Tag Archive - culture

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My Interview with 2 Women about their Choice to have an Abortion

I don’t typically post talks that I give, but every once in a while there’s one worth sharing. This weekend I had the incredible opportunity to interview two very courageous women about their choice to have an abortion, their experience with “church people,” their journey towards healing, and the grace and forgiveness they’ve experienced in Jesus. It will definitely go down as a high water mark in my ministry experience. If we’re honest about it, the Church hasn’t always handled this dialogue very well. We’ve historically postured ourselves in such a manner that we come off as not only anti-abortion, but anti-people who have an abortion. The in-congruency shows up when we take a look at the Scriptures and realize that Jesus isn’t anti-anybody. So here’s hoping that this talk inspires you, challenges you, crushes your heart for what crushes God’s, and perhaps challenges your thinking a bit on this emotionally and politically charged topic of abortion. If nothing else fast forward to the 12:21 minute mark to check out the interview segment.


Posted in Creative Arts, Spiritual Formation

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Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else

I recently finished reading The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business by Patrick Leniconi. I can already tell you that this is going to be on my top 5 reads from 2013. I deeply resonated with the concepts in this book. You see in many ways this book describes why I do what I do. I love to see all the facets of the Church work together to build an aligned and integrated culture that actually makes vision real!

There is no way for me to share everything I underlined, highlighted and the personal notes I wrote in the margins. So I shared with you my top 20 favorite quotes and ideas from the book that stuck with me.

1. The single greatest advantage any company can achieve is organizational health. Yet it is ignored by most leaders even though it is simple, free, and available to anyone who wants it.

2. An organization has integrity – is healthy – when it is whole, consistent, and complete, that is, when it’s management, operations, strategy, and culture fit together and make sense.

3. If an organization is led by a team that is not behaviorally unified, there is no chance that it will become healthy.

4. Contrary to popular wisdom and behavior, conflict is not a bad thing for a team. In fact, the fear of conflict is almost always a sign of problems.

5. When there is trust, conflict becomes nothing but the pursuit of truth, an attempt to find the best possible answer.

6. Nowhere does this tendency towards artificial harmony show itself more than in mission-driven nonprofit organizations, most notably churches. People who work in those organizations tend to have a misguided idea that they cannot be frustrated or disagreeable with one another.

Continue Reading…


Posted in Leadership

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Catalyst One Day 2013

If you missed any of my notes from the 2013 Catalyst One Day with Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel no worries! Now you’ve got all the notes to every session right here at your fingertips for free! These guys did an incredible job of tackling what Patrick Lencioni has called, “The single greatest opportunity for improvement and competitive advantage” Building a healthy organizational culture. Truth is my notes can’t relay all the great stuff shared by these guys so I’d encourage you to check out the Catalyst One Day website and watch for a One Day coming soon to a city near you this year! Hope you enjoy!

1. Introduction by Andy Stanley

5 incredible insights about organizational culture and building a healthy culture on your team.

2. Session 1: Values by Craig Groeschel

A healthy organizational culture never happens on accident but by intentionally fleshing out clear values.

3. Session 2: Staffing by Andy Stanley

Driving this principle of mutual submission through your organization can make your church an extraordinary place to work. And you’ll have an extraordinary team because extraordinary people will want to work there.

4. Session 3: Creating a Culture of Self Awareness by Craig Groeschel

As leaders we have a limitless capacity for self deception. And to boot, the higher we rise in an organization the more difficult it is to get people to tell you the truth, because the more perceived power that you have the more people are going to tell you what they think you want to hear.

5. Session 4: Programming by Andy Stanley

Andy talked about creating a culture around and through your programming by unpacking 3 irreducible minimums for irresistible ministry environments.

6. Bonus Material: Andy Stanley interviews Judah Smith

Two pastors kids talking through ministry transitions and leading through change. Incredible stuff!


Posted in Leadership

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Catalyst One Day Bonus: Andy Stanley’s interview with Judah Smith

I’ve enjoyed sharing my notes and take aways from Catalyst One Day with you this week. My hope is they’ve been helpful. Truth is my notes can’t relay all the great stuff shared by these guys so I’d encourage you to check out the Catalyst One Day website and watch for One Day coming soon to a city near you this year! Here are ideas some I wrote down from an interview that Andy Stanley did with Judah Smith who hosted the Seattle One Day.

  • When you go on vacation don’t go to church. That’s not a family vacation that’s a ministry trip to look at other churches.
  • Leadership is acknowledged not appointed. So try out young leaders. Give them something and see what they can do with it.
  • Acknowledge leadership in young leaders who have a proper view of authority and demonstrate a teachable spirit
  • The test of any church is how it responds when the lead personality is gone
  • Adjustment and progress are better words than change
  • If past leadership is trusted you’ll have the opportunity to be trusted
  • Every change a new leader makes is a critique of the past
  • Remember everything is where it is
  • It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to just get in line with the picture you have of the future and where you’re going
  • Expect tears and pain in change
  • Demonstrate extraordinary empathy to the past and the value of all that has come before you
  • Work through powerbrokers and influencers. Each influencer receives honor differently and there are keys to everyone’s heart so don’t approach them all or treat them all the same.
  • Don’t play with false humility
  • Honor is convenient when everyone is on the same page but real honor comes in a moment of conflict and conviction and when you have to put personal agenda aside and do what is best for the people
  • People want Jesus and the Gospel works!

This is your last chance to grab more Catalyst Resources for yourself and your team for free! I’m giving away a brand new copy of “The Power of Momentum” a 4-part video teaching series from Andy and Craig. Just sign up here and I’ll let everyone know who the winner is next week!


Posted in Leadership

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Catalyst One Day Session 4: Programming by Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley gave a talk in session 4 on “Creating a Culture Around and Through your Programming” that I know you’re going to find helpful. If you’re responsible for ministry environments (worship services, children’s ministry, small groups, student ministry, etc.) than this talk is pure gold for you!

  • If everyone doesn’t have the same picture of a win you end up with chaos and nobody ends up winning
  • Funny Andy Stanley moment: “If I could heal people at will to draw a crowd I would, but I can’t…so I have to hire a band”
  • Every single ministry program (worship service, student ministry, small groups, children’s ministry) is being evaluated, not formally, but by participants. Wouldn’t it make sense for you as a staff to go ahead and have a plan to be on the same page and evaluate it together?

3 Irreducible Minimums for an Irresistible Ministry Environment

1. An Appealing Setting

  • The physical environment
  • Settings create first impressions (What does it appear to be at first pass?)
  • An uncomfortable or distracting setting can derail ministry before it even begins
  • Every physical environment communicates something; there are no neutral physical environments
  • Design, décor, and attention to detail communicate what and who you value most
  • Design, décor, and attention to detail communicates whether or not your expecting guests
  • Periodically we all need fresh eyes on our ministry environments
  • Are your ministry settings appealing to your target audience?
  • Do the design, décor, and attention to detail in your environments reflect who is most important to you?
  • What’s starting to look tired?

2. An Engaging Presentation

  • Engaging presentations are essential to the success of our mission
    • Presenting the Gospel
    • Teaching them to “obey everything I’ve commanded you”
  • To engage is to secure one’s attention
  • Generally speaking it’s the presentation that makes information interesting
  • An audience’s attention span is determined by the quality of the presentation
  • Engaging presentations require engaging presenters
  • Always sacrifice the one for the many not the many for the one

3. Helpful Content

  • Helpful = useful
  • It’s not enough for it to be true. It has to be helpful
  • Helpful content is content that addresses helping people think and act differently
  • Information that doesn’t address a felt need is perceived as irrelevant
  • Is your content helpful?
  • Do you content creators know the goal of content is to help people think and act differently?
  • Is your content age and stage of life specific?

Want to grab more Catalyst Resources for yourself and your team? I’m giving away a brand new copy of “The Power of Momentum” a 4-part video teaching series from Andy and Craig. Just sign up here and I’ll let everyone know who the winner is next week!


Posted in Leadership
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