Helping people understand their spiritual gifts mix
Are you having a hard time getting people engaged in the work of the church? Have you experienced a lot of volunteer turnover? One way to get people on board and working well together—even happily—on the mission of the church is to ensure each person feels valued for...
Aligning individual callings with the broader vision of the church
Some pastors ask individuals what they want to do—what is their calling—and then send them off to go start that ministry in the church’s name. Everyone runs off in different directions and the church ends up with dozens of different priority ministries: food pantries,...
Treating people with dignity in times of transition
Transition is something we are almost always uncomfortable with. Change is hard for everyone. It’s no different in ministry. At the same time, it’s inevitable for growth and progress. If a ministry is alive, it will change. Yet one casualty of change can be...
What we can learn from the Quaker Clearness Committee
Have you ever faced a quandary trying to decide which way to go at a juncture of life? Have you been uncertain of God’s direction or will in a situation? Have you wanted clarity about the direction you should take moving forward? The Quaker Clearness Committee process...
The benefits of wandering
As I’ve read the Bible, one of the things I notice is that many of the people featured in its pages spend considerable amounts of time wandering around or trying to figure out what direction they should be going: Moses wandering with his people through the wilderness,...
Divine appointment or distraction?
Even Jesus got interrupted sometimes. He was on his way to Jerusalem when a crowd slowed him down and a woman touched the hem of his robe. At that point, he had a decision to make. Would he press on to Jerusalem? Or was this a divine appointment? In that case, Jesus...
How has God led you in the past?
When I’m coaching people, I’ve found this question to be extremely helpful. By encouraging people to reflect on what has worked for them in the past, how God has blessed them up until now, and where they have seen fruit, they quite often have insights that give them...