogy of being a thermometer, which can read the temperature, and a thermostat, which can set the temperature. As a leader, being able to read the tone of a group and then be able to set the tone is very important. We want to be able to do this for the good of the group and not just be doing it to manipulate people. The author later talked about 2 energy killers - the appearance of alertness and distraction. To me, both of these items seemed to be about the same and was somewhat hard to tell apart. I do agree with the author that we do need to work on these areas in order to have better relationships with others. We need to be fully engaged and focused on our relationships and interactions with others.

Annette's March RI Review

Chapter 3 & 4 of Relational Intelligence

I am really liking the practical application of this book! It's one thing to tell us that we need to increase our RI, but it's another entirely to SHOW us ways we can do it.  It's awesome.  When it comes to being a Story Collector - I think I do that to a degree.  But I don't think that I've been very good at pulling the interesting things out of people.  After we get closer, I do...but I want to be at the RI Genius level!!  :o)  So I have already starting "practicing" on teens when I'm talking to them.  And it's amazing how well it works!  I can see in their faces that they feel valued already!  It's really amazing. 

I do enjoy asking questions.  Our life group has given me great opportunity to practice this (as some of you know).  I'm going to really focus on that in the next month or so - with life group and students.  I really see the wisdom in how you can learn a lot about a person by asking questions about people's dreams and life history.  I know I've felt valued when people do that to me.  In some ways, I think "DUH" when I'm reading this stuff.  Yet I don't know very many people that do all these things well!

Allison told me she thought I was an energy carrier.  :o)  When I started to read that chapter, that made me feel great.  I can see what she means I guess, because I've been in a leadership role for so many years.  I do like to have an energized meeting.  When I've gone to a meeting that's led by someone who has no energy at all - it is difficult for me to keep my place.  HAHA  I just wanna jump up and help.

Where I felt punched between the eyes is when he talked about energy killers - specifically the appearance of alertness.  There are most definitely people that I do this with!!  It's actually most middle school students I know.  I am listening to all the minutia of their story...but I'm desperately waiting for something significant to pop up so I can have a real conversation with them!!  They probably sense that!  I can't let my mind wander, no matter how valuable I think the content is or not. 

I have lots of personal experience with fighting distraction.  Before services, people come at me from 50 directions with questions, assistance requests, changes for service, cancellations, technology problems...  I have become pretty proficient at taking the moments I need to shut all that off and clear my mind.  But there are definitely days where it seems to be more of a struggle.  I've been in the middle of a worship song thinking about Easter costumes!!

I LOVE the wisdom of "being all there".  Isn't that soooo what many of us need?  We have too much going on so we're not great at anything!!!  Now we're reading this - so what are you going to do to change it??  I've been evaluating this very thing in my life over the last 6 months.  This book is right on for me.