3 Things I Learned about Church Growth from Church Planting
There’s something amazing and terrifying about planting a church. I remember having trouble sleeping the night before Velocity began- terrified that no one would show up the next morning. I was pleased to find that people did and the church slowly grew. But, as the years wore on and the church became self-sufficient, I remember lead pastor Scott and I revisiting some of the principles that helped the church grow in the beginning. We would say things like, “Remember how desperate and hungry we were in the beginning”? These discussions were used to spur on areas of growth for the ...
4 Things Volunteers Wish Leaders Knew: Pt. 2
4 Things Volunteers Wish Leaders Knew: Pt. 2 As a leader it's so easy to forget what it's like to be at the bottom. Over the years I've often found myself in place of leadership, but recently I've spent more time serving our local soccer club and am starting from the ground up. This opportunity is giving me a refreshing reminder of what it's like to have no idea what's going on- on a weekly basis. So, I'm sharing 4 things volunteers wish leaders know. Last week I shared the first 2, which are: 1. I don't care as much ...
4 Things Volunteers Wish Leaders Knew: Pt. 1
4 Things Volunteers Wish Leaders Knew A few years ago I read about an army general upset over his troop’s lack of energy and motivation. A quick investigation pinpointed troop exhaustion as the culprit. The general felt troop’s poor time management led to their lack of sleep, so refused to budge the schedule. Then, one brave soldier asked the general when he found time to sleep. The general explained he often caught a quick catnap while being driven around the base. It was explained to him that no other troop shared that privilege and so did not have the same ...
3 Ways Volunteers View Your Project
3 Ways Volunteers View Your Project Volunteers make up the life-blood of any non-profit organization. Although volunteers are essential, it’s important to note: not all volunteers are created equal. Some are great and contribute significantly. Others become like mythical creatures we've heard existed but have never actually seen ourselves. But, leaders can better work with volunteers if we determine what level priority your volunteer is giving your project. Because our time is finite, a volunteer can not give equal time and energy to every project or group they’re engaged in. A volunteer will have to decide if soccer practice or PTA ...
360 Degree Parenting Leadership Feedback
Greater personal insight leads to better leaders. The better we understand and develop our strengths, while facing and working on our weaknesses, the stronger leader we’ll become. We understand this at work, so many jobs offer a 360 degree feedback loop where peers and subordinates have a chance to rate a co-worker in certain categories. This type of task gives great feedback and insight to any employee. If it works at work, then why not use a 360 degree feedback loop at home with our family to help us become better leaders as parents to our children? So, I made ...
How to Have Hard Conversations- EXTRA POINTERS
No one likes having difficult conversations. I know personally I hate being wrong, while at the same time thinking I'm a little more right than everyone else. That's not a good mix but I'm guessing I'm not the only one. I meet so many people deathly afraid to have difficult conversations. They think it's a war or hold back until they explode. They enter the conversation with clips full of ammo, and then wonder why the other person got hurt. It doesn't have to be this way! I shared two previous posts on the subject. There were a few extra pointers ...
Millennials and the Church: the Good, the Challenging and the Ugly
https://www.flickr.com/photos/26324411@N00/1617694299/in/photolist-3sX7a2-agqfBP-e8awnU-dPnukK-8njHa9-J5p2p-7tGbnf-rU4e6-4Zm8eh-5o3H1t-ocE6KV-7oRoEC-pctzNd-4z9Nv5-qbakCD-pTVr5v-a3mQQ6-8TpGGM-E9XWY-8dxY2p-7aPrvz-8TQhJG-4z9Q9d-eiwixk-98Ukfr-cZkSCw-99ACEa-a3n4yL-4z5B84-7nrody-re3kVo-eiC5SU-ffKnAb-bEm86H-5Ug3K-4z5uFp-z4aYL-LdyjL-8M21gB-6Js48T-4ZmjHb-9xZ8bN-eK1rJM-cT8XTy-a3D8Au-8E1rGm-6Sw2fV-8TzTxP-8G423W-5iATSt/ Millennials I read a fascinating article about Millennials and the church from the Washington Post a few weeks ago. The author commented how they’re leaving the church at a faster rate than previous generations and made suggestions on what could be done. In fact, Pew Research found that Millennials are more willing to identify themselves as “not-religiously affiliated” more than any previous generation. There is definitely a real spiritual shift with this younger generation, so the author raises an important question. I love her observations about their needs, and think every pastor and church planter should pay attention ...
There’s No Such Thing as the Perfect Day
My plans were perfectly laid. I would wake up, get the kids off to school, then enjoy a perfectly organized day of studying my brains out and cleaning the house. The kids would come home as I casually cooked dinner and later would tell my wife about the day's great accomplishments. But, days never work out like we plan do they? One of my kids had to stay home sick. Our car had to be taken into be fixed, and the internet wasn’t working so I was unable to study. As my week unfolded I noticed the similar pattern of ...
Making Decisions that Won’t Make Your Kids Crazy
How does your family make decisions? I'm talking about things like: what kids should wear to school, eat for breakfast, haircut to get, sport to play, what the family will eat for dinner, do on the weekend, and do with their free time? Families make a lot of decisions. One study on leadership determined there are 4 main decision making styles. When managing people or leading a team, it's important to determine the appropriate decision-making style that will bring about the most success for the team and development of the individuals on the team. But, these 4 leadership styles don't have to stay ...
Every Team Needs a Deviant
The Deviant I recently read an interview with leading Organizational Psychologist Richard Hackman. He shared observations on effective teams based on years of research. One team concept stood out to me above the rest. He explained that every effective team needs a deviant. A deviant is the one person who will challenge the process. When everyone on the team is dreaming about how to build a great building, they're the person who will ask, "But, why are we even building a building in the first place"? They're the pebble in your team's shoe and the itch on your back you ...