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God's Plan for Your Life Plan

Introducing the 7 Essential Skills of Gospel-Centered Life Design

God wants you to design your life. That’s a bold statement. But is it too bold? Heretical even? Let’s try out the opposite claim: God wants you to make major life decisions without thinking them through. We know that can’t be right. The So I’m going to reassert the claim I began with: God wants you to design your life. But I want to add a tag: God wants you to design your life after his dream for you. God's plan for your But gospel-centered life design doesn’t come naturally. It is learned behavior, thoughtfully practiced over time. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to introduce you to the 7 Essential Skills of Gospel-Centered Life Design (The Life Design 7). These I can’t wait till the next post to get started, so I’m going to show you all seven life design skills right now: Skill #1 – Engage Your Vocational Vision. Embrace four lifelong practices to maximize your work potential and find [...]

Dec 21, 2018 Tweet this

What is the [functional] Great Commission of your Church?

A Manifesto for REAL Church Growth

If we’re honest, it’s pretty easy to see the functional Great Commission in North America: Go into all the world and make more worship attenders, baptizing them in the name of small groups, and teaching them to volunteer a few Photo by Vero Photoart on Unsplash And, “Organized Disciple-Making” does not equate to the programs you’re running—or, for that matter, to the programs the “bigger and better” church down the street or the one across the country is running. See, if you’re [...]

Nov 17, 2018 Tweet this

Life Mission Statement 101: Why You Need One

And Why Most Examples are Worthless

For decades we have heard of the importance of the life mission statement sometimes referred to as a personal mantra or life purpose idea.  But do you really need one? Can a simple little phrase make that much of a difference in your Several years ago, I launched Life Younique, a training company that certifies church leaders to offer gospel-centered life design through their church. I have been passionate about helping people get life mission right–what exactly is the best way to know and name Why is the knowing and naming your LifeCall so important?  In a nutshell your LifeCall enables you to do more of what you do best. It enhances every aspect of what it means to be human; to be alive as Empowers focused living by fortifying your resolve to say “no”Diagnoses frustrating misalignments in the variety of life’s roles at home and workProvides long-term orientation in the midst of suffering or difficult circumstancesProduces increased passion that leads toward greater mastery and [...]

Jan 1, 2018 Tweet this

How to Motivate 5 Types of Church Parking Lot Volunteers

He is the face of your weekly welcome. He is the first human interaction every Guest will experience. He is fighting on the faded front lines of an automotive battlefield. He keeps chaos at bay by the power vested in a reflective nylon [...]

Aug 5, 2017 Tweet this

The 8 Costs of the Pastoral Succession Crisis

What happens to the church when only 1 of 7 pastors are under age forty?

The challenge of pastoral succession is a topic of increasing interest for good reason. In the next decade we will see an unprecedented number of pastors hitting retirement age. In a recent study by Barna Research, we learn that the Collapse of Trust, Relationally Usually, people around the leader see clearly the “emotional block” and unwillingness to think through the succession planning question. Over time some of the best and most trusted relationships for the leader, start loosing the bond of Lack of Equipping, Strategically The irony for the senior pastor who is not preparing to transition is that they rob themselves of the beauty of ministry in the final chapter– one that can and should be defined by equipping others. Robert Forfeit of Legacy, Permanently The most heartbreaking cost, short of moral failure, is the loss of a leader’s legacy when pastoring the flock long beyond their season of effectiveness. Again, it’s so easy for a senior pastor to be blind to [...]

Jul 8, 2017 Tweet this

Introducing Auxano Boot Camps

Innovating Training in Three Critical Topics for Real Church Growth

What if two days with your team could change the trajectory of your church?  You are invited to an exclusive gathering limited to 25 church teams at three different cities around an important break-thru topic. Each topic is a critical factor in reaching With the Guest Experience training, keep in mind that we have done more ‘Secret Worshipper” visits and evaluation that any team in North America.   >>> REGISTER HERE for GUEST EXPERIENCE BOOT CAMP <<< With Pastoral Succession, Auxano is the only team that has translated biblical principles and best practices into a toolbox that any leader can use to design a comprehensive succession roadmap. Will Heath is our lead architect of the toolbox.   >>> REGISTER HERE for PASTORAL With Leadership Pipeline, designed by Mac Lake and myself, Auxano has walked alongside more church leaders than any group in actually building out a functioning leadership development process at every level in a church.  >>> REGISTER HERE for LEADERSHIP PIPELINE BOOT CAMP [...]

Jul 5, 2017 Tweet this

4 Performance Traps that Subvert Healthy Leadership

A recently published article for CO+OP magazine

Performance is a positive word  Respectable employees, good leaders and those of us called into ministry all aspire to performance. Performance is defined as “the execution of action” or “something accomplished.”  Look through the pages of Scripture and you will find action-oriented [...]

Jun 27, 2017 Tweet this

Napkin Sketch Strategies

If you can't draw it, you can't deliver it.

I have grown to appreciate the power of a napkin sketch. In fact, I emphasized in my new book released this week: The Dream Big Workbook released in collaboration with Exponential. 

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Mar 15, 2017 Tweet this

Scorecard Leadership in Ministry

How do you measure your effectiveness?

How do you know when your church is winning? How do you measure your effectiveness in ministry? Is it possible to monitor both faithfulness and fruitfulness?  

I have committed my life to helping church leaders find clear, concise and compelling responses to these questions. Until leaders codify their answers to these questions through tools and equipping environments, the church will fall miserably short of its potential. Dallas Willard asserted, "Instead of counting Christians, we need to weigh them."

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Mar 15, 2017 Tweet this

Reinvent Your Holiday, Reinvent Your Life

Four Powerful Questions to Ask Between Thanksgiving and New Year's

For too many people the joy of the holiday is as hollow as your neighbor’s snowman lawn inflatable. Take your pick of the holiday stress increasers: Less time to get more done, increased expenses...

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Nov 24, 2016 Tweet this

The Younique Life Plan - Personal Calling and Life Planning for the Church

When is the last time a pastor asked you about your Life Plan? Younique launches this week as a new training company that brings a simple and powerful Life Plan experience to believers everywhere. It's not just a brand new life planning So What is The Younique Life Plan? It's the combination of a personal Vision Frame (4 ideas to declare your identity) and a personal Horizon Storyline (4 ideas to define your future). For example, what is known as "mission" on the Vision Frame is now [...]

Oct 9, 2016 Tweet this