Listening to Others

“Most people never listen.” Hemingway

Found this excellent post from LEADERSHIP FREAK, "The Power of Second Questions". The following are snippets I gleaned from his post. At the end of this post, you'll find a link to the original article. Here are a few brief observations he makes:

1. Questions are gifts. Asking, followed by listening, says others matter; telling says you matter.
2. Eager to talk is reluctant to ask.
3. Don't let the lack of CURIOSITY keep you from discovery.
4. Pretend you don't have the answer so you can find another answer through questions.
5. Learn how to ask powerful questions.
6. If you want to change results, change questions.
7. First questions can be powerful, BUT second questions help you explore what really matters.
8. Exceptional leaders ask second questions.
9. If you are being ASKED the question, always clarify the question (invites the questioner to clarify himself/herself)
10. Answer questions with questions, before giving answers (Jesus was really good at this).
11. Some questions are better than others.

The best practice you can make as a church planter, disciple, and missionary is to discover curiosity through asking questions. Ask questions to discover a place, a context, a people and the rhythms. Ask questions to people and learn their story. But don't just ask the first question, learn to ask the SECOND question.

Read more here: http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/the-power-of-second-questions/

 

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Kingdom Placemakers: Becoming Attached to the Place You Help Create

Placemaking is a bottom up approach to shaping a public space.

According to Project for Public Spaces, "Placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Put simply, it involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people who live, work and play in a particular space, to discover their needs and aspirations. This information is then used to create a common vision for that place. The vision can evolve quickly into an implementation strategy, beginning with small-scale, do-able improvements that can immediately bring benefits to public spaces and the people who use them" (http://www.pps.org/reference/what_is_placemaking/).

There are 11 steps guiding the PLACEMAKING strategy (building a better community):

1. The community (the people of the place) are the experts.

2. Create a place, not a design.

3. Look for partners

4. You can see a lot by just observing.

5. Have a vision.

6. Start with the Petunias: Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper

7. Triangulate

8. They Always Say “It Can’t Be Done”

9. Form supports function

10. Money is not an issue

11. You are never finished.

Read more here on the 11 steps: http://www.pps.org/reference/11steps/

The result is community ownership and excitement. See the quotes below....

"If you’re not building social capital in the community where you’re working, you’re not Placemaking; you’re just reorganizing the furniture."

“Human capital and creative talent increasingly goes where it likes; talent increasingly goes to great places; but talented people become most attached to places that they help create.”

 

As you think about making disciples who make disciples and form a church in a local place, community or neighborhood, how might these steps help along the way?

As followers of Jesus into the neighborhood, we alert people to the reign and rule of God's Kingdom through Jesus. We enter into these public places proclaiming the good news both with our words/stories and by our ACTS (the acts of Jesus followers), demonstrating a kingdom place worth entering into!

Let's be Kingdom Placemakers!

 

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Listen More to This Guy

"The Christian theological framework is primarily about listening—listening to God. One of the great dangers we face in doing theology is our desire to do all the talking…"

If you want to ACT right, we must start by active LISTENING to God and obey HIM in the neighborhoods we have rooted/planted ourselves!