Category: Strategic Leadership

Am I successful?

Posted on by stephe

Defining success proves challenging, as its meaning varies among individuals. Commonly, it is perceived as achieving goals or fulfilling potential, yet the nature of these goals differs widely. In Western traditions, success is often tied to wealth, power, and position. Ruth Haley Barton recently wrote an article on re-thinking success. She quotes a pastor sharing his experience: “I retired a year ago from one of several consecutive positions as associate or senior pastor.  I retired Read more about Am I successful?[…]

Do you set goals for personal growth?

Posted on by stephe

Happy new year to you. I am a self-confessed goal setter. I have had this habit for many years and as I look back over my journey, I have seen many goals reached. But I am also aware of the failures in the process. Failure is part of growth, and we need to build resilience to push through the failures and press on to see the development we long for. Any research scientist will tell Read more about Do you set goals for personal growth?[…]

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

Posted on by stephe

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?

Posted on by stephe

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?

Posted on by stephe

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?

Posted on by stephe

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?[…]

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

Posted on by stephe

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?

Posted on by stephe

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?[…]

YWAM ACTs (Area Circle Teams) – a new structure for new generations?

Posted on by stephe

I recently read the metaphor which Jesus taught in Matthew 9:17 on ‘wine and wineskins.’ And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine, and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved. Every new generation enjoys new wine or a fresh approach to leadership. They require a new wineskin or structure that they feel comfortable with to serve their new passion. The latest generation is Read more about YWAM ACTs (Area Circle Teams) – a new structure for new generations?[…]

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