This is also the title of a teleseminar I’ll be doing this Thursday. It seems a bit presumptuous to be able to reduce all of the issues that go on with our churches to just 5. There is, of course, a very long list. But these are the overriding issues that I see over and over. They are a combination of ...
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This past weekend I took my discipleship group on a “life story” retreat. We went to a mountain cabin for an overnight experience where our only agenda was to be together and tell our life stories to each other.
With my discipleship group, deep relationship is the absolute requirement for real growth, change, and transformation. That’s because Christ’s love through us will only transform in an environment of true vulnerability (David Benner, Surrender to Love). I told the men that they ...
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How a rider, an elephant, and a path can help you change your organization
By John Purcell © 2012
When Tech Corp (not it’s real name) decided to develop new vision, mission, and core values plus a strategy to move in that direction, they invited employees to interact more on the “rough draft” of the plan. What followed threw the leaders back on their heals, as several people opposed many of the changes and even utilized the venue as ...
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No, not beer, abs. I work out daily and just joined a gym, as well, so I was thinking that in this new year it would be challenging to set a goal to develop six pack abs. I have begun to work on it, and have seen some encouraging results in the first few days. Well, actually not so much seen as felt. I hurt in the right places. It feels like a goal that is very hard work but ...
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Leaders have said to me that they would love to have asked for a leadership coach, but it felt “selfish.” But when their board recommended it and actually appropriated the funds, they jumped at the opportunity.
The truth is that one of the most SELFLESS things you can do as an organizational leader is to invite a good leadership coach into your life. There are 2 key reasons for this. Most obviously, it will benefit your organization and others around you ...
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How a rider, an elephant, and a path can help you change your church
By John Purcell © 2011
When First Church (not it’s real name) decided to develop new vision, mission, and core values plus a strategy to move the church in that direction, they invited members to interact more on the “rough draft” of the plan. What followed threw the leaders back on their heals, as several people opposed any changes and utilized the venue as an ...
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I think that for most churches Biblical community is an illusive term. Fellowship is used a lot with a wide range of meanings, everything from church suppers to hanging out in the “fellowship hall” to what happens in a small group. But to me, at least, these all conjure up images of acquaintances talking together at an acquaintance depth. What kind of community do you see in your mind when we are “at work” in, for, or in the name of the ...
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After facilitating strategic planning at several churches over the past 5 years, it never ceases to delight me when this happens. A church works through the strategic planning process, beginning with “What is our purpose?” then core values, then vision, then mission, and eventually working their way down to where the rubber hits the road — “What is the most important thing that we need to do over the next year to move toward our vision?” They brainstorm a long ...
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I’m about 4 weeks now into my new discipleship group. I started out wanting to have about 5 guys, then it grew to 7 plus myself, and now it’s settled in at 5 guys plus myself. When I sat down with each guy beforehand, I discussed my desire for us to become a Band of Brothers who would get to know each other deeply and in community grow in Christ to love God and others more, serving Him and them, ...
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This past weekend I had yet another pleasure and joy of serving a precious church with painful relational stresses. I won’t go into details about this situation, but I can say that it’s not unusual to witness in a church relationship stress among the pastor, elders or deacons (or both if the church has both categories), board, staff, and others.
The amazing thing is that when you get behind the specific issues, you find a LACK OF ORGANIZATIONAL CLARITY as the ...
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