Crouch Touch Pause Engage

Crouch Touch Pause Engage?

What in the world is this? The title of some new martial arts movie? Nope, it's the Christian Sports Network (CSN) strategy to help the church in New Zealand take advantage of the World Cup. (I have to admit I wouldn't notice if the World Cup never happened, but I know I'm in the minority here.) I didn't even know there was a Christian Sports Network in New Zealand (or anywhere else for that matter), nor that they have big plans for the people - players and fans alike - who'll be visiting NZ in 2011.

Nor did I know that there were now twelve trained sports chaplains in New Zealand - Australia has 200 and says it could do with 2000. Unfortunately the CSN site is very much out of date: on its home page it's advertising something that was happening in 2008, its news stories all date from 2007, and its one article on a Christian sportsman dates from 2006. Time for a bit of an overhaul, CSN, I think!

It may be that the people running CSN are more interested in getting on with the job at ground level rather than running a website, so it's good that the Vision Network people (who are partnered with them) have done some promoting for them (see the first link above). You'll find more information there.

Photo by digiarnie

Artful Leadership

Artful Leadership: Awakening the Commons of the Imagination by Michael Jones.

No, not the notable NZ All Black, but a man who deals with notes of a different kind. Jones' earlier working career was as a leadership consultant, but in his spare time he played piano and composed music. One day he realised the music was too integral a part of him to neglect, and over the next decade or more, he's produced some fifteen albums of solo piano music. He's now done some further integrating, and uses his piano music and performance in his speaking career.

This is his second book,(his first is Creating an Imaginative Life) and you can read the first chapter, A Walk in the Park: the personal and social artistry of leadership, online.