“I’m completely frustrated.” Months of pent-up tension poured out as Allan, a senior pastor, explained his staff struggles to ministry consultant and coach Tony Morgan. “Members of this church tell us that they feel nurtured, loved, and supported,” said Allan. “But my staff can’t seem to get anything done.” It wasn’t long before Tony understood…
Read MoreBury, Boast, or Build Your Personal Strengths? Third in a four-part series on parenting from your strengths Differences divide families today as never before. A large percentage of homes are filled with conflict, isolation, brokenness, or crisis – and Christians are not immune. Fortunately, new generations understand the value of the family as our social…
Read MoreCompass or Map? How a Parent Finds “True North” Second in a four-part series on parenting from your strengths Just as a GPS helps you stay on course as you travel to reach your destination, parents across the globe need a simple parenting GPS – Global Parenting System – to help them stay on course…
Read MoreHow a GPS Can Help You Be A Better Parent First in a four-part series on parenting from your strengths Rob’s face was red and Kate’s hands shook as they turned away from each other in frustration. When it came to parenting their two children, it seemed as if the couple was completely out of…
Read MoreStressed? You’re not alone. But you can beat stress. Three out of four Americans regularly experience both the psychological and physical symptoms caused by stress. And modern life stress shows no sign of backing off. Nearly half of those surveyed (44%) say that their stress has increased over the past five years. Beat Stress When…
Read MoreValuing Strengths: Can You Rewire Your Brain’s Default Setting? When Dave walked into the office on the first day of his new job, the first person he saw was Nicole. And he didn’t like what he saw. Nicole’s hands fluttered over a messy desk as she spoke on a cell phone, simultaneously checking email and…
Read MoreAs Director of Hacienda El Refugio (an outdoor adventure and retreat center near Quito, Ecuador) Paul Reichert leads a multicultural team of 25 staff members who serve the Latin American church. “Everything we do is focused on leadership development,” says Paul. He and his staff not only conduct retreats for youth, church, school, business, and…
Read MoreTrust Is Earned Fifth in a 5-part series about building intimacy in your small group Why do some small groups move through stages of commitment, honesty, and acceptance, building intimacy along the way – and others never get off the ground? The key is desire. Without a willingness to grow, a small group can stay…
Read MoreAcceptance Celebrates Differences Fourth in a 5-part series about building intimacy in your small group Personal walls are the greatest barrier to building strong, close relationships within a small group. People build walls for various reasons, as we learned in our previous two articles. Mike longed for intimacy, but he built walls because he did…
Read MoreSmall Group Breakthroughs, Part 3 Honesty: Taking Off Your Mask Third in a 5-part series about building intimacy in your small group Building intimate relationships takes commitment, honesty, acceptance, and trust. That kind of intimacy is an incredible testament to the power of God working among us – and is modeled in small groups. Mike…
Read More