Friday Finds - Pastors Being Great Bosses and Church "Meet & Greet" Time
It's already that time again - I'm gearing up to meet this spring's group in my Executive Pastor Coaching Network, which begins next week. It's going to be a great week of sharing, listening, coaching, learning, and sharpening one another. With that in mind, I've been extra focused this week on being prepared for the 18 leaders who will be joining us. (We also celebrated our team at Vanderbloemen being named #5 Top Company Culture in the nation by Entrepreneur.com - I'm grateful to work on a team with such a passion for serving the kingdom.)
Here are some articles to help you be a better leader this week:
3 Things You Can Always Do As A Leader by Taylor Snodgrass via Get4Sight.com
I've seen it in myself and I've seen it in other leaders I've mentored. "I can't do that," "I'm not good at that," "I don't have time," or "That's not my department." But, as Taylor Snodgrass wisely points out, "To be a strong and trustworthy leader, I can’t pass the buck. If I’m to be a leader worth following, then I need to come to the table with more than, 'I can’t.'" Taylor isn't just smart because he married my daughter (although, let's face it, that was a great decision). He also writes well and shares some tremendous insight in this quick-to-read article.
Ten Ways Pastors Can Be Great Bosses by Thom Rainer via ThomRainer.com
Of all the things pastors are taught in seminary, how to be a great boss isn't usually something that's focused on. But it's so important that church leaders strive to be the best bosses they can be - what better kingdom witness than to seek to serve those on your church staff? A lot of these ten ideas that Dr. Rainer lists have to do with creating a great staff culture - a subject we love on the Vanderbloemen team.
What Happened When I Spent A Day With God by Chris Brown via Stewardship.com
Chris Brown, a member of Dave Ramsey team and host of the True Stewardship podcast, is a good friend of the Vanderbloemen team. He describes what so many leaders feel when we allow ourselves to get too busy - he even points out that extreme busyness is unbiblical. Read on...
This podcast has sparked a lot of dynamic conversations and questions this week. Yes, churches need to be intentional about greeting and welcoming visitors. BUT is the one-minute-stand-and-greet-your-neighbors time the most effective way to do that? My colleague David Fantin brings up some interesting questions based on his time of visiting different churches and seeing how they welcome guests.
What are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments below.