Category: misc

Huckabee the hipster

GetReligion.com has an interesting look at Huckabee as the hipster.

In many ways, the news coverage of GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee reminds me of the type that would be given to a city’s new young, hip youth pastor. He’s got all the right moves, says all the right things, draws praise from nearly everyone, including his opponents, and — guess what? — he strums the guitar. One more thing: he’s got a great personal story of losing nearly enough weight to make up another person.
The focus on the new guy is primarily on how different he is from the typical image people have of pastors. To those writing profiles of him, it’s somehow shocking that a pastor could be, like, normal.
Huckabee’s media coverage has all these elements, and he’s a pastor nonetheless. The news profiles give off a tone of amazement as they describe what could be the new face of the religious right.

Still loving this interview on the Daily Show:
“I’m a conservative but I’m not mad at everybody over it.”
“I’m pro-life and I believe life begins at conception but it doesn’t end at birth..”

Huckabee is getting some unusual coverage from many different media outlets. His humor and religion are mixing together in a not-so-unusual way, at least outside of politics in the last couple of decades, and the media’s picking up on it. Is Huckabee, in his efforts to be the evangelical right’s new political leader, changing the image of the group? Or is he some kind of exception to the rule in the eyes of the media?

Digg the story here

10 ways to be a better listener

I shared this with our community 2.0 group leaders and thought it was worth sharing with everyone. We can probably all use a lesson in listening from time to time.

10 Ways to be a Better Listener

Listening is a crucial skill for small-group leaders to master. Here are ten practical tips for improving our listening habits.

1. Be quiet. This should be obvious, but it often is the biggest obstruction to listening. The leader should be part of a discussion without monopolizing it.

2. Try to understand. The goal of listening is to understand what the person is really saying.

3. Eliminate distractions. People feel comfortable sharing when they are not interrupted. Turn the ringer off on the phone. Make sure you have child care arranged. Don’t look at your watch or lesson plan when someone is speaking.

4. Empathize. Interject short statements to show you understand and accept what the person is saying. “That sounds exciting!” or “That must have been a hard decision to make” are good examples of how to show empathy.

5. Don’t judge. Especially when someone is already hurting, a judgmental attitude can do more harm than good. Don’t condone sin, of course, but recognize the difference between acceptance and approval.

6. Avoid advising. Unless they ask for it, people usually do not want or need you to try to solve their problem. They just need someone to listen.

7. Verify and clarify. If you don’t understand what someone is saying, ask. “Here’s what I hear you saying. Am I right?” is one good clarifier.

8. Listen for what is not said. Try to hear the meaning behind the words. Watch body language and listen to tone of voice. Sometimes what a person is saying is lost behind a clutter of words.

9. Watch body language. Sometimes a person’s posture or gestures can say more than words.

10. Affirm. “Thanks for sharing that. I’m sure it isn’t easy to talk about right now.” This builds acceptance for talking about difficult things and makes it easier for someone else to share.

Taken from Small Group Dynamics ezine article: “10 Ways to be a Better Listener,” August, 2007, by Michael Mack.