Now that is an interesting question! One that many churches, at least the ones I have worked with over the years, do not ask of themselves. The more common question is: What is the church? A philosophical reason for being, an introspection into ourselves on repeat. But that is not the most helpful way to … Continue reading What is the church for?
Do you have a ‘BE’ list?
I developed a 'be' list a number of years ago. I realized how often I would reference expectations to my volunteers but did not have anything for them to go to throughout the year. An easy to remember, functional list of items we could all agree on and remind each other of in the moment. … Continue reading Do you have a ‘BE’ list?
Freedom and Infringement on the team
What does your freedom cost someone else on your team? We have talked about it before, it comes up often in the average workplace, and I speak about it so often. The balance between authority and responsibility is a hard one to strike. We want the 2 to get along at all times but the … Continue reading Freedom and Infringement on the team
Truth and Reconciliation, cont’d
This past Sunday I failed to mention that the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation is this coming Friday. And I felt a little remorse. Too many people that look like me, who found Canada the way my ethnic group did, and enjoy what came with settlement, don't feel the same way. The empathy and … Continue reading Truth and Reconciliation, cont’d
How quickly do you make decisions?
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
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!
Lead Freely 