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You can do a “life story” retreat with your group or team

 

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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25
JAN
0

Categories: Biblical community, Board, Discipleship, Governance, Leadership, Spirituality

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Are you being selfish to employ a leadership coach for yourself?

 

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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8
JAN
0

Categories: Board, Coaching, Leadership, Leadership coaching, Leadership development, Organization, roles

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Switch: The Challenge of Change in the Church

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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9
DEC
0

Categories: change, Leadership, Planning, strategic planning

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Another church tags discipleship as it’s no. 1 most critical need

 

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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3
NOV
0

Categories: Discipleship, Leadership, strategic planning

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When Relationships are Damaged by a Lack of Organizational Clarity

 

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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17
OCT
0

Categories: Board, Governance, Leadership, Organization, organizational clarity, roles

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