NGC Church Innovators

04/02/2025

FEAR

Fear is Satan’s press secretary,

Dread of the future is sometimes justified—
but be wary: it wants to kidnap the present.

Sit with your fear, and listen.
Do you fear losing something?

Then beneath your fear is grief.
Grieve, then, as if all is already lost.

Grief, of course, is love made powerless.
Well, we were powerless to begin with.

Let your fear sink into grief and rise as love.
Bereft now of all but love, nothing else to lose,

you are not captive to your fear.
You carry it, like a costly treasure.

~ Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light

Becoming the righteousness of God For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Christ we might become the righteousness of God. —2 Corinthians 5.21Righteousness is not being right;it’s being in harmony.,being in tune with God, and one another.We are chronically out of tune;...

02/07/2025

Catching people

“Do not be afraid;
from now on you will be catching people.”
—Luke 5.10

The way you look at water and see what's beneath.
The way you know the need and habits
of unseen fish,
live your life by their rhythms,
think about them all the time,
and think they're beautiful.
The way you gather them, the joy
not just of a fish but a shoal, a netful.
And how, if it's people you're gathering,
you're one of them, not different or above,
brought near to each other in something greater,
a web cast in vast steadiness—
all of us caught up together.
Brought close not just to a boat
but a bosom.
Not recruited, but joined,
woven into the net that catches us all,
returning us to each other.

“Catching up alive,” the Greek means,
not snagged, not used,
but drawn, as we are, in love.
Like caught up in a dance.
Something is breathed into us.

We catch by being caught.

~Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes

07/21/2024

Dan Redlands offers excellent insight in this article.

Every church has a tendency to become more complicated as it grows larger.

06/09/2024

06/07/2024

LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM D-DAY

“As the world marked the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on the rugged coast of France today, Mike reached out to John Antal, a retired U.S. Army colonel who in 2017 published "7 Leadership Lessons of D-Day: Lessons from the Longest Day."

Why it matters: The Americans who faced down Hitler's legions on June 6, 1944, "exemplify what is great and good about America," writes Antal, who lives in Allen, Texas, a Dallas suburb. "Their heroism can inspire us. Their leadership can teach us."
Six of Antal's D-Day learnings for leaders:

Leadership is the art of influence. "A leader with confidence can influence teammates to believe in success."

Leaders first learn to follow. "If you won't listen to anyone, you cannot lead."
Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision. Army Lt. Col. James Earl Rudder, who on D-Day led his Army Rangers up the steep cliffs at Pointe du Hoc to capture a Germany artillery position, said years after the war that he was just as afraid as anyone else — sometimes even more so, as he knew the big picture. But he said fear was good because it generated awareness of danger.
Leaders adapt, improvise and overcome.

"Sometimes ... a good plan will work. Most likely, however, the friction of operations will impact the plan and the plan will start to unravel. When that happens, leaders must step in, inspire, and direct their team members to adapt the plan."

Leaders position themselves for decision points. "The skilled leader learns from study and experience where and when to be to make important decisions."
Leadership is by example. "If you have an ineffective team, most likely you have an ineffective leader."

The bottom line: True leaders, Antal writes, are on a lifelong journey "to master the skills of influencing people to succeed."

05/29/2024

I know many of you are in the midst of staff searches and some of you are being appointed to churches with gaps in staffing. So how do you attract excellent candidates in non-monetary ways? This article gives helpful steps. I have found that many people seeking staff positions are more focused on these values rather than salary. People under 50 often say they are looking first for a team environment, a culture of care and connections and a leader who is approachable and listens to staff input and concerns. Often these are the make or break factors in keeping staff longterm.

When seeking your next church staff candidate, it is highly recommended that you consider the following 4 intangible currencies.

05/26/2024

Join us & fellow church leaders September 25-27, 2024 for a transformative experience – including dynamic speakers, practical sessions and vibrant community to equip you with the tools and renewal you need for a new day in ministry.

05/16/2024

Grow your church’s outreach through more effective communications.

Even More Ways to Effectively Communicate with Your Church and Community Participants receive a certificate for 1-hour CEU following the online class. This session is for everyone, no matter the size of your church or whether you’ve attended previous communications webinars by Kevin Slimp. If you....

05/15/2024

The Leadership Summit at Church of the Resurrection is one of the absolute best training events for United Methodist pastors and laity. Last year I took 26 people from North Georgia. They were encouraged, inspired and learned from excellent practitioners. Check it out and get registered. Scholarships available for seminary students and pastors serving small churches.

Join us & fellow church leaders September 25-27, 2024 for a transformative experience – including dynamic speakers, practical sessions and vibrant community to equip you with the tools and renewal you need for a new day in ministry.