YOU & YOUR CALENDAR
Why do we overschedule? Really, why? Our first responses might be: “Well I’m a responsible person. I have to get stuff done.” Or, “I love what I do!” Good answers. The purpose of today’s post isn’t to talk you out of working diligently, or discourage you from doing...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 120 SHOW NOTES: PASSING THE BATON
The most important decision a church or any organization for that matter will ever make is who they choose as their senior leader. Perhaps the most vulnerable time in an organization’s life is when transitioning away from its current leader and searching for its next...
PASSING THE BATON
The most important decision a church or any organization for that matter will ever make is who they choose as their senior leader. Perhaps the most vulnerable time in an organization’s life is when transitioning away from its current leader and searching for its next...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 119 SHOW NOTES: YOU & YOUR CALENDAR
Why do we leaders tend to overschedule? Our first response might be: “Well I’m a responsible person. I have to get this stuff done.” Or, “I love what I do!” Good answers. The purpose of today's episode is not to talk you into irresponsibility or discourage you from...
THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I LEARNED IN 2021
Every year, I keep track of the most important lessons of that year. My intention is to internalize those lessons and carry them into the next year. Here are the most important things I learned in 2021. I hope one or more of them speak to you. What worked in one...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 118 SHOW NOTES: GETTING READY FOR YOUR NEXT SEASON – INTERVIEW WITH DR. RALPH NEIGHBOUR
Today we welcome back Dr. Ralph Neighbour to the podcast as we unpack a subject too many leaders put off until it’s too late . . . getting ready for life outside of the pulpit. We are watching many pastors in the 60s, 70s, or 80s who have no defined off-ramp. Today’s...
THE PEOPLE LIVING IN DARKNESS HAVE SEEN A GREAT LIGHT
Jesus was born during a dark time of human history. Multiple Jewish religious factions existed: The Pharisees – This faction was zealous for their religious traditions. Their passion for their traditions deteriorated into a form of godliness with no power. Jesus...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 117 SHOW NOTES: REVITALIZING THE CHURCH YOU LEAD – INTERVIEW WITH DR. RALPH NEIGHBOUR
The number one challenge in a church revitalization for pastors? The pastors themselves. It’s a rare pastor who admits he needs help and is willing to do the work required to revitalize. Today we welcome Dr. Ralph Neighbour to the podcast. Ralph oversees the...
CHRISTMAS . . . MIRACLE OR MATERIAL?
Black Friday. Small-Business Saturday. And Cyber Monday All three events have come and gone. I for one am grateful. Don’t misunderstand, I like giving and receiving gifts as much as anybody. But I wonder, in the middle of the annual buying frenzy, how many of us...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 116 SHOW NOTES: PASTORS & THE GREAT RESIGNATION
Pastors are on the move. In its most recent study, Barna discovered that 38% of pastors have thought about quitting full-time ministry this year. One of the more alarming findings is that 46 percent of pastors under the age of 45 say they are considering quitting...
WHEN A STAR RISES
Jaime Hlavin joins the blog once again today with an insightful post about Christmas, taking risks, and our personal obedience to Jesus. Enjoy! At the time of Christ’s birth, the book of Matthew gives the account of a star rising to announce the birth of Christ—the...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 115 SHOW NOTES: GOD IS GOOD . . . BUT WE’RE NOT EXEMPT
“God, why am I going through this incredibly difficult time while those who don’t love you are living the good life?” Has some version of that thought ever crossed your mind, or some version of those words ever crossed your lips? The truth is, God is good . . . but...
PASTORS & THE GREAT RESIGNATION
Pastors are on the move. In its most recent study, Barna discovered 38% of pastors have seriously considered quitting full-time ministry this year. This percentage is up 9 full points (from 29%) since Barna asked church leaders this same question at the beginning of...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 114 SHOW NOTES: FIVE PRIORITIES OF A PASTOR
“Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” 1 Timothy 3:1. Pastoring has become increasingly complex. Churchgoers expect their pastor to juggle an average of 16 major tasks! If we lead without a clear set of...
A THANKSGIVING TWIST
For 2021 . . . for most of us, a year of many blessings, accompanied by significant challenges. For some of us, thankfulness and gratitude seem elusive this year. Today, a Thanksgiving-themed post from our teammate, Jaime Hlavin, that is helping me focus more on what...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 113 SHOW NOTES: THE WORST DAY IN A PASTOR’S LIFE … & WHY IT SHOULDN’T BE
Some of the worst days in a pastor’s life is when people they care about decide to leave—but those don’t have to be their worst days. When people leave the church we lead, it can feel like it’s our fault. And usually, it really hurts. In today’s episode, Jim &...
GOD IS GOOD . . . BUT WE’RE NOT EXEMPT
God is good . . . but we’re not exempt. This thought has been running through my mind all week. Our interim pastor taught on Psalm 73 this past Sunday. The psalm tells the story of Asaph; a psalm writer, worship leader, and lover of God. In Psalm 73, Asaph revealed a...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 112 SHOW NOTES: LEADING THROUGH THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, & SUICIDAL IDEATION
Historically, the Church has not known what to do with depression, anxiety, or suicide. Our silence in the past was deafening. And while we’re grateful that increasingly, churches are talking about these three enemies more openly, we’re concerned the conversation...
THE WORST DAY IN A PASTOR’S LIFE . . . AND WHY IT SHOULDN’T BE
When people leave the church you pastor, God often mourns—and so should you—at least for a while. As a young pastor, the worst days in my life were when people I cared about decided to leave. But now I understand those didn’t have to be my worst days. When people...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 111 SHOW NOTES: THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF WORKAHOLISM
When you love what you do for a living—when work doesn’t feel like work because of your passion for it—you’re at more risk than most of falling into the workaholic treadmill. Pastors, missionaries, and all sorts of ministry leaders (business leaders) are susceptible...
HOW TO KNOW IF BURNOUT IS NEAR . . . AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
A Barna 2017 Study of 14,000 Protestant Lead Pastors in U.S. revealed that 37% of lead pastors are at medium to high risk of burnout. That percentage has grown even higher in the past two years. Here’s the thing about burnout – getting healed up is not like flipping a...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 110 SHOW NOTES: WHEN IS IT TIME TO STOP?
Do you ever arrive at mid-afternoon on a work day, and feel like your brain has turned to jello? Are there days when pushing through brain cramps is required? Of course. But if that is your daily default, you’re setting yourself up for trouble. Is there a legitimate...
DEALING WITH THE MESSINESS OF RELATIONSHIPS
Relationships can be messy, can’t they? In Acts 13:13 we read the following: “From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John (Mark) left them to return to Jerusalem.” We learn later on in Acts this departure caused Paul a lot of...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 109 SHOW NOTES: THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON THE ORGANIZATION YOU LEAD – PART 2 WITH JENNI CATRON
Welcome to Part 2 of our powerful conversation with Jenni Catron on the subject of The Impact of Culture on the Organization You Lead. The dynamics of your team—the way you work together to achieve the mission—flows throughout everything in your organization. Culture...
HOW TO BEHAVE AS BELIEVERS IN A MORALLY DECLINING CULTURE
Jaime Hlavin joins the blog again today, writing on the subject of how to behave while our world is falling off the moral cliff. This post is timely, practical, and challenging, all at the same time. Enjoy ~ John. It doesn’t take much to realize that we live in a...
FIVE THINGS WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ANGER
We live in an angry world. The age of outrage. We who lead are not immune from this unfortunate trend. How we handle anger has a huge impact on our emotional health. In Ephesians 4:26 the apostle Paul wrote: “In your anger do not sin.” Six simple words, that if...
MOVING FORWARD FROM ORGANIZATIONAL LOSS
Today, Jaime Hlavin writes a post on a subject nearly every church in America is dealing with: How do we move forward in light of the huge organizational (and personal) losses we’ve experienced during the past 18 months? Enjoy ~ John During those early weeks and...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT – EPISODE 106 SHOW NOTES
Communication has become a complicated venture for leaders. Our current culture stands ready to pounce on any misspoken word or idea, and use it to attack/or criticize us. How can we hit the mark when we speak in such a volatile environment? Our guest, Andy Swart,...
THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF WORKAHOLISM
I enjoy occasionally watching the ABC show, Shark Tank. It’s entertaining, funny, informative, and at times—touching. The show reminds me about the importance of focus, passion, hard work, and commitment to one’s calling. It’s a weekly testament to the power of...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT – EPISODE 105 SHOW NOTES
Sometimes a leader has to . . . well . . . lead. Some situations call for swift action instead of collaborative consensus. And in those situations, leaders lead. They make decisions Somebody has said when it comes to organizational decision-making, “a bad decision is...