Blog
One of the hardest things for staff teams to figure out is how to handle complaints brought to them about other members of the staff team. Sometimes the complaints are brought by members of the congregation and sometimes they are brought by other team members. We call this process triangulation. Person A has a strained […]
Read MoreThis week I engaged two separate congregations in conversations that initially appeared very different. One congregation contacted me about working with them on strategic planning. The other congregation was interested in talking about creating a multi-site regional ministry, bringing together a thriving large church with several nearby smaller congregations that appear to be failing. Central to both conversations […]
Read MorePastors are symbols of their congregations. The person who occupies the office of pastor must, on some level, embody the culture and mission of the congregation. This phenomenon becomes more pronounced the larger a congregation becomes. In the very large church people who listen to the pastor teach on Sunday morning rarely encounter the pastor […]
Read MorePastors are symbols of their congregations. The person who occupies the office of pastor must, on some level, embody the culture and mission of the congregation. This phenomenon becomes more pronounced the larger a congregation becomes. In the very large church people who listen to the pastor teach on Sunday morning rarely encounter the pastor […]
Read MoreWhen I work with congregations in the midst of change I often speak about Rogers Innovation Adoption Curve . It’s important for leaders to think about where they are focusing their energies among follower groups as they seek to lead change, (innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, laggards). So often, leaders waste their energy […]
Read MoreI’ve just finished studying the Faith Communities Today 2008 research (released in late 2009). It has some interesting things to say about the large church that I hope to unpack on this blog in the days ahead. Here is the notable topic that first grabbed me. The survey identified and queried congregations on five different approaches to […]
Read MoreI admit to being jaded about books that claim something new in the field of leadership. I’ve been a student of leadership theory for many years and frankly, it seems that most “new” ideas in leadership are simply a rehash of something that’s been around for awhile. So, I’m generally cautious when someone recommends a […]
Read MoreI admit to being jaded about books that claim something new in the field of leadership. I’ve been a student of leadership theory for many years and frankly, it seems that most “new” ideas in leadership are simply a rehash of something that’s been around for awhile. So, I’m generally cautious when someone recommends a […]
Read MoreMost large congregations choose between small groups and Sunday school when it comes to selecting a vehicle for educating, assimilating, discipling and caring for members. I rarely encounter congregations that are strong in both small groups and Sunday school. Churches with a history of demonstrated strength in Sunday school attendance have difficulty creating sustained small group […]
Read MoreMost large congregations choose between small groups and Sunday school when it comes to selecting a vehicle for educating, assimilating, discipling and caring for members. I rarely encounter congregations that are strong in both small groups and Sunday school. Churches with a history of demonstrated strength in Sunday school attendance have difficulty creating sustained small group […]
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