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blog leadership ministry

A Year Ago on Thoughts of Resurrection – September 2010

Digging through the archives of this blog, I found a few posts from a year ago that I continue to find value in today. I invite you to take a look back with me. With all the talk about metrics for congregations in the UMC, what about a Monetary Incentive for Spiritual Growth? Authority and Responsibility – What is […]

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leadership

Are You Making Progress on the Issues that You Care About?

One of the Kansas Leadership Center’s Civic Leadership Principles is: Our own defaults, how we would usually or unconsciously react or intervene in a situation, can be significant barriers to making progress on the issues we care about. There is a lot to be said for this principle as well as the others in the […]

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leadership

StrengthsFinder 2.0

Recently the Resurrection West staff all took the Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 as part of team development. My top strengths are: Analytical Learner Responsibility Deliberative Strategic The assessment is designed to determine our talents – what we are naturally good at. It could be a secular way of looking at spiritual gifts. One of the valuable […]

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leadership ministry united methodist church

First Two Weeks at Resurrection West

I have had a great first two weeks as part of the Resurrection West team. I started as Associate Campus Pastor on August 15 and have loved the opportunity to be part of what God is doing through this community in the western part of Johnson County. There is an amazing team of staff and […]

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leadership renewing the church

What Annual Big Events Inspire and Encourage You?

I have been taking part in The Global Leadership Summit from the Willow Creek Association yesterday and today. This is my fourth year in being part of this event. I have picked up some good stuff each year. I find inspiration and encouragement each year. The only other annual big event that I have experienced that […]

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leadership

Kansas Leadership Center

Earlier this week I was part of a team from Resurrection West that started the Leadership and Faith: Transforming Communities program from the Kansas Leadership Center. Here is a summary from the website: “This unique program is designed for United Methodist congregations in Kansas and is a collaborative effort of the Kansas Health Foundation, United […]

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leadership ministry

Pastoral Excellence: Equipping People

In my pastoral ministry, I hope to be effective at bearing fruit in God’s kingdom. I believe that one of the ways that I can be part of God’s work is to be excellent at equipping people. There are some things that I can do, say or ways that I can be that can bear […]

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Bible leadership

Scripture Monday – Zechariah 4:6

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty (Zechariah 4:6, NIV). I appreciate the reminder in this verse that it is by God’s Spirit that I am able to make an impact on the lives […]

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leadership united methodist church

Healthy Pastoral Ambition?

At times, I wonder about ambition as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. On one hand, I am appointed and sent to serve at a local church by the bishop. It can be unhealthy to always “live in the next appointment” – looking forward to what might be. On the other hand, God has […]

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annual conference leadership

Mission and Vision: Local Church + Annual Conference + Denomination = ? (3 of 3)

  It is important for organizations to have mission and vision statements to guide the future of the organization. I currently am serving as part of an organization that has three different mission statements. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection where I am currently serving has as a mission (or purpose) statement: Building a Christian […]

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annual conference leadership

Mission and Vision: Annual Conference and Denomination (2 of 3)

Like a local church, an annual conference and denomination with a mission (Why do we exist?) and a vision (Where are we going?) are more likely to contain vital congregations. The clarity of purpose and direction helps shape the life of the community in both subtle and significant ways. The United Methodist Church has a […]

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church leadership

Mission and Vision: Local Church (1 of 3)

A local church with a mission (Why do we exist?) and a vision (Where are we going?) is more likely to be a vital congregation. The clarity of purpose and direction helps shape the life of the congregation in both subtle and significant ways. With the lack of a clear statement that people can remember […]