Entries from Off the Agenda tagged with: boards
Have you ever had what you thought was a great idea for your church, only to see it deflated by a board or committee? I just stumbled across an article by a former senior pastor, Jerry Ousley, giving advice...
Tags used in this post:
boards, communication, dialogue, humility, pastors,
This week's orientation guide, Elder/Deacon, includes an interview with Dr. Bruce Howard, professor of business and economics at Wheaton College and chair of the council of elders for College Church in Wheaton, Illinois. In the clip below, Howard answers...
Tags used in this post:
audio, boards, relationships, team, trust,
June 29, 2008
When a Good Idea is Under Attack
How to ensure a moment of inspiration gets a fair shake.
We've all been there: patiently biding our time as a team meeting, board meeting, or committee meeting rolls forward. Old business is being reviewed and discussed; new business, tossed back and forth; the agenda is moving from opening remarks to...
Tags used in this post:
boards, compromise, politics,
About this time last year, our outreach committee (of which I am a member) began planning our church's participation in the community's Fourth of July parade. It's a big deal. Literally everyone in town shows up. Consequently, it has been...
Tags used in this post:
boards, community, evangelism, outreach, volunteers,
February 21, 2008
The Best Defense for Conflict is a Good Offense
Church leaders who focus first on building a healthy church stand a better chance of weathering warranted--and unwarranted--battles.
After looking at the diverse dragons that can threaten a church, what are the best defenses? Landscapers know the best way to prevent weeds is not to attack them individually. Uprooting stubborn dandelions or chickweed one by one will improve...
Tags used in this post:
boards, community, compromise, difficult people, mediation, pastors, politics, vision,
December 3, 2007
Directionally Impaired Leadership
Church leaders can’t afford not to ask for directions.
It was 2:45 p.m., and my son, Cameron, and I were lost and already 15 minutes late for a birthday party for his 7-year-old friend. True to the male stereotype, I was bent on finding my way without directional assistance....
November 21, 2007
When a Good Idea is Under Attack
How to ensure a moment of inspiration gets a fair shake.
We've all been there: patiently biding our time as a team meeting, board meeting, or committee meeting rolls forward. Old business is being reviewed and discussed; new business, tossed back and forth; the agenda is moving from opening remarks to...
Tags used in this post:
boards, compromise, politics,
November 5, 2007
Stop Oiling Your Church's Squeaky Wheels
Learn to honor those who minister, not those who demand it
A ministering laity doesn't happen naturally. Many people still expect the pastor to do the ministry while they watch - and criticize. Changing that image requires shaking up time priorities. Pastors who develop strong lay leaders have learned to honor...
Tags used in this post:
administration, boards, burnout, difficult people, mediation, pastors, recruiting, training,
Off The Agenda: Conversations for Building Church Leaders is a blog where people in church leadership positions — pastors, staff members, and volunteers, among others — gather for discussion, where they encourage, equip, and prepare each other for the joys and challenges...
Tags used in this post:
administration, Bible study, boards, budget, buildings, burnout, children's ministry, community, compromise, current events, devotions, difficult people, elections, evangelism, failure, family, fund-raising, giving, hiring, legal, liability, mediation, meditation, men's ministry, missional, missions, money, multimedia, outreach, pastors, politics, pop culture, prayer, quiet time, recruiting, risk, sample forms, seniors, small groups, spiritual gifts, staff, stewardship, study, team, technology, time management, tithing, training, vision, volunteers, women's ministry, worship,
October 15, 2007
Let's Do Lunch
"Schedule time together between official meetings, whether one-on-one or with a few. It can be in the pastor's or a member's home for an evening (with spouses), or over lunch. Tomorrow morning, for example, I have initiated a breakfast meeting...
October 15, 2007
Leith Anderson
Leith’s many interests involve him in pastoring, teaching, writing, speaking, and leadership. Leith earned a master of divinity from Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado, a doctor of ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and a doctor of divinity...
Tags used in this post:
boards, community, elections, evangelism, family, outreach, pastors, staff, stewardship, team, time management, training, vision, volunteers, worship,
October 15, 2007
Chris Blumhofer
Chris Blumhofer is assistant editor for BuildingChurchLeaders.com, where he began working in February 2006. In his role, Chris coordinates and edits many of the articles and training downloads that reach Building Church Leaders' customers. Chris attends College Church in Wheaton,...
Tags used in this post:
Bible study, boards, budget, children's ministry, community, devotions, elections, evangelism, family, meditation, missional, missions, outreach, pastors, pop culture, prayer, quiet time, staff, stewardship, team, training, vision, volunteers, worship,
October 15, 2007
Gordon MacDonald
Gordon MacDonald is an author, speaker, and teacher. He was a pastor for more than 40 years, most recently the senior minister at Grace Chapel, Lexington, Massachusetts. When he stepped down from that position, the Grace Chapel congregation honored him...
Tags used in this post:
Bible study, boards, budget, community, elections, evangelism, family, outreach, pastors, politics, quiet time, staff, stewardship, team, time management, training, vision, volunteers,
October 15, 2007
Reggie McNeal
Reggie enjoys helping people, leaders, and Christian organizations pursue more intentional lives. He currently serves as the Missional Leadership Specialist for Leadership Network of Dallas, Texas. Reggie’s past experience involves more than a decade as a denominational executive and leadership...
Tags used in this post:
boards, community, current events, evangelism, missional, outreach, pastors, stewardship, vision,
October 15, 2007
Kevin Miller
Kevin A. Miller is editor-at-large of Leadership journal and executive vice president at Christianity Today International. Kevin writes for Leadership journal and PreachingToday.com, and he is a featured speaker for Preaching Today Audio. Kevin is also the author of several...
Tags used in this post:
boards, burnout, community, elections, evangelism, hiring, multimedia, outreach, pastors, politics, staff, stewardship, study, team, technology, time management, training, vision, volunteers,
October 15, 2007
Marshall Shelley
Marshall Shelley is editorial vice-president of Christianity Today International, and editor in chief of the Leadership Media Group, which includes Leadership journal, PreachingToday.com, BuildingChurchLeaders.com, FaithVisuals.com, SmallGroups.com, and ChristianBibleStudies.com. He served as general editor of The Quest Study Bible, a best-selling...
Tags used in this post:
boards, burnout, compromise, difficult people, evangelism, family, outreach, pastors, staff, stewardship, team, time management, training, vision,
October 15, 2007
John Sommerville
John is the pastor of City Church in Minneapolis, Minn. Prior to leading the founding of City Church in 2005, he was executive director of Wooddale Center, a ministry to churches and church leaders at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie,...
Tags used in this post:
administration, boards, budget, elections, pastors, staff, stewardship, team, training, vision,
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