Leading from Rest, Even in a Busy Season

by Jay Jarboe   During an early morning ride to the airport, I asked a leader, “When do you take your sabbath rest?” He immediately responded with “Oh no, brother, I can’t take a rest, I am too busy in ministry.” Perhaps I was tired after a long trip, or perhaps it was the early […]

Small, Steady Practices for Sabbath and Soul Care

by Steven Carrizal   “Time off will not heal you when the problem is how you spend your time on.” Read those words again. I was on a walk listening to a podcast when those words almost literally stopped me in my tracks. Carey Nieuwhof was a guest on Andy Stanley’s podcast talking about working […]

Refocusing Vision After a Draining Season

by Jason Locke   Church ministry is filled with ups and downs. I’ve occasionally experienced the highs that come with transformed lives and numerical growth. And I’ve experienced the lows that come from tragedies, losses, and difficult decisions. Valleys and mountaintops can be equally draining. Without intentionally taking a moment to refocus, it’s easy to […]

Leading from Overflow, Not Exhaustion: Sustainable Rhythms for Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical Renewal

by Grady D. King   You already know this: ministry is all-consuming. There is always a need, expectation, and at times, self-imposed pressure to respond—to do something to make a difference. Most church members only see the public you, but you know the mental and emotional energy it takes beyond the assemblies. In short, ministry […]

Say “Yes” to Church Strategy Sessions: Clarifying Your Mission & Vision

by Chris Goldman   As part of my work with leadership teams for companies engaging our marketing services at bizmktg.com, we begin with a strategy session. This session is usually four hours long and helps clarify the mission, vision, and organizational messaging. For every company or nonprofit organization, this must be uniquely authentic as good […]

Vision and Strategy in Times of Transition: Leading with Purpose

by Steven Carrizal   Transitions have a way of disrupting what church leaders tend to value most—continuity, constancy, and predictability or perhaps in another word, peace. With transitions come a sense of uncertainty and reactivity that is often soothed by seeing a problem to solve and looking for a quick fix that has long term […]

Introducing Vision and Mission

by Greg Anderson As a church prayerfully wrestles with its future, it is wise to ask and answer two very important questions:  What is our church’s vision?  What is our church’s mission?  If no one in your church can answer those questions, then you have some serious work to do. Why are vision and mission […]

Need a Vision for Your Church Family? Start Here.

by Jon Mullican   Vision work is imaginative work, using our God-given minds to generate an image of a preferred future. In Revelation 21, God tells of a future with a “new heaven and a new earth” where there is no pain and no tears. This is God’s dream for His people. Functionally then, envisioning […]

Setting SMART Goals for Effective Planning

by Jay Jarboe One of the wonderful truths about God is His desire for relationship and partnership with His people. Paul reminds us, “we are God’s fellow workers” (1 Cor. 3:9a). The early church committed itself not just to ordinary activities but to meaningful spiritual relationships (Acts 2:42). Many believe that activities create relationships, but […]

A SWOT on SWOT

by Evertt Huffard For many years, I began a weekend consultation with a group of elders or a mission team with a SWOT assessment [strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats]. However, I shifted away from this tool to the “start-stop-continue” tool because it naturally generated action steps. Consider this SWOT on SWOT. STRENGTHS: A good consultation generates conversations that the […]

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