“Netflix as a DVD mailer was a vitamin. But Netflix as a late-fee vanquisher was an aspirin. It eliminated a pain.”–from a recent Fast Company article by Dan and Chip Heath, authors of Switch and Made to Stick. I struggled through this article because I like vitamins more than aspirin. I love preparing for the …
Vitamins or Aspirin? Present & Future Focused Leadership Read More »
“But it is equally critical to have a strategy that makes sense in the context of what is going on and execute it with purpose and pace. If you spend too much time looking over your shoulder, you will not execute well.”–Fred Wilson I feel like I could spend the next ten years on “a …
Strategy Over Worry: Great Advice from an Entrepreneur Read More »
68% of customers leave a company because of the treatment they received. This is a ridiculously awesome infographic from Get Satisfaction, a company that does user generated customer service. Not completely new information but reiterates how important it is to make people new to your ministry feel welcomed (the way they understand being welcomed, not …
Starting and building a ministry requires growing your leadership team in both quantity (number of leaders) and quality (ability + spiritual maturity). Inevitably a ministry leader needs to take some risks on younger/less qualified people in order to increase the number of leaders, which ultimately grows the size (and health) of the entire ministry. But …
small groups and programs worship services that mix traditional and contemporary styles with an emphasis on relevant sermons pastors who work hard on mentorship and cultivation of the laity an emphasis on effective lay leadership. The Methodists concluded a study of 32,000 of their own congregations and noted that these four were true of every …
A huge thanks to those of you who have provided feedback on the ministry funnel. It’s changed dramatically in the last few days as I have processed the feedback. The goal is simple: Create a resource to help ministry leaders diagnose their current reality and implement future-oriented, value-driven strategy and tactics. Since the funnel has …
Ministry Funnel Video-Bridging the Gap Between the Present and Future Read More »
Teaching. Every year I directed a ministry I underestimated the amount of teaching I needed to do in order to clarify the why’s of our ministry (in relation to the mission, vision, and values). Every year I also noticed that the majority of people assume something negative about the why’s if they do not understand …
The Way to A Solid Ministry Foundation Is Through… Read More »
Stagnant ministries always have leaders that fail to empower their followers. I love ministries that take risks on young emerging leaders and hold their core group of leaders accountable to developing and passing on what they have learned to those below them. It’s the reason I chose empower as the key word that describes the …
What do you do with students who are committed to your ministry but lack an official leadership title or role? Emerging Leaders are right in the middle of the ministry funnel. Click here to look at the entire funnel. Emerging leaders have leadership potential but lack a leadership title. They are usually young in age, …
Strategic Service–A Plan for Developing Emerging Leaders Read More »
I have often complicated the leadership development process by focusing too much on content and not enough on developmental experiences. The safe thing about focusing on content is that it gives me a sense of control, albeit false. But the primary function of a leader in a movement is to multiply–their faith, skills, knowledge, attitude, …
