“There is not a moment in which God does not present Himself under the cover of some pain to be endured, of some consolation to be enjoyed, or some duty to be performed. All that takes place with us, around us, or through us, contains and reveals His divine action. If we understood how to see in each moment some... Continue Reading
“……train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8) From my observation of the spiritual condition of church members today I can’t help but conclude that many are living off of other people’s spirituality, are... Continue Reading
Every institution, no matter how great, is vulnerable to decline…..JIM COLLINS In 2005, Jim Collins became curious why some of the once great enterprises he’d researched for Built to Last and Good to Great, had fallen. His motivation…….to understand how institutional decline can happen in hopes that leaders might learn how to stave off decline. Collins project, over four years... Continue Reading
Over the course of a minister’s career he or she will attend thousands of church staff meetings. Do the math, it adds up to years of meetings. Some meetings are good, even great, but most not so much. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can re-engineer your staff meetings to make them engaging, relevant, and impactful by adopting... Continue Reading
Too often in our attempt to solve the various problems we confront in the church we stop at treating the symptoms rather than getting to the true cause of the problem. That is why so many churches have problems that won’t go away. We resort to quick fixes that address only surface issues. I have found the “5 Whys?” process... Continue Reading
In a company, business, or church, the chain of command refers to levels of authority from the top position, such as CEO, owner, or pastor down to upper and mid-level supervisors and then to front line workers. Hierarchal organizations institute a chain of command structure to improve communication, supervision, problem solving, efficiency and effectiveness at all levels. In fact, rank... Continue Reading
Solutions to impasses or sticking points generally come by learning how to spot and mediate third force, which is present in every situation but generally hidden. —Cynthia Bourgeault Today our political, business, media, and religious leaders increasingly reflect polarity in their thinking and acting. Polarity is the quality or state of being as different as possible. Or, two opposing yet... Continue Reading
In the article “Solitude: The Foundation of Personal Leadership” we spoke to how productive solitude is essential to the effectiveness of church leaders. Prior to our cacophonous age, leaders naturally found solitude anytime they were physically alone. In today’s world it can be difficult to find times and places to be alone with our thoughts as we are surrounded with... Continue Reading
“We live, in fact, in an age starved for solitude.”—C.S. Lewis Solitude has played a critical role in my own leadership journey. Comfortableness with solitude has been imbedded in me since early childhood where I grew up in a home and neighborhood without children my age. As my ministry and life responsibilities grew I found I needed even more solitude.... Continue Reading
One of the biggest challenges in implementing a multi-site strategy is ensuring the transference of the core attributes of the birthing church to its various sites. In most cases, this forces a church for the first time to think through what it really believes about how they “do” church. In an effective multi-site strategy, successful transference of the DNA of... Continue Reading
Before every commercial airplane takes off a flight attendant reviews various safety reminders. One of those is how to use the oxygen masks should the cabin depressurize. Passengers are reminded to always put their own masks on first before attempting to help others. The rationale is obvious, if you don’t first ensure your own safety you won’t be able to... Continue Reading
With change permeating the church, evolving work environments, and the needs of next generation employees, maximizing the performance of staff is more important than ever – for both employee satisfaction and church effectiveness. Unfortunately, Gallup Surveys indicate just one in five employees strongly agree their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to perform outstanding work. Further, millennial... 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