Ancient Greece expressed much of its psychological and spiritual wisdom inside their myths. They didn’t intend these to be taken literally or as historical, but as metaphor and as an archetypal illustration of why life is as it is and...
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June 25, 2017 By Judy Colegrove http://pastors.com/4-ways-to-stay-in-ministry-longer Burnout is a very real problem for many ministry leaders. I know because I’ve been there. If you aren’t careful, burnout can be a devastating experience that could lead to quitting ministry altogether....
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This is an important topic, which every church needs to think about.  Re-posted from http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/are-you-being-bullied/ by Sarai Rice Many ministers, male as well as female, have experienced bullying. We tend to excuse it—“every congregation has someone like this”—or think we...
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A Sabbatical Guide For Pastors Bill Gaultiere First posted on April 29, 2016 from http://www.soulshepherding.org/2016/04/sabbatical-guide-pastors/ This Sabbatical Guide is for pastors and other Christian workers on the mission field, in education, or in the nonprofit sector. I hope this guide...
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A great post from Dan Hotchkiss originally athttp://www.congregationalconsulting.org/governing-board-good/ What Should a Governing Board Be Good At? by Dan Hotchkiss © 2007 Scott Maxwell, Flickr | CC-BY-SA | via Wylio Many people dread board meetings, and for good reason. Boards spend...
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Reposted from http://www.congregationalconsulting.org/three-marks-of-healthy-congregations/ by David Brubaker Last fall, I wrote about three consistent traits of effective congregational and organizational leaders—whether lay or ordained. I’ve also noticed that healthy congregations share three characteristics that over time produce effective internal community and...
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The May 2015 BUV Gathering continued this Saturday at New Hope Baptist church where I was invited to share on some reflections on Church Governance in two sessions.  The notes and resources...
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A helpful way to reflect on the stress associated with change in roles and circumstances is to think through a simple process we call a ‘gaps and overlaps’ analysis. A gaps and overlaps scenario can unfold in several ways; a...
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On the 6th September, I was able to work alongside John Morse from Tabor College and participate in the layered learning evens for the Salvation Army in Tasmania.  Last Saturday, the teaching program was repeated in Launceston.  I integrated John’s...
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http://brianmclaren.net/archives/blog/a-prayer-for-pastors-on-easter.html A prayer for pastors on Easter Dear Lord, I pray for all the pastors today Who will feel enormous pressure to have their sermon Match the greatness of the subject and will surely feel they have failed. (I pray...
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http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=36562 Reposted from Into Thy Word Statistics on Pastors By Dr. Richard J. Krejcir What is Going on with the Pastors in America? Here are some startling statistics on pastors; FASICLD (Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership...
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Having just come back from the Safe as Churches conference and assisted two different Christian organisations with Safe Ministry process in the last two weeks, I thought I would put pen to paper or fingers to keys and get a...
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I have recently been doing some work on teams.  There are 10 basic dimensions for a healthy team which both members and leaders can reflect on and work towards. Everyone is clear about the purpose and vision of the team...
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In an insightful article in Congregations magazine (Alban Institute), one my favourite authors on governance, Dan Hotchkiss, outlines the differences between operational teams who work to achieve something together and effective governing committees whose work is thinking, wrestling with values,...
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I have been greatly helped in leadership training and consultancy work by the insights of Family Systems Theory.  Have a look at this great short video by Jonathan Camp on Leadership as Differentiation from a System’s Theory...
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This article is reposted from http://thomrainer.com/2013/02/05/10-reflections-on-a-decade-of-church-consulting/ February 5, 2013 By Chuck Lawless I love the local church. It’s God’s church, despite its flaws. For ten years, I’ve had the privilege of consulting with churches seeking to grow. Here are my...
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I have been discussing elements of church governance with a number of leaders recently.  Here is a presentation I commonly...
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Alban Weekly Conversation By Gil Rendle from Alban Weekly  Sept 2012 Efforts to lead change are often defeated or sabotaged, not by open and honest disagreement, but by inappropriate, unhelpful, or indirect behaviours. Board members who do not say what...
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Reposted from the Jesus Creed – Guest post by Brian Harris VOSE If you have ever ruled yourself out as a leader because you aren’t a dynamic, upfront person, you might find Badaracco’s Leading Quietly liberating. Badaracco has made a...
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Good governance begins with clear differentiated roles for the pastoral staff and for the church board.  It understands the different bases of authority within a church and allows these to create structures and systems which serve the church and community.  ...
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This simple five step process is designed to allow for three sources of spiritual discernment to work in harmony with each other.  These are; God-given human insight, the wisdom of reflecting in community, and intentional times of listening to God....
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