Blogs
Church Vitality
CLD Program Brings Focus to Church Vitality
11/20/2014
This six month, intensive experience has been an important part of our learning culture as a district,
On Death and Resurrection
11/3/2014
Death is something all of us must face, and that holds true of our church also.
A moratorium on busyness
10/28/2014
Uncharacteristically, my response was that the answer might have nothing to do with doing. Maybe, just maybe, what they needed to do was to concentrate on not doing for awhile.
Being in the wrong place at the wrong time…
10/22/2014
It was a case of being unlucky or not paying attention, but a learning lesson nonetheless.
Fasten your seatbelts, it’s Laity Sunday!
9/3/2014
Ah, Sunday morning. You get out of bed, start the coffee, hit the shower and get to church. You find a seat – always third from the center, left side, fourth row – and begin worship. Is Sunday morning feeling a little, well, ho-hum? Need to bust out of the sit and listen, stand and sing routine? Have I got a deal for you! This year, October 19th is identified as Laity Sunday. The theme, Disciples Called to Action: Engaging Small Groups, can be a fine starting point. However, as the General ...
We are far less effective when we go it alone
7/14/2014
We are far less effective when we go it alone ...
Characteristics of Renewing Congregations
2/28/2014
What are the signs that your congregation is ready for a genuine renewal? There are four powerful characteristics that are present in almost every congregation that initiates a renewed vitality. These are clues at what to work on if you desire renewal. When they are present they are signs that renewal is possible.
73 percent decrease on line 55
1/29/2014
I am probably in the minority because I happen to like statistics. Statistics reveal many things about us and our local churches.
Rebranding Catholicism
1/7/2014
I have heard and said, “ I love this new Pope!” Pope Francis shuns the palace, sneaks out to help the poor and focuses on service. What’s not to love?
Eight Strategies for Messes: Blend
11/5/2013
Blend with your community.
This continues my series of blog posts on the eight strategies for dealing with messes from The Innovators Way by Peter Denning and Robert Dunham. Some great thinking there about how to lead a community into a new and greater fruitfulness.
- Declare it a mess.
- Learn and listen.
- Envision an approach.
- Blend
The Healthy Body
10/2/2013
... one of my teeth started to hurt and it kept getting worse. With that typical macho attitude, I decided to tough it out, ...
Eight Strategies for Change Leaders: Imagination
9/5/2013
Changing context requires an adaptive response. Congregations that thrive have leaders who practice the eight strategies of innovation. A consciously Christian life tends to empower innovation. The first practice of innovative leaders is Listen and Learn. The second practice addressed here is "envision new approaches." This is the practice of creative imagination.
Learn and Listen
4/1/2013
“Learning and Listening” is first of the seven disciplines required of people who lead fruitful congregations.
Change?
3/19/2013
I know you’re tired of hearing about change. Yet, you decided to start reading this. Too often we think of change as a kind of weather thing, everybody talks about it, but no one ever does anything about it.
Well, that’s partly right. You can’t stop change. But you can do something about it. Kris Kristofferson is credited with the quote, “If you can’t get out of it, get into it.”
How can we get into change? How can we engage with the changes in ourselves, in our churches and in our world in ways that will increase blessing? A change leader is someone who can do that – help us engage with the changes going on around us in ways that bless our neighbors and ourselves.
Faith Sharing?
2/20/2013
There are terrible reasons to share your faith, and there are terrific ones.
12 Days on the Road
9/17/2012
It was a joy to visit dozens of local churches, meet hundreds of laity and clergy, and listen to hopes and dreams. When I am asked how I will cope with such a large geographic territory, my honest answer is “think of the evangelism and growth possibilities in this vast region!”
Celebrate the Signposts
6/6/2012
...after all what could reconfiguring districts really accomplish? But on another level it reflects that we, as an annual conference, continue to be in a process of active change...
Enough already!
11/2/2011
Are you tired yet of me talking about nothing but change? I think I may have reached the saturation point even for me,...
What about the $$$ ?
10/30/2011
Some have been raising questions about how much we will save if we move to 4 districts. Well...
Why Should We Care about the Vital Church Project?
10/11/2011
For the past two years, the leaders of the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference have been diligently and faithfully working on the Vital Church Project. I would like to share some of the excitement of the "unveiling" of our Vital Church Project. It may well be the key to our successful achieving of a vision of congregations led by lay and clergy who are growing healthy vital congregations that change lives and transform communities!
The Measure of Success - 525,600 minutes
6/27/2011
525,600 minutes from now, what difference will it make in our churches and in our communities because of our Annual Conference's time together?
You get what you measure...
3/29/2011
“You get what you measure.” I read that in a book the other day, and I quickly discounted the statement. Then I thought ...
Mike Slaughter to share at Annual Conference
2/23/2011
Our Annual Conference efforts to support and resource you as you grow healthy vital congregations continues with the coming of Mike Slaughter to our Annual Conference session in June.
Let me share with you why I am excited about his coming!
An Insider's Scoop on a Conference in Transition
2/11/2011
Under the banner of "Embracing Change," conference leadership made some big promises and commitments at the last session of annual conference. What's happened since then? Here is one insider's scoop on what's been going on with a conference undergoing transition.