Resisting the silo effect: shared vision and goals

Resisting the silo effect: shared vision and goals

We’ve all seen examples of what’s commonly known as “the silo effect:” The music ministry thinking only about their productions without reference to how that connects to the overall ministry of the church. The youth pastor deciding that the main goals are more kids...
Taking the long view

Taking the long view

We’ve all heard the expression, “We overestimate what we can do in one year and significantly underestimate what can be accomplished in three years.” We tend to be overly ambitious for what can happen in a year. We raise expectations– our own and those of...
Why was it you went into ministry again?

Why was it you went into ministry again?

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves why we went into ministry in the first place. Odds are, it was not for the money. It was to make disciples and to raise up leaders. More than that, it was to make disciples who would go on to make more disciples who would go on to...
Confusion of goals

Confusion of goals

“It seems to me that the perfection of means and confusion of goals seem to characterize our age.” — Albert Einstein That’s food for thought, isn’t it?  Reflect on this quote today.  What light can it shed on your ministry?

An exercise in visioncasting

In order to grow and keep moving forward, we need to know where we’re headed. Nice-sounding but vague goals may seem helpful, but actually serve to hold us back. For instance, we want disciples but haven’t clarified what a disciple looks like. Or we want to develop...

The key to leadership development…

… is knowing what you’re trying to accomplish. If you want to develop leaders—and know that you’re being successful in that endeavor—you need to get more concrete and specific about what you’re aiming for. What does a leader look like? How do you know if you have one?...

Examining your own ministry

This week I’m doing a five-part series to help you critically examine and sharpen your own ministry. The goal is to create a template that will allow you to serve as a consultant for your own ministry… a way of reflecting, assessing and clarifying where you are...