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
Jesus illustrated the power of a parable in communicating complex truths in simple terms. A parable is nothing more than a short allegorical story that demonstrates a truth or lesson in a manner that enhances understanding and comprehension. Steven Covey in his classic book, First Things First, shares a parable on prioritization that spawned the widely used term “big rocks.”... Continue Reading
A metaphor is a term, phrase, or imagery used to represent something else. It may help provide clarity and understanding to a concept, word, or term. A metaphor is simply understanding and experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another. Aristotle said in his work, The Rhetoric, that metaphors make learning pleasant. Jesus masterfully applies metaphors when he refers... Continue Reading
Every church I visit, it seems that ministers keep getting busier. The work backs up, quality goes down and stress increases. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day. When faced with an overload situation people try to cope in a variety of ways, some that are healthy and some that are not. Causes of the Time Crunch Problem Because... Continue Reading
The key to time management is priority management. Focusing on a few priorities allows you to experience the counterintuitive biblical principle of “less is more.” Not only does focusing on less allow you to experience less stress and more joy and meaning in your work and life, but you are more productive because “focus expands.” The more time you spend... Continue Reading
Known by various names, including Pareto’s Law, Pareto’s Principle, The 80/20 Rule, and The Law of Disproportionate Distribution, the 80/20 Rule is a powerful and simple tool for analyzing and optimizing choices involving distribution of any kind. By the numbers it means that 80 percent of your outcomes come from 20 percent of your inputs. The concept is especially useful... Continue Reading
“Good is the enemy of great” is the first sentence of Jim Collins’ business best seller, Good to Great. Collins goes on to say, “and that is one of the reasons that we have so little that becomes great.” “We don’t have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don’t have great government, principally because we have good... Continue Reading
Do you ever become so overwhelmed with your “to do” list that you become paralyzed? Most of us in the ministry are prone to take on more responsibility than we should. Unable to say no we routinely squeeze one more commitment into already packed schedules. With numerous bases to touch every day, it is common to race through the day, struggling 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