Summer Priorities – Tip 8: Prearrange Your Funeral
Stress and conflict will be inevitable, so wise leaders clarify in advance what they will, or will not, stake their life on. Your clarity can determine which issues will be negotiable and which decisions will be non-negotiable. Where will you stake “the parsonage and pension plan” … your life and career … and where will […]
Summer Priorities – Tip 7: Worship and Hospitality Team Training
Most clergy plan worship for the coming program year in the summer. That usually means anticipating the preaching cycle, focusing themes and preaching series, gathering resources for major celebrations, and delegating responsibilities for music and drama. The more resources you gather now, the easier implementation will be when life gets really busy. But have you […]
Worship Technology: Even If You Think You’re a Techie, You’re Probably Behind
I visit a lot of churches. A lot. And because of who I am and what I do, I just can’t help it – I wear my consultant’s hat, at least a little bit. Over the past year, I’ve taken a particular interest in checking out how the church uses technology. I’ve visited a number […]
Summer Priorities – Tip 6: Mission Projects
Short term mission projects are a good way to overcome the unfortunate modern tradition of the “summer slump”. Church people tend to become lackadaisical about Sunday worship because they have forgotten entirely about God’s mission. So if you get them back into God’s mission, they will often find it more meaningful to come to worship. […]
Summer Priorities – Tip 5: Strategic Planning
Smaller churches tend do strategic planning retreats in August because they think of the program year from September through May; larger churches tend to do these retreats in November because they think of the program year from January through December. (Southern hemispheres folks reverse the seasons). If you want to start “thinking big”, you should […]
Summer Priorities – Tip 4: Personal Mission
Personal mission is the intersection of your spiritual gifts and heartbursts for strangers. Wise leaders invest their extra leisure time to revisit and focus their personal mission IN LIFE (not just their leadership vision for the church). Summer is actually not the best time to refine and explore your “heartbursts” for strangers because […]