Seth Godin is the author of seventeen books that have been bestsellers around the world and changed the way people think about marketing, change, and work. In this five minute video, he suggests that our cultural preference for more being better is unwise and often simply not true. So What? In most congregations, plans are now well underway for constructing ministry and mission for 2015. What should be done (including and often especially how much more than the prior year) is Read More …
Leadership
Hidden Church Assets (#1432)
Margaret Marcuson speaks and writes on leadership and works with church leaders nationally as a consultant and coach. Earlier this month, she blogged about three categories of assets found in all churches that are often undervalued or overlooked: human capital, intellectual capital, and financial capital. So What? Often congregations focus on financial capital, and assume they know all there is to know about their resources in this arena. Marcuson encourages Read More …
Ways to Engage Volunteers (#1431)
I have been in more than a few meetings this year when someone at the table said "people don't volunteer like they used to" or "we just don't have enough volunteers." Churches should be about helping every member (as well as every active participant!) be engaged in ministry. Creating a congregational culture that promotes volunteerism doesn't happen by chance. Phil Bowdle, creative arts director at West Ridge Church (Atlanta, GA), recently shared four ways his congregation Read More …
Maintenance vs. Mission (#1416)
Jennifer Thomas, an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Vice President of Missouri Faith Voices, recently blogged about the challenges pastors face when seeking to help congregations transition from a maintenance mentality to one focused on mission. Regrettably, seminary didn’t prepare me for the backlash I would receive as a missional leader in a congregation. Some folks prefer a maintenance model of ministry, where the pastor is called primarily to Read More …
Successful People (#1359)
Eric Barker, the founder of the Barking Up The Wrong Tree blog, recently shared what he believes the world's most successful people have in common. He suggests that we can become like them if we: Stay Busy Just Say No Know What You Are Build Networks Create Good Luck Have Grit Make Awesome Mistakes Find Mentors. So What? I love this list! I would not argue that a single item should be removed. I do, however, think that some organizations (including Read More …
Starting Well (#1325)
On his first day as the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella sent an e-mail to all employees that asked and answered several key questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Why are we here? What do we do next? So What? Starting well is essential whether leading a multi-billion dollar business, a congregation, or a team/group/committee. Nadella's questions are ones that church leaders need to address. While doing so on the first day of a new position may not always be possible, doing Read More …
Effective Church Leaders (#1299)
Justin Lathrop - founder of Helpstaff.me (now Vanderbloemen Search), Oaks School of Leadership, and MinistryCoach.tv - recently shared a top ten list of characteristics of effective church leaders that was created by Hillsong Church for its staff members. That list includes: being a can-do person, delegating but never dumping, having an attractive spirituality, serving with gladness, and empowering others. So What? Expectations matter. When your nominating Read More …
Benefits of Church Task Forces (#1297)
In addition to standing Boards and Committees, many congregations form task forces or other temporary working groups to manage specific projects. Jenni Catron, Executive Director of Cross Point Church (Nashville, TN), recently shared a list of some of the positive outcomes of these temporary teams. Her list includes: the hierarchy is flattened, new relationships are formed, and great leaders emerge. So What? While Boards and Committees have important roles to Read More …
One Man’s Greener Grass (#1285)
Jason Savage's recent explanation of his decision to leave parish based ministry is an excellent example of the-grass-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side-of-the-fence thinking. Savage is concerned by a decades long trend in the church toward what he calls "professionalism," a broad term that seems to include everything from leveraging the best marketing and management practices from the wider non-profit and for-profit world to accepting the evolving demands of leadership and roles of Read More …
Leadership Archetypes (#1279)
Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries, Distinguished Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change at INSEAD, recently shared his eight leadership archetypes on the Harvard Business Review blog. The strategist: leadership as a game of chess. The change-catalyst: leadership as a turnaround activity. The transactor: leadership as deal making. The builder: leadership as an entrepreneurial activity. The innovator: leadership as creative idea generation. The processor: leadership as Read More …