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September 2013
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November 2013

The Advantage: Organisational Health - by Patrick Lencioni

Patrick Lencioni's most recent book is The Advantage: Why Organisational Health Trumps Eveyrhting Else. He believes that all the competitive advantages that businesses have been pursuing over the years are gone - strategy, technology, finance, and marketing. No, those disciplines have not disappeared. They are all alive and well in most organisations. But as meaningful competitive advantages, as real differentiators that can set one company apart from another, they are no longer anything close to what they once were. That's because virtually every organisation, of any size, has access to the best thinking and practices around strategy, technology and those... Read more →


8 Commitments for Small Group Leaders (Mark Howell)

Any church with over 50 people needs some form of small group ministry so that genuine relationships are developed and discipleship occurs. Whatever form of small group ministry you may, have is a helpful article on small group leadership by Mark Howell: Whether you use a low or high bar of small group leadership, I think all of us have hope that our leaders will do more than open their home, facilitate a discussion or convene a meeting. And … I think some of us have begun laying the foundation for a kind of leadership pathway. See also, Raising the... Read more →


The Blessings of Aging

In a culture that idolises youth, it's easy to lose the value and joy of aging. Yet, wisdom says: "The glory of young men is their strength; gray hair the splendor of the old (Proverbs 20:29)." Having turned 50 years of age not long ago, I know what it's like to start to feel your own frailty. Those double digit birthdays can definitely take a significant mental and emotional toll on us. Thankfully, we are all aging at the same rate. The Huffington Post recently posted the following article by Sister Joan Chittister. There's some good wisdom here for us.... Read more →


How the Mighty Fall

I took this picture while on a prayer retreat a few weeks back. It's hard to believe how this huge tree fell over, yet it did. It reminded me of some research work done by Jim Collins, the best-selling author of Built to Last and Good to Great. Collins is a student of companies and organisations - great ones, good ones, weak ones, and failed ones. His most recent book, based on extensive research, is How the Mighty Fall. In it he proposes that, "Whether you prevail or fail, endure or die, depends more on what you do to yourself... Read more →


Jesus and Leadership Selection

To: Jesus, Son of Joseph Woodcrafter’s Carpenter Shop Nazareth 25922 From: Jordan Management Consultants Dear Sir: Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant. The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully. As part of our service, we make some general comments... Read more →


Influencer - You Can Lead!

It’s amazing how something very small can eventually have a huge influence. Think of the tipping of a domino, the movement of a butterfly’s wings, the momentum of a snowball rolling down a hill or the spark of a small flame. Jesus understood this and told his disciples that they were like “salt and light” in the world - two small things that can have a powerful influence (Matthew 5:13-16). It was a call to be an influence for God’s kingdom. Me, a Leader? There are many ways to influence. Today we’ll be looking at leadership. What comes to mind... Read more →


Kairos - The Time of Opportunity

It is interesting to note that in the Greek language there are two words for time: chronos, which refers to the ongoing forward movement of time, and kairos, which refers to opportunity, or a favorable time. Jesus’ brothers wanted to push him into prominence (see John 7:1-8). Jesus knew that there was a right 'time' (Greek kairos) for him and the Father’s purposes. He would not move in the wrong time. Jesus seemed to not always know this in advance but he discerned it as such in the moment when it came. He always waited for the Father to show... Read more →


World Animal Day (October 4th)

Okay, so today is World Animal Day. World Animal Day was started in 1931 at a convention of ecologists in Florence as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. October 4 was chosen as World Animal Day as it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Since then, World Animal Day has become a day for remembering and paying tribute to all animals and the people who love and respect them. It's celebrated in different ways in every country. Personally, I love animals and think we should show tender love and... Read more →


Thoughts

There is an old poem that goes like this ... Sow a thought, reap an act; Sow an act, reap a habit; Sow a habit, reap a character; Sow a character, reap a destiny Your life is shaped by your thoughts. Ultimately, you become what you think about. Life is lived ‘inside out’. It’s not what happens to you but how you respond to it that is the determining factor in your life. Your response to everything is based on what and how you think about what is happening to you. How do you change? By renewing or reprogramming your... Read more →


Atmosphere

Every room has an atmosphere – it includes factors such as the temperature of the room, the lighting, and the freshness of the air – or the lack of it. In the same way, every group – whether it’s a team or a family – has an atmosphere. It describes what it feels like to be a part of that group of people. This atmosphere is a combination of the moods and attitudes of the people in the group. Learn to be aware of your moods – what they are and what may be contributing to them – and then... Read more →


Longings

Every human being has desires on the inside of them – longings for acceptance, for approval, for a sense of identity, for a sense of belonging, for significance and for a sense of purpose in life. Where do these longings come from? Are they merely a “wish projection” or could they indicate that there is something outside of ourselves that we were created for … just like the presence of thirst indicates that there is something called water? History shows us that we will do anything to try to fulfill these desires on the inside of us. One man tried... Read more →