Big News for Leaders Who Want to Grow their Churches

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Big News for Leaders Who Want to Grow their Churches

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Are you ready to push your leadership ability up a notch? If so, we want to help you. In April, our brand new coaching networks will fire up. We always get excited about the start of new coaching networks, but this year, we are more excited than ever.

The team has introduced two new types of coaching networks, and these are designed specifically for leaders who want to grow their churches — either with a multi-site strategy or by taking intentional steps to reach the milestone of 500 in weekly attendance. All groups meet once a month for six months, and focus on giving you practical, applicable coaching. With that said, all participants are expected to be actively engaged and ready to tackle real issues.

Here’s what we have going on:

1) Leadership Coaching w/ Tony Morgan | ATLANTA or DALLAS
Leadership Coaching includes training on a variety of ministry strategy topics including staffing, leadership development, communications, financial stewardship, volunteer team development, weekend services, ministry structure, discipleship, multi-site and more.

2) Multi-Site Leadership Coaching w/ Paul Alexander | PHOENIX
Our Multi-Site Coaching Network is designed for leaders of multi-site churches, to help them grow in leadership and succeed in addressing the unique challenges they face.

3) GrowthSolutions Coaching w/ Mark Meyer & Chad Hunt | OMAHA or INDIANAPOLIS
Our GrowthSolutions Coaching Networks will help leaders of smaller churches take intentional steps towards growing their church to 500 in weekly attendance.

In our coaching networks, you can expect a relational experience built around simple and practical systems and tools to help you take your next steps as a leader. We take a look at best practices in growing, healthy churches, and we press into tough conversations to help you get unstuck in your leadership and ministry impact.

Most groups are limited to 12 participants, so if you want in, you should consider signing up soon. Click here for more info and to register. The deadline to apply is March 6, 2015.

Here are what some of our past participants have had to say about the experience…

The insights and practical wisdom that came from Tony not only revolutionized how we do ministry and build healthier teams at Breakthrough, but quite honestly, gave me exactly what I needed in a season in which I was ready to call it quits! Tony’s knowledge of systems and strategies is amazing, but it is his heart for YOU, the leader, that is most impressive. Don’t miss out on this opportunity it will change you.”

— Nate Hill
Lead Pastor at Breakthrough Church | Asheville, NC

This coaching network with Paul was one of the most beneficial experiences of my ministry life. The network gatherings were fun, challenging, and full of leadership exercises that provided me with tools to lead more effectively and move people towards a focused goal. I highly recommend this experience!”

— Ira Towns
Executive Pastor at Atlantic Shores Bible Church | Virginia Beach, VA

Posted in Leadership

What makes a Great Campus Pastor a Great Campus Pastor?

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Leading in a multisite setting I’m often asked by other church leaders, “What makes a great Campus Pastor a great Campus Pastor?” Often times when a church is thinking about moving to a multisite model the last thing they’re thinking about is who is going to be their next Campus Pastor. They’re stuck on logistics and most just assume they’ll stick an existing up and coming staff member on the next campus and hope for the best. That’s great IF you have the right person on the team already, but this can also be a fatal flaw. Trust me, I know and I’ve lived it. So here are 7 things I’m looking for when I’m looking for a Campus Pastor.

1. Relational Skills

They can influence people. They can influence people younger than themselves, they can influence their peers, and they can influence people older than themselves. Influence comes through trust and trust is given in the context of relationship. If they don’t have the relational skills to build trust with the congregation they’ll never be able to influence the congregation to move forward in a particular direction.

2. Communication

They’re a good communicator. I’m not saying they have to be a good preacher, unless that’s how you are planning on handling the weekend teaching in your multisite model. But they have to be an effective communicator on stage, in large groups, in smaller groups, and one-on-one. A litmus test you can use to discover this is can they connect the mission/vision to funding? Can they talk about money from the stage and have people respond?

3. Lead Through Others

Great Campus Pastors don’t just delegate tasks they empower people. They don’t do everything themselves rather they get things done through other people. They know how to manage large multifaceted projects through robust teams and accomplish the stated goals. They know the team outperforms the individual every time.

4. Development

They don’t just lead through relationship they lead through development. In other words people don’t follow them just because they like them and enjoy them relationally but because they are developed into better leaders and better people by following them. They don’t just attract talent they develop talent.

5. Driven

They have a bias towards action. They are movement oriented and wake up every day thinking about moving things towards the vision.

6. They Deliver

They’ve already demonstrated the ability to deliver. They’ve built something from concept to completion; they’re not a novice. They’ve already done, what you want them to do. They know how to execute decisions and implement strategies.

7. Culture

They don’t just know the mission, vision and values of the church but they live them out in their own lives. It’s not that they can simply repeat these things, but they deeply understand them, leading by making decisions through the lens of the core and unique identity of the church.

Interested in learning more about the role of a Campus Pastor? Check out this post: What is a Campus Pastor? Also you can take a look at a sample job description for a Campus Pastor here.

Photo Credit: kevin dooley via Compfight cc

Posted in Leadership

4 Reasons Short-Term Mission Trips Still Work

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

In recent years many churches have been backing away from sending teams of volunteers on short-term international mission trips. Some argue that such initiatives are ineffective, a waste of resources, and even hurtful to the advancement of the Gospel.

I on the other hand believe short-term mission trips still work. God used a project I went on right after my freshman year of college with an organization called the Navigators to Singapore and Indonesia to completely change my view of what God is doing in the world. I’ve had the opportunity to lead hundreds of people on more than 10 international projects throughout the years and I’ve seen first hand how projects like this can change the world, the world of the participant and the field. Here are 4 reasons why I believe short-term mission trips still work.

1. Spiritual Maturity

I’ve never met a pastor who didn’t want the people in their church to grow spiritually. Short-term mission trips are an engine for spiritual growth. People grow spiritually when they put themselves in a position to grow spiritually. While we as pastors can’t make people grow spiritually, short-term mission trips create the right environment for spiritual growth to take place.

2. Leadership Development

I’ve never met a pastor who didn’t think they need more leaders in their church. Short-term mission trips are an engine for leadership development. Leaders learn to lead by leading not in a classroom. Short-term mission trips provide an environment for developing leaders to experiment with their leadership gifts.

3. Outsider Focus

I’ve never met a pastor who didn’t want to see people outside of the faith meet Jesus. Short-term mission trips are an engine for building an outsider focused culture in your church. When people participate in a short-term mission trip, begin to personally wrestle with the contextualization of the Gospel in a different culture, and see people meet Jesus on the field; they are compelled to see people meet Jesus in their own workplace, neighborhood, and city.

4. Advance the Mission of the Field

I’ve never met a pastor who didn’t think that people all over the world need to know Jesus. When great partnerships take place between local stateside churches and the field, short-term mission trips can create an infusion of momentum and be catalytic to advancing the strategies of what missionaries on the field are doing to reach people with the Gospel in their context.

Photo Credit: VinothChandar via Compfight cc

Posted in Spiritual Formation

It’s Time to Join a Leadership Coaching Network

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

I recently caught up with Micah Hutchison who serves as the Executive Pastor at Harvest Community Church in Mesa, AZ. Harvest Community Church started in August of 2009 with a small core team and in less than five years has grown to more than 900 people in attendance. Micah participated in one of my Leadership Coaching Networks and had the following to say about the experience.

“The coaching and leadership conversations we had over six months with Paul elevated my leadership in the church as much as any experience I’ve ever had. I gained valuable tools and strategies for developing the leaders under my care. Additionally our discussions provided a strong foundation for understanding why healthy churches grow, and the time to personalize theory to our specific ministry situation. Paul’s personal ministry and leadership experience and wisdom ensured each coaching session was a valuable experience!”
Micah Hutchison, Executive Pastor at Harvest Community Church in Mesa, AZ

Interested in Joining Us?

Here are all the details about the leadership coaching network in Phoenix. My teammate at The Unstuck Group, Tony Morgan, is facilitating a similar network in Atlanta

Complete the coaching network application and pay your initial deposit to hold your space. The deposit will be your first month’s fees. The next Phoenix and Atlanta networks will start in October 2014. The deadline for your application is August 15, 2014.

Photo Credit: djwtwo via Compfight cc

Posted in Leadership

How to Raise the Speed Limit at Your Church

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Everyone is going to spend eternity somewhere. And there is a moment coming when you and I will no longer have the opportunity to affect change on the world. Jesus will come back and set everything wrong…right. Until then we’ve been given a window of opportunity to join Jesus in a sacred mission of reconciling the people of the planet to the purposes of God. That’s why it’s rare that I ever meet a church leader that wants to slow down. Most have a white hot passion to see people far from Jesus come near to him. While as church leaders we can’t control the movement of the Holy Spirit there are things we can do organizationally to set the sail.

1. The Speed Limit goes Up as Clarity goes Up

The clearer you can be with the vision that God has given you the easier it is for people on your team to make decisions to organize behaviors, strategies and ministries to get you there. In fact the decision rate of people is directly related to vision clarity and defining the playing field for your team.

2. The Speed Limit goes Up as Trust goes Up

As trust on the team goes deeper the speed limit goes higher. The more trust that exists on a team the faster that team has the ability to go. Trust is the fuel that leadership runs on. Everyone wants to be a part of a winning team and when the team believes in where it’s going that pace goes up.

3. The Speed Limit goes Up as Development goes Up

The more people you develop to grow into assuming responsibility and leadership roles the faster your church can move. When you delegate, empower, and provide young leaders with the opportunity to exercise their leadership gift the pace increases because you are no longer leading alone. Your ministry impact is directly related to the amount of leaders you develop.

Photo Credit: Lucas Stanley via Compfight cc

Posted in Leadership