3 BEHAVIORS THAT PUT THE GOOD IN GOODBYE
I have exciting news to share with you—our newest book—Putting the Good in Goodbye: A Healthy Conversation About the Comings & Goings of Church People—is due out in January 2018! I coauthored the book with my friend and colleague Jim Wiegand, and decided to salt...
GROWTH BY SUBTRACTION
Growth often starts with subtraction. Thousands of years ago, when Israel was being oppressed by the Midianites, God raised up a leader named Gideon to deliver His people from their enemy. When Gideon initially rallied the troops, 32,000 men showed up. But God said:...
THE PERIL OF PEOPLE-PLEASING
Hi my name is John. I’m a recovering people-pleasing-aholic. My first twelve years of ministry had a significant undercurrent of people-pleasing attached to it. The subconscious desire for everyone to like me led to bad scheduling decisions, inner conflicts over how...
TRUSTING GOD—3 BEHAVIORS TO GET YOU THERE
In 1986 Billy Joel wrote a hit single entitled: It’s a Matter of Trust. Here’s one of the lyrics: “Some love is just a lie of the heart. The cold remains of what began with a passionate start. But that can’t happen to us. Because it’s always been a matter of trust.”...
A THANKSGIVING TRADITION
I've heard business and psychology gurus pitch the idea that we can think our way to a better life. Their premise? Our brain is soft-wired, and can be re-wired by thinking positively, and in doing so, we can have a happier life. Since this is Thanksgiving week, I'm...
4 SIGNS YOU MAY BE TOO BUSY
If you ask twenty people how many hours per week is reasonable for a leader to work, you'd probably get twenty different answers. Researchers from the business world have proven time and again that once you hit forty-five hours in a week, productivity (for most normal...
3 QUESTIONS SELF-AWARE PEOPLE ASK
"We all have blind spots. To deny it is to prove it." ~ Russ Ramsey Ever been in a conversation with a person who had no idea how their words were negatively impacting you? Ever had a boss who was clueless about how their angry rants were demoralizing you and your...
THE LOST ART OF KINDNESS
During his 1988 acceptance speech of the Republican Party’s nomination for president, George H.W. Bush called for a kinder, gentler nation. Almost 30 years later, we've apparently ignored his speech. Kindness seems in short supply. No matter where we turn—the news...
6 SIGNS YOU MAY BE A WORKAHOLIC
The term workaholism was coined in 1971 by minister and psychologist Wayne Oates, who described workaholism as “the compulsion or the uncontrollable need to work incessantly.” For decades, the North American business culture has been marked by bleary-eyed workers who...
3 HIDDEN DANGERS OF WORKAHOLISM
I enjoy 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 diligence,...
3 SURPRISING WAYS ANGER CAN HELP YOU
Anger might be the most misunderstood emotion of all time. We’ve been created by God with the capacity to experience strong emotions—anger being one of them. Anger happens when someone violates you or crosses a healthy boundary you've established. Anger is part of...
3 HIDDEN DANGERS OF SUCCESS
Success can be dangerous. When success arrives, it’s easy to get full of ourselves. To let our accomplishments go to our head. To think we’re better than we really are. I’m 100% in favor of success—but hidden within it are dangerous forces that if we’re not careful,...
ISOLATION IN MINISTRY
Today we welcome back a good friend to the Converge Coaching blog… Dave Barringer. Dave is a husband, father, a friend of mine, an author. . . check out his book here . . . and the pastor of a growing church. Hope you enjoy his contribution ~ John In 20 years of...
4 POWERFUL QUESTIONS EVERY LEADER NEEDS TO ANSWER
One of the more important puzzles a leader will ever solve is: How can I get more out of my team. . . without killing them? Unmercifully squeezing as much as possible out of team members until they burn out is not good leadership. Manipulating or coercing your team...
4 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN THE WINDS OF CHANGE ARE BLOWING
“John, I can’t take the pressure anymore. . . I’m thinking about resigning.” You’d be surprised how often those words or some variation of them travel across the cellular airwaves to me each month. Lead pastors who feel desperate, tired, emotionally beat up, out of...
THE SOUND OF RAIN
Working from the home office today and listening to the rhythmic beat of rain landing on the roof. Why do I love that mesmerizing sound so much? Why is it so soothing? The steady pounding of rain takes me back to fond memories of vacations with Laura and the boys....
THE AMAZING POWER OF DEADLINES
Ever notice how much work you get done right before you go on vacation? Your energy level surges, your focus sharpens, and your productivity soars. Things get done. Why? In large part because you're motivated by a deadline. David Burnett, writing for The Guardian,...
5 INSIGHTS FROM VACATION
“Reflection turns experience into insight.” ~ John Maxwell We (Laura, Chad and I) recently returned from a week of vacation in northern Michigan. The multi-shaded blue waters of the Great Lakes, the beautiful rivers, the feel of sand between my toes, fantastic...
WHEN LIFE SHOCKS YOU
I feel discombobulated. In the past twelve months, three of my sons married the girl of their dreams. My fourth son graduated from Walsh College. Twelve months ago, Laura and I took on part-time responsibility for a new church plant, in addition to our full-time gig...
WHAT TO DO WHEN LIFE SHOCKS YOU
I feel discombobulated. In the past twelve months, three of my sons married the girl of their dreams. My fourth son graduated from Walsh College. Twelve months ago, Laura and I took on part-time responsibility for a new church plant, in addition to our full-time gig...
4 WAYS TO BE PASSIONATE WITHOUT BECOMING RECKLESS
What drives you? Passion? Or adrenaline? Also called epinephrine, adrenaline is a crucial part of the body's fight-or-flight response, but over-exposure can be damaging to our health. A 2004 article by the Table Group points out: "There is something particularly...
3 SURPRISING WAYS FEAR DAMAGES OUR LEADERSHIP
Most kids battle childhood fears. Fear of the dark, the closet, strangers, loud noises at night, monsters and ghosts, etc. Growing up in Saginaw, our three-bedroom ranch had a menacing room in the basement we called: “The furnace room.” Back in those days furnaces...
SWALLOWING THE BITTER PILL
One of the hardest things to do in life is to forgive a person who has deeply wounded you. When a somebody attacks us, forgiveness is not usually the first thing on our mind. For some of us, our initial impulse may be to retaliate. For others of us, we may tend to...
12 SURPRISING INSIGHTS I’VE LEARNED AS A CAMPUS PASTOR—PART 2
This past Sunday was my last as campus pastor at our church’s Washington Township location. In last week’s blog I identified six surprising things I’ve learned as a campus pastor: Pastoral ministry possesses an invisible pull to the micro (tactical) at the expense of...
12 SURPRISING INSIGHTS I’VE LEARNED AS A CAMPUS PASTOR—PART 1
This coming Sunday is my last as campus pastor at our church’s Washington Township location. I’ve served in that role part time since July 2016, and the campus has grown to the point where it needs full-time attention. Since our primary calling is Converge Coaching,...
FATHER OF THE GROOM: EL TERCERO (THE THIRD ONE)
Our son Nathan is getting married this weekend! As the big day approaches, my mind is overflowing with memories. Great memories. Memories of raising a boy who had a happy temperament from day one. His dimpled cheeks, Lake-Michigan-blue eyes, and infectious personality...
3 WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM JERKS
Ever been abused by a jerk? This past weekend I watched a large chunk of the NFL draft. I was amazed by how many draft prospects’ value plummeted due to off-the-field issues—many of those issues involved the physical abuse of women. Is it just me, or does it seem like...
5 ROCK-SOLID WAYS TO BETTER HIRING
Building a great organization requires a great team. Building a great team starts with a robust hiring process. And a robust hiring process begins with conducting great interviews. College didn’t teach me about interviewing, Fifteen years of pastoral ministry didn’t...
FRIENDSHIP & THE PASTORATE
Can a lead pastor have close friends? This question was posed to me by a client last week. My initial reaction? “Yes of course.” But as we dug deeper, he wondered if it's safe/advisable to be close friends with his staff and congregation. The longer we talked, the...
3 SURPRISING REASONS LEADERS PURSUE UNCOMMITTED PEOPLE
One of the biggest mistakes I made as a young pastor was spending too much time trying to get uncommitted people to be committed. I would do breakfasts, lunches, and coffees trying to convince the unfaithful fringe to become faithful. And in doing so, I largely...