Our lives, our churches, and our businesses are being influenced by an increasing number of complex political, social, and economic forces every day. The stakes are higher and how we navigate the changes associated with these complex forces is more important than ever. There are many theories and practices of change leadership and management that can prove helpful in times... Continue Reading
Unless Things Change They Stay The Same. Why is this simple truth so difficult for us to embrace in our churches and our personal lives? Fear, complacency, ignorance, lack of accountability or discipline can all be contributors. Effective ministry leaders discover ways to overcome these barriers to change by constantly re-inventing themselves through self-development. This commitment to personal change allows... Continue Reading
One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore. Andre Gide Change leaders are people who see opportunities where others don’t. They have the courage to take great risks and the ability to make wise decisions. Frequently they aren’t even aware of the decision making process they are using when determining a change initiative, but... Continue Reading
Playing the lottery is a form of gambling. The typical lottery player repeatedly purchases numerous lottery tickets in hopes of securing a winning ticket and a cash payout. Playing the lottery has a change leadership analogy: The “Lottery Leader” seems to be constantly buying more tickets, making changes, in the hope that that at some point there will be a... Continue Reading
The root word for “tyranny” is the Latin word tyrannia, from which we derive the word tyrant. A tyrant is someone who exercises absolute and often oppressive power over you and over which you have no control. One force that affects the lives of ministers and the churches they serve, often times over which they have little control, is that... Continue Reading
Movement is an overriding theme of the Hebrew Scriptures. Adam and Eve are removed from the Garden of Eden. Hagar is cast into the desert with her rejected son. Lot flees Sodom. Abraham and Sarah leave their native land. The Hebrew nation escape Egypt and wander for forty years. The New Testament also demonstrates this consistency of movement. Jesus was... Continue Reading
Empowerment is a commonly used buzzword. Everyone is for it but find it difficult to achieve. In his thought provoking book, Deep Change, Robert Quinn defines two opposite orientations to empowerment in most organizations. Mechanistic – Starts at the top and involves clarity, delegation, control and accountability Organic – Starts with the individual and involves initiative, risk, growth and teamwork... Continue Reading
Change is a word that strikes fear in the hearts of most ministry leaders. They have personally experienced or know of a peer that has experienced the pain and disappointment of well-intentioned change. Change is never easy in any organization yet in churches the difficulty and complexity of change seems to go up exponentially. It is understandable that many ministry... Continue Reading
The heart of leading change in the church is listening – to God and others. When the Apostles were leading the New Testament believers in Acts 15 to question their belief that Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved they couldn’t rely just on their ability to think strategically. So they first listened, and then responded to what they heard. Eight Step Biblical... Continue Reading
At the edges of medieval maps was often inscribed the warning: “Here be dragons.” The fear of dragons kept generations of sailors from sailing beyond known boundaries. Similarly, I have found I confront my own dragons each time I approach the edge of my comfort zone. There I discover the greatest barrier to my next level growth and to... 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