There is an interesting story in the Gospel of Luke about Jesus and his home town crowd – Nazareth. Jesus grew up here. Everyone knew him as ‘Joseph’s son’. After reading the Scripture in the synagogue one Sabbath, people were surprised by how well Jesus spoke.… Read the rest
My Top Ten Fund-Raising Tips
Are you passionate about a particular cause? Do you want to make a difference in the world? Then you could use some money. It’s commendable to have a vision for a better future but without
Learning to Retreat
A few years ago, TIME magazine published an article stating that distraction was the pre-eminent condition of our time. Not only are we busy, we are pulled in multiple directions constantly by distractions of all kinds. The antidote? Mindfulness.
Mindfulness is about taking time to be still, to reflect, to meditate, to contemplate, to be quiet, and to think.… Read the rest
Bridging the Knowing-Doing Gap
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved books.
… Read the rest My Experience with Burnout
My first encounter with burnout was back in 2002. I experienced what I would call an ‘emotional valley’ that lasted for about 6 months. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me but it took everything within me just to make it through the next meeting, the next appointment or the next project.… Read the rest
The Art of Coaching (Part 3)
Graham Alexander developed a simple but effective model (or mental map) for sequencing good questions. It is called The GROW model and it was first published by John Whitmore.
The Grow Model
- GOAL – “What do you want? What are you trying to achieve?”
The Art of Coaching (Part 2)
The coaching process involves two aspects: (1) raising awareness and (2) building responsibility.
Creating awareness is all about helping the individual see themselves ("self-awareness") and their situation (what is happening around them) accurately. People can only deal with what they are aware of.… Read the rest
The Art of Coaching (Part 1)
In many ways, all of us are leaders. We influence others – family, friends, neighbours and school or work associates. It may be formally or informally, but it happens. We get to choose whether that influence is positive or negative, helpful or unhelpful. … Read the rest
Pass the Baton: Successful Leadership Transition
CityLife Church, located in Melbourne Australia, had three Senior Ministers in the first 50 years of it's history. Richard Holland was the founding pastor and led the church for 20 years, followed by my father, Kevin Conner, who led the church for the next 8 years.… Read the rest
My Farewell Address: The Meaning of Life
What does one say in a farewell address?
In biblical times, we have a record of parting words from people such as Jacob (Genesis 49:1-33), Joseph (Genesis 50:24-26), Moses (Deuteronomy 31:1 – 32:47), Joshua (Joshua 24:22-28), David (1Chronicles 29:10-20), Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20 and John 13-17) and Paul (Acts 20:18-25).… Read the rest
The Stresses of Church Work
I would never suggest that pastors and church leaders work harder than other people … but church work has its unique challenges and pressures.
Here are five of them:
1. Ministry work is never done. It is open ended. There is never full closure.… Read the rest
The Art of Coaching
The role of a leader includes many tasks, including vision-casting, planning, directing, building teams, communication, training, problem solving and coaching people.
The primary means of leadership development in the Bible is through mentoring and coaching. Think of Jethro and Moses, Moses and Joshua, Samuel and Saul then David, Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and his disciples, and Barnabas and Saul.… Read the rest
Your Home Base
Luke 5:16. As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer. The Message Bible
This is an amazing description of how Jesus lived and did ministry.
- He loved solitude - by the sea or in the country, on a boat or in a garden.
The Art of Loving Confrontation
Life can be very rewarding and fulfilling. It can also be very difficult at times. Two of the hardest things to do are handling criticism and confronting people, not that we should love confronting people (!) but learning how to do so in a loving manner.… Read the rest
Think Win/Win
In his best selling book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey noted that when it comes to healthy relationships, mature people think “win/win”.
Win/Win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all situations, agreements and solutions.… Read the rest