January 13, 2021
“Leading Ideas” from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary
Leading During Turbulent Times
Lewis Center Director Doug Powe writes that the tragic events of January 6 demand our best leadership. He outlines ways church leaders can respond to the fallout from the ongoing political upheaval. https://www.churchleadership.com/leading-ideas/leading-during-turbulent-times/
Leading Ideas Talks Podcast: Episode 70
“Leveraging Your Church’s Assets” featuring Jacqueline Jones-Smith
Your church may have more resources than you think! In this episode Jacqueline Jones-Smith explains how Christ Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, once slated for closure, turned itself around by embracing a more entrepreneurial mindset and taking stock of its physical and human assets. Listen now or read transcript. https://www.churchleadership.com/podcast/episode-70-leveraging-your-churchs-assets-featuring-jackie-jones-smith/
4 Ways to Measure if Your Ministry is Working
In changing times standard measures of a congregation’s health may not tell the whole story. Naomi Annandale suggests a need to expand and adjust our ways of thinking about effectiveness and offers suggestions on how to measure what is truly important. Read more now. https://www.churchleadership.com/leading-ideas/4-ways-to-measure-if-your-ministry-is-working/
COVID-19 Resources
Leading Ideas articles, podcast episodes, and links. Visit https://www.churchleadership.com/tag/covid-19/
The Right Question
“Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions.”
Ronald Heifetz suggests that pacing the work of change leads to greater results. He offers some questions to help leaders think about when issues are ready for addressing.
• How stressful is the question or problem being raised and how much loss does it involve?
• How resilient are the people being challenged?
• How strong are the bonds of authority that give one the power to hold people’s attention to brutally hard questions?
Want more Right Questions? Read “Right Questions for Church Leaders” at https://www.churchleadership.com/books/right-questions-for-church-leaders/.
What is God’s Vision for Your Congregation?
“Discovering God’s Future for Your Church” is a turnkey tool kit to help your congregation discern and implement God’s vision for its future. The resource guides your church in discovering clues to your vision in your history and culture, your current congregational strengths and weaknesses, and the needs of your surrounding community. The tool kit features videos, leader’s guides, discussion exercises, planning tools, handouts, diagrams, worksheets, and more. Learn more and watch an introductory video now. https://www.churchleadership.com/product/discovering-gods-future-church/
Metrics Should Be a Tool for Learning, Not Judging
The current focus on setting numerical goals for ministry and reporting results is not new, though now greatly expanded. In the past, virtually all goals churches set related to money. Today the same attention is being given to people categories, but the concept is the same. Lovett H. Weems Jr. explains the advantage and pitfalls in “To the Point: Metrics: A Tool for Learning, Not Judging.” Read, share, and download free now. https://www.churchleadership.com/to-the-point/to-the-point-metrics-a-tool-for-learning-not-judging/
Learn Best Practices to Build and Fund You Capital Budget
Your capital budget isn’t just about facilities – it’s about using your facilities to further your church’s mission. The “Building and Funding Your Capital Budget” Video Tool Kit helps you understand what a capital budget is, how to engage the big questions about your church, and how to assess your current situation. No matter your church size, this resource provides clues and wisdom to help your capital budget advance your mission and accomplish God’s vision for your congregation. Learn more now. https://www.churchleadership.com/product/building-funding-capital-budget/
Support the Lewis Center
“Leading Ideas” is made possible by contributions to the Lewis Center for Church Leadership from readers like you. Thank you.
Donate now: https://www.churchleadership.com/support-the-lewis-center?id=leadingideas
Young but Not Clergy?
The Lewis Center Seeks Input from Younger Adults Who Have Stepped Away from Ordination in the UMC
For many years the Lewis Center for Church Leadership has researched clergy age trends and explored reasons for the decline in the number of young clergy. We are currently seeking input from younger adults (age 40 or under) who may have sensed a call to ministry but decided not to pursue ordination in the United Methodist Church or dropped out of the ordination process. If you are “young but not clergy” we invite you to share your perspectives by responding to a brief survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/youngnotclergy. If you know someone who is “young but not clergy,” please share this survey with them. Thank you for your participation. Take the survey now. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/youngnotclergy
Quotable Leadership
“Don’t start by trying to change somebody’s mind. Changing someone’s mind is like getting them to change their clothes. We change our clothes, but we generally don’t want to do it when someone’s looking.” — Eugenia Cheng
New Doctor of Ministry begins in May
Howard Thurman: Prophetic Witness
In a world that is all about drawing attention to one’s self, a prophetic witness moves us toward a new reality grounded in God’s grace.
What does it mean for a leader to stand in the gap between the way things are and what they could be? Howard Thurman’s prophetic witness exemplified this form of leadership. Thurman did not demonize those responsible for systemic ills. Instead, he emphasized a positive vision of the way things could be. This track of doctoral study from Wesley Theological Seminary focuses on the power of a prophetic witness like Thurman’s to draw people toward a positive new future. Learn more and apply today. https://www.wesleyseminary.edu/doctorofministry/public-engagement/
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