“Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him.” - Psalm 37:7

What do you do in times of uncertainty?  How do we lead when anxious people look to us for stability and a road map when we don’t have one? 

Times of uncertainty are certainly not new but when they come, we are called upon to act in such a way that provides help and hope for those depending on us. To do that, however, we have to get our inside world put right.  

For me, what has helped me get my inside world right is Psalm 37:7 and the promise found within. 

Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him.

These words are an anchor in the storm.  A beacon in the fog.  A rock amidst shifting sand. A place to lay down our weary lives.  

We quiet down before God not just as an escape from our duty but as a place to go in order to fulfill our duty. I (not unlike many of you) have had to deal with canceled events, lost opportunity, financial loss, health concerns, and been wondering what do I focus on now? 

As I have walke...

“It isn't the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions.” — W. Bridges* 

Change is situational and transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation (according to W. Bridges). Unless transition occurs, change will not work. 

“There can be any number of changes, but unless there are transitions, nothing will be different when the dust clears.” — W. Bridges

We see this in our personal lives and in the congregations we serve. 

The three stages in transition

Transition begins with an ending, moves into the neutral zone, then enters into a new beginning phase.  

1. An ending 

Transition begins with an ending and a letting go. Israelite's were given the opportunity to let go of Egypt as the first step in their transitional journey to the Promised Land. Their ending involved a radical event and was the intervention strategy God used to launch them on their journey towards a better future. 

2. The neutral zone

After the letting go com...

A small beginning can lead to a big impact!

God’s Word to Zerubbabel through Zechariah went like this, “Do not despise these small beginnings” (Zech. 4:10).

This message was delivered to discouraged leader and a demoralized people who were trying to get back on their feet after a difficult transition. In his doubt, Zerubbabel needed this message from the Lord…

Start small and see what a difference you can make when I’m in it with you!

Small beginnings in our lives can make a big difference

I’m approaching this new year with a focus on the small beginnings — the ones I believe God is in on.

What’s your temperature as you begin 2020? Optimistic? Excited? Overwhelmed? Doubtful? Cautious? Determined? Expectant? Curious?

I’m approaching this year from a posture of stillness.

Truth is, I’ve picked STILLNESS as my theme for 2020 — my one word. I’m very aware that I need to cultivate and practice stillness if I’m going to keep from feeling overwhelmed in my outer world.

I also lan...

John Wayne once said, “You're short on ears and long on mouth.” I’m not sure who John was talking to but it could certainly have been me.

How about you? Do you ever find yourself short on ears and long on mouth?

Listening is one of the most loving things you and I can do at home, with our friends, and in the places where we lead and seek to make a kingdom difference. Paul Tillich agrees: “The first duty of love is to listen.”

Paul said, “Love cares more for others than for self…[love] doesn’t force itself on others, isn’t always me first…”

What gets in the way of effective listening

1. We have our own interests (Phil. 2)
2. It’s hard work
3. We’re too busy to take the time required to really listen
4. We have unresolved issues of our own lives that get in the way (ie. hurt, stress, insecurity, the need to be listened to)
5. We feel like the person only wants to talk and isn’t open to my input
6. We loose control of the conversation when we listen (or so we think)

There was a ninety-year-o...

Are you more like a soldier or a scout?

A soldier’s job is to protect and defend a position. A scout’s job is to seek out and explore new possibilities. Two distinct approaches with very different outcomes.

In his book, The Book of Beautiful Questions, Warren Berger suggests that scout like behavior gives a leader a definite advantage.

During times of change and transition, this is especially true. We need flexibility and approach situations as scouts who are on the look out for new possibilities, new ideas, and new ways forward.

The Intellectual Humility of a Scout

“The mindset of a scout is rooted in curiosity. Scouts are more likely to say they feel pleasure when they learn new information or solve a puzzle. They’re more likely to feel intrigued when they encounter something that contradicts their expectations.”*

Leaders with scout-like behavior have what’s called intellectual humility.

Intellectual humility is “a state of openness to new ideas, a willingness to be recept...

Working with churches in transition is challenging work and requires a certain type of leadership. The season of transition is messy and filled with a wide range of emotions and experiences.

After spending a few days training some transitional leaders and hearing stories from the front line, I made a few observations and gained some fresh insights I wanted to share with you hear. Feel free to add to this conversation.  

7 Insights to Help Shape Your Thinking and Practice

1. To learn new skills you have to get uncomfortable.

Pastors are often ill-equipped to be coach-like facilitative change management specialists. They must learn to use and strengthen new muscles. They must be aware of their learning gaps and be willing to go through the awkwardness of unlearning behaviors that get in the way of being an effective transitional pastor, leader, and coach.

It’s not easy or automatic to make the shift to a more coach-like approach to ministry. Pastors are trained to tell, direct, and ...

“Yesterday’s solutions and procedures may not provide an adequate or appropriate response to the present challenges. Hence, the biggest hurdles facing long-time leaders may not be in learning new insights and skills, but in unlearning what they consider to be tried and true and what thus provides them with a false sense of security.”
— Eddie Gibbs in Leadership Next

Your biggest challenge in working with a congregation in transition, may not be to simply find the right map to follow but in helping them unlearn what might be holding them captive to past solutions.

An analogy I've found helpful in thinking about the role of a traveling companion and coach to congregations in transition (of any kind) is to see our role not as map readers but as navigators. I give credit to Leonard Hjalmarson in his book, Broken Futures, for reminding me of this way of framing the work we do (a book I recommend you add to your reading list).

Eddie Gibbs says further, “The church needs navigators tun...