There are two components making up the “leadership system” in most congregations: the board and the operational management team. This cohort is the formal leadership group, or groups, that execute the two core elements of leadership:
1.) They discern the spiritual and missional destinations and/or establish boundaries within the congregation. Frequently this leadership element will […]
For the week of March 14, 2005
Barriers to Effective Leadership Teams Part 2: The Presence of Fear
By: John Laster
There are three common, interrelated barriers to more effective leadership teams: the absence of a shared DNA, the presence of fear, and a lack of trust within the team itself.
The presence of fear and apprehension has […]
For the week of January 23, 2006
Take Your Congregation’s Leadership Pulse
By: John Laster
Every congregation has “officially designated leaders.” Often these are individuals for whom the title or merit badge of leadership is important. It is a rare, however, to find the designated men and women providing functional leadership to the gathered community of believers. […]
By Bill Easum
Being the pastor of a church requires many things not taught in seminary. One of those things not taught is the managerial aspects of leadership. Whereas leaders look outward to the future, managers look inward to the moment.
In a small church the pastor has to be both manager and leader if the […]
The Key to Understanding Today’s World and the Role of the Church
Two metaphors will guide us – The National Park and The Jungle. Everyone born before 1980 was born in the National Park world. Everyone born after that was born into The Jungle. Here are the differences:
The National Park
• Is neatly laid out
• Predictable […]
Recently, I received an email from a member of our Advanced Leadership forum asking an excellent question that many pastors ask. Here it is.
“I just received George Barna’s latest e-news where he has an article ’30 Respected Leaders Weigh in on What It Takes to be a Master Leader.’ I want to shift the focus from […]
One of the most frequent concerns we hear, when working with congregational transformation, is “We don’t have enough people to do all the ministries.” Interestingly, when we investigate, we’ll hear these same words from both staff and volunteers – as well as from church members who are only marginally involved.
Using the Pareto Principle as […]
I was asked what a church’s leadership covenant should include. I’ve done a training on that for the Conflict CPR Training Set, but here are my thoughts.
A 100% commitment to supporting the congregational DNA (mission, values, vision)
A commitment to intentional adult spiritual development by participating in a small group or a micro […]
4 Leadership Team Dynamics to Put on Your Radar
By: John Laster
Healthy congregational leadership has reached an endangered species level. If effective local congregational leadership was a bird or native plant, there would long since have been concerted efforts to protect the species. The scope of the leadership crisis is brought into focus by Paul […]
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