One of the most helpful things I’ve found for building solid teams is to make a distinction between responsibility and contribution. Responsibility is their job– what that person is responsible for. If it doesn’t get accomplished, they are held responsible...
One highlight I remember from my time as a foster parent was a particular conversation– brief but meaningful. Heather (not her real name, and not pictured here) was a 14-year-old girl from the inner city and had been with us for less than a year. One evening we...
What does it really mean to repent? If you are in ministry, how do you respond to people who say that they are sorry but then don’t take action to change? What do you do when people express words of repentance, but then mix them with words of blame for others and not...
A coaching client of mine recently made a great observation about shepherding. He said, “You can lead a sheep to the field, but you don’t shove grass down their mouths.” He was learning to not over-shepherd, but to teach people to take responsibility for themselves....
Many of us are used to thinking of ourselves as the coach. What about when we’re the one being coached? How can we maximize our use of that time? How can we open ourselves up to grow spiritually and be developed in all our gifts as much as possible? What follows in...
When you’re discipling people who are in recovery, I’ve found that there comes a point when you have to shift gears. Once someone is well-established in recovery—not drinking or using but still wrestling with life issues—an important shift needs to happen in your...
