April 21, 2013 By Phil Maynard I come from a Wesleyan tradition so I confess that personal accountability is wired into my being. Having said that, it is also clear across denominational lines and theological perspectives that movement toward maturity in the Christian journey requires a level of accountability. The genius of Wesley’s discipling process [...]
April 11, 2013 By Phil Maynard 5 Ways to Get People into the Word (the most critical element of spiritual growth) Reflection on scripture is the vanilla ice cream of spiritual growth. It is the stuff that all the other spiritual growth catalysts are built upon. Engaging scripture personally and regularly is critical for spiritual [...]
February 20, 2013 By Phil Maynard Some version of the statement “you can’t keep doing things the same way you have been and expect to get different results” (notice how tactful I was here!) seems to be worth pondering by churches Ffrom a wide variety of denominational tribes. We all know it just doesn’t work. [...]
February 20, 2013 By Phil Maynard Chip and Dan Heath, in this very excellent book about leading change, provide amazing insights into how to connect with both our rational and emotional processes to accomplish change. In the first part of the book, the authors introduce the psychology of change using an analogy developed by psychologist [...]
February 20, 2013 By Phil Maynard I think one of the most common misunderstandings about leadership in the church is that the primary job of the leader is to lead (defined as be in charge, make all the decisions, tell people what to do, think up every new ministry focus etc.) This is not what [...]
January 31, 2013 By Phil Maynard Discovering the Possibilities (MAPS – Ministry Action Potential Study) A study of missional opportunities for the local church The Discovering the Possibilities is a facilitated process designed to assist congregational leaders understanding the realities of their ministry context and current ministries, and to begin discerning possibilities for their future [...]
January 23, 2013 By Phil Maynard Doug Anderson, author and speaker from the Reuben Job Center, shared in a workshop the following: “The test of a congregation’s discipling process is whether their core leaders are preference driven or mission focused” The difference between these two ideas is huge… Preference Driven is about getting our way [...]
January 22, 2013 By Phil Maynard It is rare that I work with a church that says it has more than enough leaders to support its ministries and that its leaders are equipped to what is expected of them (and by rare I mean never!). When I talk with pastors and leaders from congregations [...]
December 14, 2012 By Phil Maynard It all started in a discussion during a SHIFTS network meeting with the pastors and key lay persons from five congregations talking about the difference between missional gestures and ministries of engagement related to serving others. One of the pastors was convicted that his congregation had focused on missional [...]
December 4, 2012 By Phil Maynard Reggie McNeal, currently serving as the Missional Leadership Specialist for the Leadership Network, identifies in this classic work three major shifts that must take place in the Church if it is to live into its God-given potential in the next century. This book is a must-read for all church [...]