Goal setting and the pursuit of goals is generally perceived as positive activities for any person or organization wishing to accomplish meaningful results. What is rarely acknowledged is the two disappointments that accompany the pursuit of goals. One of the two disappointments is that of failing to reach a goal. The other is when one successfully achieves a goal. Let’s... Continue Reading
Control. Now days that is a dirty word. People with control issues seem to abound, yet none of us enjoy being controlled. But, control can have a helpful connotation as well, as in a “control system.” What is a control system? A control system manages, directs, or regulates behaviors, devices, or processes. Control systems can be found in all industries... Continue Reading
Periodic reviews and year end evaluations and feedback can be a nerve-wracking time of year. For church staff and their supervisors alike, knowing a performance evaluation is ahead can sometimes bring self-doubt and general uncertainty and anxiety. Yet, it is from these seeds of discomfort that growth occurs. One of my favorite tools in my supervisory tool belt is Dr.... Continue Reading
Start, Stop, Continue is a simple yet catalytic team building, feedback, and decision making exercise with a variety of applications that every church leader should have in their facilitation toolkit. When I am called in as an outside consultant to facilitate strategic conversations, this is my default feedback tool. Let’s take a closer look at how it works. Facilitation Instructions... Continue Reading
Most church leaders who have facilitated staff, team, or committee brainstorming sessions know that most of these efforts result in more ideas, initiatives, or strategies than you can possibly implement at once. How do you go about deciding which initiatives to undertake first? How do you determine priorities? One of the simplest ways for coming together on an agreed upon... Continue Reading
This is a painful period in our country’s cultural history. Allegations of sexual misconduct have repeatedly surfaced in the media and been in the center of public discourse for months. It is hitting every part of our culture—media, entertainment, business, politics, journalism….and yes, even in our churches. And stories continue to surface of cover ups, retribution, and fear of retaliation... Continue Reading
A “principle” is a fundamental law or truth that serves as the foundation for a system of belief, behavior or chain of reasoning. Principles are essential to comprehension, understanding, and effective decision making. The Heisenberg Principle The purpose and practice of measurement can also be better grasped when rooted in a principle. One such principle is commonly referred to as... Continue Reading
Sunday worship attendance, small groups participation, numbers baptized, and money given are all effective measurements of church health. But they don’t measure spiritual health or spiritual growth. They don’t measure matters of the heart, or tell us whether someone is maturing in their faith walk. In recent years several Christian churches and organizations have embarked on in-depth spiritual growth studies that resulted... Continue Reading
When facing challenging problems and important decisions it is critical that church leaders examine all of their options carefully. An effective approach divides the process into four steps: Define the Problem Develop Potential Courses of Action Predict Outcomes Make the Decision This is a useful structure because it helps church leaders establish a balanced and informed picture of the risks... Continue Reading
In the post, “Organizational Alignment and Integration – Why Most Strategic Plans Fail,” we examined the ten components of aligning and integrating a strategic plan into the culture of the church. Once your strategic plan has been developed an additional task essential to execution is to assess each existing ministry initiative for alignment to your strategic plan. If a ministry... Continue Reading
As I work with churches I have observed that one of the significant differences between big and small, healthy and unhealthy, growing and declining, effective and ineffective churches is the quality and sophistication of their structures. I believe structure is so vital I have named my organization, Sacred Structures, and committed this season of ministry to helping churches put into... Continue Reading
Every church leader, lay or volunteer, is full of experiences, information and skills accumulated over a lifetime in ministry and/or business. We use our storehouse of experiences, information and skills to solve problems and make decisions. The net result is that we each have developed a set of “answers” to the various problems we have encountered over our lifetime. And,... Continue Reading
Jim is a Church Organizational Leadership and Management Coach, Consultant and Trainer. Throughout his career Jim has demonstrated a passion for showing Pastors and Ministers how to use organizational tools for church and personal growth and health.
More About Jim“For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.” Colossians 2:5