Blue Donkeys, Oreos, Inclusivity in BSA and Coffee Shops

Each week I find myself reading through blogs, journals and newspapers. I want to share some of the most valuable pieces I have found from a variety of different sources:

Blue Donkeys from Thoughts from Paul Hill by Dr. Paul Hill

Dr. Paul Hill, Executive Director at Vibrant Faith Ministries, learns another a lesson from his four year-old grandson, who he calls one of his current mentors. Through watching James color during worship, Hill makes the connection that we can learn a lot when we stop assuming that a donkey is a donkey. If we allow ourselves not to be constrained to what we think we know, we can expand the way we lead. 

Oreos in the Dark from Pastor David L. Hansen by Pastor David L. Hansen

It seems that there are those who watched Super Bowl XLVII for the game, while others were watching for the commercials. Hansen shares that it costs $4,000,000 for 30 seconds of advertising for one of the coveted spots during the game. When the lights went out in the Superdome during the game, Oreo took to Twitter to share a message. They did not pay millions of dollars for that slot that got  them over 15,000 retweets. Hansen makes clear that congregations have the same resources that Oreo did for one tweet that went viral, but many churches are not using the resources that are available. 

Why Boy Scouts Should Be As Inclusive As My Church from Huffpost Religion by Glenn Blockmon

Glenn Blockmon is congregational president of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Olympia, Washington. As the Boy Scouts of America consider lifting their ban on LBGT individuals as troop leaders, Blockmon shares that BSA can learn something from his congregation. He says "scouting best serves our mission to youth when it respects our welcome to all people."

Why You Should Work From A Coffee Shop, Even When You Have An Office from Fast Company by Wesley Verhoeve

Verhoeve learned from personal experience when his company was misplaced for six weeks the importance of working away from the office from time to time. He found the experience to be so beneficial to his work that he continues to have "coffee shop days." Learn more about what Verhoeve says are the perks of working out of the office.