Do you ever wish decisions took longer and had more people involved? Most people would say no to both. Just an educated guess. Decision making in groups, particularly groups like the church, can be very difficult. The more people involved and unclear lines of authority can make for a complicated and tiring process. Just think … Continue reading How quickly do you make decisions?
Preparing for the year ahead!
Well, if you are like me you schedule a lot of your life according to the academic calendar. Every church or ministry I have worked with has done so, and it just seems to be the way to do it. School starts, people get serious after summer holidays, harvest is happening or almost complete, time … Continue reading Preparing for the year ahead!
Culture change?
How often do you discuss culture in your system? Work, school, home, community, church, team... we discuss culture in all these different scenarios. Culture can be as simply defined as what is normal in a group or scenario, to a list of spectrums for what we deem as acceptable behaviour. This is why we discuss … Continue reading Culture change?
Do you make room for an enemy?
How many enemies do you have? I know, I know, we are not supposed to call anyone an enemy. And I realize for many of you it is difficult to admit out loud that some people may even get the title. But we all know who they are in our circles. It does not mean … Continue reading Do you make room for an enemy?
Being and Doing
I had the opportunity to preach about Mary and Martha recently. A very familiar story about how 2 sisters respond to Jesus coming to their house for a visit. A friend asked how I would be presenting the story, and I simply texted: Martha bad, Mary good I was kidding of course. But I reflected … Continue reading Being and Doing
Authority and Responsibility work well together
A few years ago I posted about the idea of 'power and authority', shortly after Donald Trump became president: https://leadfreely.ca/2017/01/10/who-has-power-over-you/ That was an unfortunate time in world history, one which many people are trying to forget. There was plenty of conversations about the idea of holding power, having power, taking power, and also having authority. … Continue reading Authority and Responsibility work well together
Understand the Culture
Cultural context. Cultural adaptation. Cultural appropriation. Culture change. Culture is king. I have lost some of you already... If you are like me you get to hear some form of ideology on culture on a regular basis. If you are further like me, you also enjoy asking questions about culture; what it is, how it … Continue reading Understand the Culture
Values you hold, things that just take energy
Do you remember me asking what you were hoping to hold on to after COVID? It has been a couple of years, so here is the refresher: That post about what we hold onto after COVID Keeping things we value for an extended period of time can be difficult. I see it in churches, in … Continue reading Values you hold, things that just take energy
How do you handle power?
We all have some power. What we do with it says a lot about who we are, in leadership, and in life. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly … Continue reading How do you handle power?
The next stop on the journey!
It's not about the destination, it is all about the journey...Tweet How often have you encountered that sentiment? I know I have on more than one occasion, and I have most definitely repeated those words on more than a few occasions. It is timeless in that it reminds us to focus on how the road … Continue reading The next stop on the journey!
The Jesus I wanted to know
"I believed in Jesus, I just couldn't stand the church." I am sure you have heard a statement like that in the past. Maybe you have even said something like that. I know I have, and I have worked in church ministry since the 90s! We are seeing all kinds of changes happening in the … Continue reading The Jesus I wanted to know
Do you have a timeline?
One of my favourite tools for individuals and groups is creating a timeline. Have you ever done one? Basically, a timeline is exactly how it sounds. Go through meaningful events in your life or in a specific place and space, order them according to their place in time, and then discuss their meaning. To add … Continue reading Do you have a timeline?
Lead Freely 