BA - Fort Wayne Bible College
MAR - Trinity Evangelical Divinity
D.Min - Grace Theological Seminary
Birkman Certified Coach
John Maxwell Certified Team Member
Myers/Briggs Certified
FIRO-B Certified
TKI Certified
25 Years Executive Coaching
We are human BEINGS not human DOINGS! Be aware of ambition without guidance. Your character is your guidance system – keep close check on your character. 99% of leadership failures are failures of character.
HONESTY is the top trait that is universally acknowledged and accepted!
LIVE IT
Focus on being better on the inside than on the outside – Character matters!
The inside influences the outside
Inside victories precede outside victories
Out inside development is totally within our control
I will follow the Golden Rule – People Matter
I will only teach what I believe – Passion Matters
I will value humility above all virtues – Perspective Matters
I will strive to finish well – Faithfulness Matters
The old adage of life says; He was born mud but died marble! How do you live this truth out?
LEAD IT
Assess where you have placed most of your learning energy up to this point in life. Is more INSIDE or OUTSIDE?
How much time do you spend on the inside? How much time on the outside?
Emergencies do not develop character – They reveal character!
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
Pain comes from multiple areas (Incompetence, Disappointment, Conflict, Change, Bad Health, etc.)
LIVE IT
“It’s Your Life – You Choose”
Choose a positive life stance
What are your life assumptions and presuppositions about life, people, and experiences?
With a positive life stance, good will become better and bad will not be as bad.
A positive life stance WILL find positive lessons in every experience.
Understand the need to embrace bad experiences. We all will face difficulties, but we will not all learn from them. In life there are winners and learners.
Take responsibility for your life
Are you a victim or victor?
Make good changes after bad experiences especially if you exercised bad judgement.
No matter what happens to us our attitude will put us on a chosen pathway.
LEAD IT
Remember, personal change requires action. Decide now to take action, attitude and altitude when the next painful experience arrives. In your life.
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
Do you know what you need to improve? – REFLECTION NEEDED!
Do you know how you are supposed to improve?
Do you know WHY you desire to keep improving?
Do you know when that you are supposed to improve? Be aware of the “someday-maybe’s!”
LIVE IT
GROWTH is an amazing process of life! Consider the following comparison
LEAD IT
Consistency is a muscle to be exercised! When you model consistency and motivation in front of your team you equip them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to follow your example.
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
The idea of Annual Budget Projections is being put on hold by numerous Pastors. The truth of the matter is that churches should operate from a “3-Month Rolling Budget.” This means you keep and eye on the Long View Numbers, but you are only operating from a 90-day window. In other words, only the basics and bank the rest.
We are at week #31 in this COVID journey! Pastors were asked about their awareness of their congregants needs. This was broken out in 6 categories. Notice the info graphic.
When you look at this info graphic you realize that church leaders are more aware of the physical condition of their congregants than their financial well being (have they lost a job, are they struggling financially during COVID, etc.). The majority of Pastors in recent surveys stated they “somewhat understand their congregants.”
The million-dollar question is how do you lead a church without a clear comprehension of congregant needs or even know them? Now more than ever church leaders must figure out how to gain an understanding of people’s needs. Stop guessing and start leading from a position that is data informed.
In terms of church finances note the following:
17% – Higher in Giving
56% – Same
43% – Income Exceeding Expenses
8% – Not meeting expenses (1 in 12 churches)
There is a very real sense of hesitation in church finances currently. When you stop to think about it, we do not have a planning mechanism for uncertainty. This makes connecting with people even more important.
Lean financial seasons reveals operational stress that already existed – It does not cause it! Currently churches should be operating from a 3-month rolling budget. This does not mean there should be long-view numbers to anticipate. Rather it is about operating within what matters most in the next 90 days and then bank the rest. Currently anything beyond 90-days is unclear.
This pandemic has revealed that we are not in charge! If there was a time in which churches should be thinking about unconventional streams of revenue it is now. Before, we operated Christian Schools and Day-Cares. Is it time to rethink our physical space of our churches. Our current building were designed for a form of religion that currently does not exist.
In terms of financial reserves it is now being suggested to have at least 6 months of operational cash. While that seems extreme, I personally feel that it would unwise to even dare to operate without a 2-month reserve.
What is most important?
Engagement with people is more important than attendance to our church services!
LINKS
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on iTunes – SUBSCRIBE
Shepherds Advantage Leadership Podcast is now on Stitcher –SUBSCRIBE
Have you noticed? It feels like we are living in Babylon! We are living in a modern-day pandemic that has radically altered our weekly rhythms. Life feels off-balance. What did Daniel and Ezekiel feel?
The importance of making Disciples for Christ could not be more urgent and more pressing than NOW! To impress a sense of urgency upon our work at this moment consider the millennials; 18-29 years of age. This group comprises 72.1 million (according to the 2019 statistics on US Population). This generation is being referred to as Digital Babylon! They are more digitally connected than any generation and yet the most distant generation when it comes to faith in Christ. They are the modern-day Exiles. Consider the faith practices of a segment of this generation that grew up in church.
Prodigals – 22% no longer are attached to church on any level. They have walked away.
Nomads – 30% still believe in God but not presently practicing their faith within a church community.
Habitual Churchgoers – 38% will attend church 1-2 times/month.
Resilient Disciples – 10% are faithful in all aspects of discipleship, testimony, and evangelism.
This is the generation that we will hand over the reins of spiritual leadership. There is no more compelling sense of urgency than NOW to turn our churches into disciple-making churches that are led by discipled pastors.
What can we learn from the Exilic Prophets – Ezekiel and Daniel? Here are six insights.
Exiles live for the sake of others
Exiles take epic risks for the sake of what is right
Exiles make prayer a mission
Exiles live by the mandate of faithfulness and holiness
God is at work for good, even in exile
Exiles find their home in God himself, not institutions
These exilic prophets teach us to expect the course of World History interfacing with us personally and our faith traditions spiritually. Go and make disciples…. even in EXILE!
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
Learn to say; “Time Out!” There is POWER in the PAUSE. Consider …..
Reflection turns experience into insight
Everyone needs a time and place to pause
Pausing with intention expands your thinking
Good questions are at the heart of reflection
LIVE IT
By asking the right questions you will always get at the right answers in life! Consider the following questions to gain a greater sense of your own awareness ……
What is my biggest asset?
What is my biggest liability?
What is my highest high?
What is my lowest low?
What is my is my most worthwhile emotion?
What is my least worthwhile emotion?
LEAD IT
Make it your TOP priority to schedule a time and place for personal reflection
Remember, hoping your way to reflection is not a strategy
Remind everyone that “We all walk with the limp we got” and that personal growth and change starts with personal awareness that is found in personal reflection and pausing.
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
Self-Image is the single most significant indicator to a person’s behavior
People are never able to outperform their self-image
Understand the difference of placing too high of importance upon other people’s perception versus our own perception
If you place to small a value on yourself, rest assured the world will not raise the price
LIVE IT
Make the turn toward positive change.
Guard your self-talk
Stop comparing yourself to other people
Move beyond your self-limiting beliefs
It is hard to feel bad about yourself when you are doing good for others
Do the right thing even if it is the hard thing
Embrace a positive view on life based upon what you value
LEAD IT
When you live out of a context of positivity, you show others a way in which to live positively. This is empowering for others.
Shepherds Advantage provides Servant Leadership that helps people close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. Shepherds Advantage closes that gap by providing Leadership Development, Keynote Speaking, and Executive Coaching.
Do you have a sense of direction? To answer this question, you must know who you are!
LIVE IT
You must become aware of your own identity
The best tool that I am aware of for this type of discovery is the Birkman Questionnaire. I will put a link in the notes for a FREE SAMPLE REPORT. This report is based upon Psalm 139:14 – We are Fearfully and Wonderfully made….
LEAD IT
By learning your identity, you are able to Live and Lead on the basis of your strengths and a bright vision for tomorrow versus living and leading from your weaknesses and the past.
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
