People agree with your vision and mission in word but getting them to participate, well, that isn’t as easy. Where you spend your time is the embodiment of what is important to you—what you value. Identifying embodied values in yourself and those of your community is...
To help facilitate the identification of core values, it can be helpful to start with behaviors and then work backwards. This process results in actual values rather than desired values. Actual values are those lived out in behaviors, while desired values are those...
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...
Most pastors don’t realize the power of their sermon and to what a great extent their sermon can provide leadership. Carl George once told me, “Tell me the stories you’ve used in your sermons in the last six months and I will tell you where your church is going.” He...
One of the most important tasks of a church planter is making sure the wrong people don’t get into the right places. Many years ago when I planted my first church people would come to me and, immediately upon meeting me, they’d share all of their past church...
As you plant a church, you need to help people understand what it means to follow Jesus based on the DNA you disciple into them. Obviously, this is harder with people who have previous church experience than with those who come to faith through your ministry....
“…any organization also needs a commitment to values and their constant reaffirmation, as a human body needs vitamins and minerals. There has to be something ‘this organization stands for,’ or else it degenerates into disorganization, confusion, and...
Part of a series inspired by Peter Drucker, an important mentor of mine “Every organization needs performance in three major areas: It needs direct results; building of values and their reaffirmation; and building and developing of people for tomorrow.” –...
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...
