Three Thoughts on Developing a Theology of Programming
Discipleship is the process of becoming more and more like Jesus. As we behold the glory of Christ, He transforms us into His image with ever-increasing glory. Of this, the apostle Paul wrote: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. We all, with unveiled faces, […]
Five Thoughts on Leaders Being Poets and Plumbers
James March, professor emeritus at Stanford, is known for his research and thinking on organizational design and behavior. March believes that every skilled leader is both a poet and a plumber. The poet work of leadership includes articulating direction and formalizing cultural values, crystalizing beliefs with words and stories. The plumbing work of leadership includes […]
Facebook Friends and Church: Connectivity vs. Community
How many friends on Facebook are really friends, you know, there for you and show up when you need them type friends? Hal Niedzviecki wondered this when he invited all 700 of his Facebook friends to a party he was hosting. He wanted to gather his “friends,” get to know them better, and perhaps further connect […]
Two Strategic Drifts in Churches and How to Address Them
Organizations and churches drift away from their identity and mission. Without constant care and godly leadership, drift pulls a church from her core message and mission. A church doesn’t drift into greater health or better focus. We drift as individuals in the same manner. We don’t drift into physical fitness or spiritual growth. We drift […]
Three Ways We Can Better Love Those We Lead
Researchers and leadership authors continually contend that the best leaders are those who love and care for those they lead. Examples include: In his seminal book Servant Leadership, published over forty years ago, Robert Greenleaf coined the term “servant leader” and painted a picture that the most effective leaders love and serve those they lead. […]
Three Ways to Starve the Bad Values in Your Organization’s Culture
Every organization, every ministry, every team has a culture. Much has been written about culture, and essentially culture is the shared values and beliefs beneath the surface that ultimately drive the behavior of the organization. This means an organization’s culture has direct bearing on how the organization acts. Terrance Deal, in his book Corporate Cultures, […]
Seven Ways to Fight Mission and Strategy Entropy
The second law of thermodynamics is about entropy: things move to disorder and chaos over time. This principle surrounds our daily lives. A well-ordered garage digresses to clutter; a cluttered garage never becomes an organized one without intervention. Our bodies, without exercise and care, experience muscle atrophy. Left alone our muscles grow weaker, not stronger. […]
Three Reasons Urgency Must Precede Vision
In his highly regarded book Leading Change, John Kotter articulates that establishing urgency must always precede communicating vision. Before attempting to implement change, leaders must create dissatisfaction with an ineffective status quo. They must help others develop a sense of angst over the brokenness around them. Without urgency, a vision will not take root in […]
When Two Values Collide, Development Must Win
Often in a ministry or organization, stated and/or unstated values will collide. When two values are at apparent odds with one another, leaders must decide which value wins. If a collision occurs, leaders must declare which value will be primary. A common example in church ministry is the tension between two commonly held values: leadership […]
Having a Ministry Strategy Means Saying “No”
Michael Porter is a Harvard business school professor, consultant, author, and leading authority on strategy. Porter’s view of strategy, according to Harvard associate Joan Margetta, contains five essential beliefs. I am taking some liberty to restate and contextualize Porter’s views on strategy for a ministry context. If Michael Porter were to consult with you, perhaps […]