Author: stephe

How easy is it for me to forgive?

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After a long shift at the fire department, Matt Swatzell fell asleep while driving and crashed into another vehicle, taking the life of pregnant mother June Fitzgerald and injuring her 19-month-old daughter. According to ‘Today magazine’, Fitzgerald’s husband, a full-time pastor, asked for the man’s diminished sentence—and began meeting with Swatzell for coffee and conversation. Many years later, the two men remain close. “You forgive as you’ve been forgiven,” Fitzgerald told Today. So, how do we Read more about How easy is it for me to forgive?[…]

Are you weak enough to be a leader?

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At an ordination ceremony the bishop asked: ‘Is this man weak enough to be a priest?’ He meant that only if he was aware of his frailty would he become a man of prayer and live out his ministry in trust and dependence on God. In our society, exhibiting weakness is often seen as a sign of failure. We are taught from a young age to be strong, independent, and self-sufficient, and to never show Read more about Are you weak enough to be a leader?[…]

Is Integrity really that important for a leader?

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Growing up in London, I used to love going on holiday to the seaside resorts in the UK and they all had ‘sticks of rock’ – candy for the Americans reading this. The name of the resort was all through the stick, no matter where you broke it. It might have been easier to just put a label on the end of the stick of rock but no, it’s there throughout the length of the Read more about Is Integrity really that important for a leader?[…]

Do you want to be strategic? Here are 7 tools to help you do just that!

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I have always liked strategy games. It’s been a long time since I played a game of chess though. It really amazes me that grandmasters can see 15 to 20 moves ahead if given enough time. When it comes to living our lives though, and planning our ministry, we often live by default. We let life happen to us rather than identifying our passion, establishing a focus and stepping out with initiative as we move into Read more about Do you want to be strategic? Here are 7 tools to help you do just that![…]

Are you building community through small groups?

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We have been in Canada for two years at the end of this month and in Calgary for eighteen months. When we arrived from Europe, we were living with my brother-in-law and his wife  in community. We took it in turns to cook meals and enjoyed long and sometimes deep discussions over the meal table. Over the next six months we met a lot of people but our community didn’t really expand. In moving to Read more about Are you building community through small groups?[…]

Are you in your element?

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I have just read ‘the element’ by Ken Robinson and found it stimulating and enlightening. I have précised some of his key points in this article – here’s what the back cover of the book shares: A teenage boy goes through school, and nobody thinks he has any particular musical talent. He goes on to be one of the most famous musicians in the world. A nine-year-old girl is thought to have a learning disorder. Read more about Are you in your element?[…]

Have you considered using your values as an evaluation tool?

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Some years ago, I was asked to help a church planting team with their mission statement and strategy. I love this kind of assignment and so happily met with the team for a couple of days. The vision became clear as we dialogued together, and a plan began to emerge as to how they were going to implement the church plant. Before we finished, I raised the important question of values for the team. They Read more about Have you considered using your values as an evaluation tool?[…]

Are you a lifelong learner?

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Definition: Lifelong learning is the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. What Does it Mean to Be a Lifelong Learner: The book, ‘The three boxes of Life’ throws away the idea of learning, working and leisure as the three developmental phases that we all experience. Instead of graduating high school, getting a university degree and moving on to a lifetime of work before retiring, we are to learn, work Read more about Are you a lifelong learner?[…]

What are the pros and cons of term limits in YWAM leadership?

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When we hear the phrase ‘term limits’ or ‘terms of office’ we generally think about government roles and they can vary greatly. In the United States, the President is limited to two four-year terms, while in the United Kingdom, there is no term limit for the Prime Minister, with general elections held every five years.   When we hear the phrase ‘term limits’ or ‘terms of office’ we generally think about government roles and they Read more about What are the pros and cons of term limits in YWAM leadership?[…]

Are you ready for unexpected disruption?

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Happy new year! Rite and I have just enjoyed a wonderful advent season, the first in Calgary, our new home. During an advent message at church, we focused on Mary the mother of Jesus who is at the centre of the Christmas story. She was on a predictable journey in her simple life living in Nazareth as a teenage girl, preparing for marriage with Joseph. That simple life however, was suddenly disrupted by a visit Read more about Are you ready for unexpected disruption?[…]

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