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.
My three words of advice for a small church pastor
Small church pastors have some significant advantages in ministry. Here are a few ways to leverage your time and energy to make the most significant impact in your congregations. Set aside relational time. As you likely already know, relationships are essential in any...
Train your leaders! A ready-to-go curriculum for developing leadership skills
Do you want to develop new leaders from within your own ministry? Do you see people who have potential, but you’re not sure how to train them to reach their optimal effectiveness? Do you want an approach to developing leaders that is clear and substantive-- yet at the...
Are you asking the right questions?
How can you be sure you are asking the right questions to get to where you want to go? As you lead your church or ministry, the kinds of questions you’re asking make a big difference in where you’re going and what you do—or don’t do—in order to get there. For...
Forced choice exercise: How to decide between two good options
How to decide? Often in ministry and in life, we are faced with choices between two—or more—good options, but we don’t have the time, energy or money to do all of them. We have to choose. It’s especially difficult to choose when both options seem quite good. A friend...
Professor Studebaker
Today's entry is by guest blogger Dr. Charles R. Ridley. I quaked. Whenever I neared her classroom, fear and trepidation besieged me. My reaction was autonomic, full of annoying emotions I could not control. Whenever she called on another student, I breathed a deep...
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...