Leadership
Holistic Leadership Development
You want to develop leaders who will do what Jesus called us to do, leaders who can take the church forward into the 21st century. You look to the fields and see them, as Jesus does, ready for harvest — and you know that’s where your ministry needs to concentrate.
What’s needed is holistic leadership development — the kind of leadership development that comes from the harvest and leads people back into the harvest, resulting in subsequent generations of new believers and new leaders living as Jesus called us to live.
We can help you develop leaders the kind of leaders you need in a way that is both relational and intentional… and ultimately effective in helping your church accomplish its mission.
Pray, play, and plan, but do it together: three modes of an effective team
The most effective teams work well in three different modes: they pray, play, and plan. Pray. Spend time praying and worshipping together. Doing so puts relationships on a spiritual plane rather than a merely human one. Praying together builds closeness and helps...
The connected team: Learning to ask for counsel from one another
You know what’s a very simple action to take that will dramatically improve your team dynamic? Asking each other for counsel and advice. Starting by setting an example, encourage networking on your team. Ask for feedback, advice, and ideas from others about your...
Time to celebrate! Leave room for celebration in your team schedule
The most effective and productive teams take time to celebrate together. If you’re a visionary leader, it can be easy to see a victory then move on almost immediately to the next project or next challenge. Yet for your team, taking that tack can be both exhausting and...
Good teams take time
Good teams take time to build. Do you want good, solid team relationships in your ministry? Building an outstanding team requires a considerable investment of time and energy, but it's well worth it. One thing you can proactively do is take time to be together...
10 steps for screening and interviewing prospective staff
Screening and interviewing prospective staff for hire in your ministry is a big responsibility. You want to make the very best choice possible. So what kind of a procedure can you use? Below I outline the 10-step screening and interviewing process I recommend....
Finding the balance: both relational and productive
Finding the balance isn't always easy. Healthy teams know how to have fun together as well as getting the job done. They take time to pray together and play together, but also make sure the task gets done. Achieving that balance requires compatibility over the long...
Teams that can handle ambiguity and change
When you’re developing new approaches to ministry, you can’t predict the way it’s going to go -- you have to be prepared for some ambiguity and change along the way. You and your team need to be flexible and adaptable because the unexpected does happen. You can’t...
Open and constructive communication
Everyone says they would like open and constructive communication on their ministry teams. What can you do to model such communication? Here are three qualities you can aim for and live out with others on your team: Be receptive to evaluation. Are you willing to have...
Mutual respect and loyalty: the core of an effective team
What is at the core of an effective team? There are a lot of hard knocks in ministry. To help cushion some of those blows and give everyone the energy to keep moving forward, the team you’re a part of needs to provide a supportive and encouraging environment. Three...
Complementary strengths
Great teams absolutely require complementary strengths. They’re not productive if everyone is alike: you’ll get the same great strengths coupled with the same weaknesses. Like a good marriage, you need enough differences to give you the right kind of chemistry and...
Sharing common values with your ministry team
Everyone knows that the core of a congregation must hold to common values to be successful in moving forward toward accomplishing their unique vision. But what about ministry teams? Certainly they should be on board with the general values of the church, but to work...
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...