The longer I am in ministry the more convinced I become that any God honoring effectiveness I experience is a direct result of the cultivation of my inner spiritual life. Most in ministry would say the same, but few of us believe it enough to incorporate the spiritual disciplines, practices and habits necessary to consistently maintain our inner spiritual life.... Continue Reading
I have found that by trusting people until they prove themselves unworthy of that trust, a lot more good things happen–Jim Burke, Former Chairman and CEO of Johnson and Johnson When it comes to trust of church leaders, I have observed there are two types of people I have served with. Those who expect you to earn their trust before... Continue Reading
Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your silence; all your waves and your billows have gone over me. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. –Psalm 42:7-8 Depth. It is the essence of the spiritual journey…..to go deeper into God’s love... Continue Reading
“The greatest enemy of intimacy with God is service for God”- Dallas Willard “As ministers, the activity of our lives (“doing” for Jesus) inevitably begins to eclipse the contemplative dimension of our lives (“being” with Jesus) and soon we are engaged in more activity for God than our being with God can sustain.” – Pete Scazzero “Let the Lord, the... Continue Reading
Many ministers I know wrestle with the difficulty of trying to live a life of transformation and intimacy with God they read about in their Bibles. Most of us long for a deeper inner spiritual life yet regularly experience Dallas Willard’s observation “the greatest enemy of intimacy with God, is service for God.” Ministry by definition is depleting. Without constant... Continue Reading
Dualistic thinking, or the ego operating system, as Cynthia Bourgeault calls it, is our way of reading reality from the position of my private ego. “What’s in it for me?” “How will I look if I do this?” This is the preferred way of seeing reality for most of us. Richard Rohr calls it either/or thinking. It knows reality by... Continue Reading
Every church leader exercises power, or the ability to influence others to take action. When we misuse that power we hurt people and create organizational dysfunction. Virtually every church I know bears scars of hurt due to a failure of leaders to wisely steward power. Regretfully, I am no exception. Because for too long I failed to understand two important... Continue Reading
In the posts “Leadership Versus Management: What is the Difference” and “Management and Leadership – The Church Needs Both,” we examined the definitions and differences between management and leadership and the necessity of both in healthy churches. Leadership and management are binary, a whole composed of two, yet you’re typically doing one or the other. Therefore, the greatest challenge for a church... Continue Reading
I get asked often about the differences between managers and leaders. I always start the answer with my belief that leadership and management complement each other, and both skills are necessary if the church is to survive. A church that is well-led will not do well without effective management; similarly a church that is well-managed will also not do well... Continue Reading
Our shadow self is any part of ourselves that we try to hide or deny because it seems socially or biblically unacceptable. One definition is that The shadow self is not of itself evil; it just allows you to do evil without recognizing it as evil! Jesus’ phrase for our shadow is “the log in your own eye,” which you instead... Continue Reading
The church, like any organization, is not immune to conflict and disagreement. Regretfully, church members practice many unhealthy methods for dealing with conflicts, grievances and disagreements. These include but are not limited to, parking lot and hallway meetings, complaining to others, hearsay gossip, passive aggressive behavior, verbal personal attacks, withdrawal and isolation. Ken Sande, president and founder of Peacemaker Ministries,... Continue Reading
It has been said that “peace of mind” is an oxymoron…….that if you are “in your mind” there is no way you can be “at peace.” The truth is that a consistent peace of mind is illusive for most of us, yet one that scriptures promise is abundantly available to us. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,... 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