Great Leadership Part Two

A lot of pastors feel it’s inappropriate to use power, even if it might cause something good to happen. Great leaders aren’t afraid to use power for the corporate good. They know that in the absence of strong leadership, someone steps in to exercise power. They know what normally happens when leaders fail to […]

Emerging Key Issues Facing the Church of Tomorrow

Key Number One: How to minister in a multicultural world

The boats are no longer coming to North America from Europe. Mainline denominations are finding it impossible to become multicultural in spite of their resolutions and affirmative action. As long as denominations remain dominated by European forms of worship, they’ll never develop multicultural congregations. European forms […]

Lessons from Starbucks

From Bill Tenny-Brittian

A new Starbucks just opened about 1/2 mile from the church so I sat there the other morning and did sermon prep.  As I listened in, I heard the trainers working with staff – modeling behavior and team/partnership.  Boy did I learn something that morning!

Lesson #1 on Leading Leaders:  As the trainer was instructing a […]

“Volunteer” is a Dirty Word

By Bill Easum

The words we use denote who we are and how we view the world. Change some of the words you use and you’re on the way to changing the system.

That’s why I hate the word “volunteer.”  To me the word has come to mean “I’ll give you what I want to give […]

A Culture of Fear

By Bill Easum with Doug Murren

The war with Iraq is “over” and the one in Afghanistan is winding down. But one thing is certain: The terrorists have already won because America is becoming a culture of fear. People are afraid to fly, even though they are more likely to be killed in an automobile […]

Leadership Team Field Exercise 5: Blessing Time

From “Gaining Traction” (Chalice Press, 2007)

At least once a month, randomly pick a team member to “sit in the hot seat” and be the focus of a short blessing time at the end of a meeting. One way to structure this is to put the names of everyone on your team in a bag. […]

Leadership Team Field Exercise 4: Team Time Assessment

By: John Laster

From “Gaining Traction” (Chalice Press, 2007)

Leadership teams are too busy “doing,” and rarely spend enough time thinking and sharing with one another about who God has called them to be and how they are functioning together.  Use this Field Exercise as a catalyst for some needed heart level conversation in your team.

Have a […]

Leadership Team Field Exercise 3: What Are You Avoiding?

From “Gaining Traction” (Chalice Press, 2007)

Leadership teams are too busy “doing,” and rarely spend enough time thinking and sharing with one another about who God has called them to be and how they are functioning together.  Use this Field Exercise as a catalyst for some needed heart level conversation in your team.

Foster an open […]

Leadership Team Field Exercise 2: Ambiguity of Leadership Language

By: John Laster

From “Gaining Traction” (Chalice Press, 2007)

Do some informal research the next time you as a leader can procure about 5 minutes in a gathering of a cross section of the congregation (a class, small group, town hall meeting, fellowship gathering, or other setting).

•     Let people know you need their input on a quick […]