Blog
“There is a sweet spot between the known and the unknown where originality happens; the key is to be able to linger there without panicking.”-Ed Catmull (Pixar) All congregations experience seasons when something has ended, but a new thing has not yet begun. Perhaps it is the beginning of a new pastorate, when consensus about […]
Read More“What are you seeing out there that is working?” the pastor asked when we met for lunch. The assumption behind the question was that someone, somewhere had discovered a way forward, one that we might all benefit from knowing. This era of congregational life calls for innovation and learning. We praise reinvention, yet our congregations […]
Read MoreThe church needs innovation, experimentation and risk taking. The church has bureaucracy; inactivity in the name of good order and process. Senseless bureaucracy keeps us endlessly mired in reporting, approval seeking and communication. We end up with repetitive meetings, multiple levels of approval, over-reliance on procedure, and postponed decision making until everyone is informed and […]
Read MoreLeaders utter a predictable battle cry when faced with possible organizational changes. “Our polity won’t allow us to do that!” They may want to consider changes that will make their organization more nimble, flexible and efficient, but they suspect that polity (denominational governance systems) will stand in the way. We live in an era where […]
Read MoreWe aspire to build staff teams of competent, motivated individuals who work in dogged pursuit of a clearly articulated vision. What most of us have are teams with some outstanding staff and some not so outstanding staff, working side by side towards a vision that seems clear, on some days. Most of you are grappling […]
Read MoreWho speaks for the congregation’s soul? When it comes to discerning mission, vision and strategic direction, who gets to name the congregation’s giftedness and vocation? Is it the senior clergy leader, the governing board, the congregation, or someone else? By the congregation’s soul, I mean the source of its calling, character, and destiny—the charism, the […]
Read MoreOn airplanes, adults are told to put their mask on before helping others so they will be fully conscious. In churches, adults need to attend to their own spiritual consciousness before they can ably assist children and youth with faith formation. Unfortunately, the way in which we structure our staff teams reinforces semi-conscious adult faith […]
Read MoreThe large church is known for the quality and depth of its programming, and for the exhaustion of its staff team. It’s true, every one of my client congregations is functioning with a burned out staff team, and pastors on the brink of exhaustion. We assume that a growing and thriving church is always adding […]
Read MoreQ. Our congregation recently called an energetic and talented young clergy leader. The congregation loves and respects her leadership. However, there are some problems brewing around work style. She continually disregards her scheduled office hours and doesn’t respond to telephone or email messages in a timely manner. I am head of staff. Is this something […]
Read MoreQ. Our congregation recently called an energetic and talented young clergy leader. The congregation loves and respects her leadership. However, there are some problems brewing around work style. She continually disregards her scheduled office hours and doesn’t respond to telephone or email messages in a timely manner. I am head of staff. Is this something […]
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