RHYTHMS OF THE GARDEN

RHYTHMS OF THE GARDEN

  I have been a Christian for over four decades. As I reflect on all the years of God’s mercy, grace, goodness, faithfulness, etc. it’s hard to put into words how grateful I am. Life with Jesus is an incredible journey. It’s amazing to me that the Bible never gets...

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 194: RHYTHMS OF THE GARDEN

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 194: RHYTHMS OF THE GARDEN

It is amazing isn’t it that the Bible never gets boring, stale, or old? In today’s episode John and Jim explore one of the many timeless principles found in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 . . . Rhythms of the Garden.   You can listen to Episode 194 here. The video...

THE BIBLICAL METRIC OF SUCCESS

THE BIBLICAL METRIC OF SUCCESS

Today we welcome Craig Owens to the blog! Craig is a pastor, author, and a friend. Today’s post helps leaders get their arms around the pesky subject of success. Enjoy ~ John.   There are no shortage of books that define “success” in our business or ministry...

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 193: WHAT ARE YOU 40 DAYS AWAY FROM?

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 193: WHAT ARE YOU 40 DAYS AWAY FROM?

What are you 40 days away from if you tried and had a plan?   In today’s pod John & Jim reveal their thoughts on what we might be 40 days away from if we tried and had a plan . . . and the incredible impact following through will have on both our life and our...

MARRIAGE AND MINISTRY LEADERSHIP: IT’S A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC

MARRIAGE AND MINISTRY LEADERSHIP: IT’S A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC

Today we welcome Dave Barringer to the blog. Dave is a husband, father, and a lead pastor at a vibrant church here in Michigan. Dave will unpack how he and his wife Anne have kept their marriage strong while navigating twenty-six years of pastoral ministry. Enjoy ~...

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 192: REIMAGINING SUCCESS

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 192: REIMAGINING SUCCESS

We live in a world where success is idolized and so-called shortcuts to success abound. If we are not careful as leaders, we can find ourselves frustrated, confused, overwhelmed, and maybe even burned out by the relentless pursuit of success. In today’s episode John...

IN DANGER TOGETHER . . . FIGHTING WAR AS WOMEN

IN DANGER TOGETHER . . . FIGHTING WAR AS WOMEN

Today we welcome Rachael Jenneman to the blog. Rachael is the author of an outstanding book, The Real War on Women: Overcoming Culture's Lies to Freely Live Out Your God-Given Purpose. If you are a woman with leadership responsibility and calling, you will love...

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 191: MAKING FRIENDS WITH FAILURE

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 191: MAKING FRIENDS WITH FAILURE

John grew up in an environment where failure was embarrassing, hidden from, and often considered fatal. Failure was the enemy. Today’s episode focuses on reframing failure and why it matters so much.   Listen to the audio version here. Video version is here....

SO, YOUR SPOUSE IS THE PASTOR. NOW WHAT?

SO, YOUR SPOUSE IS THE PASTOR. NOW WHAT?

In today’s post Jaime Hlavin zeroes in on the life of a pastor’s spouse . . . its joys, challenges, along with a bit of expert advice on how to navigate a role that has no clear “job description” in Scripture. Enjoy ~ John. In early May, I had the privilege of leading...

PODCAST EPISODE 190- INTERVIEW WITH KARL VATERS- PART 2

PODCAST EPISODE 190- INTERVIEW WITH KARL VATERS- PART 2

In today’s episode we welcome Karl Vaters back to the mic for Part 2 of our conversation around what it takes to have a vibrant, healthy church—regardless of its size.   You can listen to the podcast here. Here is the video version.   Small is not a problem,...

A RESPONSE TO ASBURY

A RESPONSE TO ASBURY

Unless you live under a rock, you are likely aware of the revival that broke out at Asbury College in Wilmore Kentucky. We are so incredibly grateful for what God is doing not just at Asbury but also at college campuses across our country. At both Christian and...

PODCAST EPISODE 189- INTERVIEW WITH KARL VATERS- PART 1

PODCAST EPISODE 189- INTERVIEW WITH KARL VATERS- PART 1

In today’s episode we chat with Karl Vaters about the positive trends he is observing with churches across the country, a few challenging trends, and what leaders can do about those challenging trends.   You can listen to the podcast here. Here is the video...

PRACTICING LIFE GIVING RHYTHMS

PRACTICING LIFE GIVING RHYTHMS

Today we conclude our deep dive into Unshakable Leader: The Simple Yet Amazing Power of Alignment. We want to leave you with final thoughts as we unpack our final Alignment Component: Life Giving Rhythms. Let’s start here: Great leaders cultivate great rhythms. The...

WHY WE NEED REPLENISHING RELATIONSHIPS

WHY WE NEED REPLENISHING RELATIONSHIPS

We have been posting for the past several weeks about getting our lives aligned personally. Hopefully you’ve been able to implement some of these alignment components. We will spend the next two weeks finalizing Unshakable Leader: The Simple Yet Amazing Power of...

INTEGRATING YOUR THOUGHTS & THE EMOTIONS YOU ATTACH TO THEM

INTEGRATING YOUR THOUGHTS & THE EMOTIONS YOU ATTACH TO THEM

Thank you for joining us once again on the journey to help leaders attain alignment in their personal lives. You can catch up on our previous installments here, here and here  as we continue to work through Unshakable Leader: The Simple Yet Amazing Power of Alignment....

TAKING CARE OF YOUR BODY

TAKING CARE OF YOUR BODY

We are currently on a journey to help leaders do their absolute best to be their very best. We believe the key to this quest is personal alignment. You can catch up on our previous installments here and here as we work through John’s book, Unshakable Leader: The...

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 184: A RESPONSE TO ASBURY – PART 2

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 184: A RESPONSE TO ASBURY – PART 2

  Recap of Episode 183 Unless you live under a rock, you’re likely aware of the revival that broke out at Asbury College in Wilmore Kentucky. What should be our response to what God is doing on college campuses all over the country? Teachability, hunger,...

THE SIMPLE YET AMAZING POWER OF ALIGNMENT- PART 2

THE SIMPLE YET AMAZING POWER OF ALIGNMENT- PART 2

Last week, we paved the foundation for our journey through Unshakable Leader: The Simple Yet Amazing Power of Alignment. Today we will begin our journey with Alignment Component 1: Spiritual Hunger. A for-real, alive relationship with Jesus Christ is where true...

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 183: A RESPONSE TO ASBURY

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 183: A RESPONSE TO ASBURY

In today’s episode John and Jim explore what God is up to at Asbury College and at college campuses across our country . . . and what our response to these goings-on might be. You can listen to the pod here. Here is the video version. Show notes are below: What should...

THE SIMPLE YET AMAZING POWER OF ALIGNMENT: INTRODUCTION

THE SIMPLE YET AMAZING POWER OF ALIGNMENT: INTRODUCTION

Leading well is hard. Navigating the journey through the euphoria of high moments and victories also involves traversing the heartbreak of low points and failures. The good and bad are often interspersed moment-to-moment. Your health as a leader is a key contributor...

STAY ALERT

STAY ALERT

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the final segment of our series on Unshakable You: 5 Choices of Emotionally Healthy People.   Hopefully, by this point you feel well-equipped to take on the task of keeping yourself in a good mental and emotional place. It’s not...

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 181: INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS BROOKS- PART 1

LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT EPISODE 181: INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS BROOKS- PART 1

Caring for the health of those who serve alongside us in ministry is one of the most important responsibilities a pastor has. In today’s episode John interviews Pastor Chris Brooks, lead pastor of Woodside Bible Church, about the staff care effort at Woodside, and how...

REFUEL EMOTIONALLY- PART 2

REFUEL EMOTIONALLY- PART 2

Last week took a deep dive into Choice #4 in John Opalewski’s book Unshakable You: 5 Choices of Emotionally Healthy People. We spent a great deal of time learning how to refuel emotionally. We will finish unpacking this choice today. In last week’s post, we focused...