Things we must take with us as leaders into the future of the Church.

Easter spells hope. Clarity creates certainty. No one knows for sure what gathering restrictions will be like at Easter. AHS Step 3 may go into effect on March 22nd. What that means for gathering restrictions is unknown. Planning for an onsite AND an online service this Easter weekend creates certainty for your team and congregation and hope for seekers in your community.

Our world desperately needs disciples who not only call themselves Christians, but who reflect Jesus. The accountability factor is what takes a micro-shift from the individual level to the church-wide level and where you can begin seeing discipleship as a system from a thirty-thousand-foot level. When a micro-shift is made at this level, your church will embark on a new trajectory to both spiritual and numerical growth.

25 years ago Starbucks made a shift. If Starbucks had only focused on the what, without making an intentional shift to the where and when, they would not have experienced the widespread success that they have. After all, people do not just go to Starbucks for the coffee; they also go to relax, read, work, and have conversations. This micro-shift led to a macro-change in the coffee-drinking culture. What if you could make a similar micro-shift as a church leader that would result in a macro-change in your disciple making culture? What if this micro-shift would set your church on a trajectory to both spiritual and numerical growth? Would you consider it?

She felt a nervous excitement signing up for the women’s event. It wasn’t easy to do, but she reasoned that spending time with other Christian women would allow her to meet friends and find a welcome into the life of her new church. No one welcomed her. Everyone was busy. The only seat open was a corner one on the very last row. Every occupied chair seemed to scream, “You aren’t welcome here. We already have friends, and you aren’t one of them.” Of course, this was not the intent. Still, it was a memory she never forgot.

Obsession may seem like a sinister thing in Hollywood movies, but it's fuel when it's directed toward godly outcomes. Those who obsess over their mission are likely to stick with their work well beyond the time the non-obsessed have given up. Obsession is a passion of the resilient.

As church leaders move into the future it would serve us well to be exposed to the diversity of the world. If we aren’t, our default mental models will create a single-story narrative to help us make sense by making simplistic assumptions that ensure our comfort and keep us from having to change.

As COVID-19 continues to affect in-person gatherings for churches, congregations need to once again consider options for conducting annual congregational business meetings. Here are some answers to questions you may have.

Resilience can be developed by anybody of any age. Leaders across Canada offered their personal practices that helped them build resilience. Good for you, your family and your team.

Our role is to put our feet into the water, He will provide the wind and create the way forward.

It doesn’t have to be a huge carnival. It doesn’t have to be a musical that takes months to prepare and dozens of volunteers. It doesn’t need a whole lot of money to make it happen. I’m talking about showing God’s love by blessing your community.

Helping leaders understand the way they have processed COVID in stages from the onset to the present.

If you are lucky enough to never experience any sort of adversity, you won’t know how resilient you are. It’s only when you’re faced with obstacles, stress, and other threats that resilience, or the lack of it, emerges: Do you succumb or do you surmount? The good news is, resilience can be developed in unlimited quantities. Take it from Gandalf, science and the apostle Paul.

Are you thinking about Easter 2021 yet? Wondering if restrictions will be lifted? Will we be able to gather onsite and if so, what percentage of capacity will be allowed? There is a good possibility that church this Easter will look a lot more like 2020 than 2019. The good news is you don’t have to wait until Easter to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus.

Great teams learn how to bounce back after a loss. Great people do as well. So, how do you bounce back after a difficult Sunday? Or Board meeting? Or a message you weren’t fully prepared to deliver? Or a volunteer resignation? How do you deal with the raw emotions that surface and work to rise above them? What’s your bounce-back plan?

Because life advances at the speed of trust, building relationships on integrity and respect is a welcomed support for community leaders. COVID magnified the need for relational community strength and accelerated change. Make the effort in 2021 to personally be familiar with all 15 leaders on this list.

A Canadian Olympian, a psychotherapist, a hip hop dancer, a pastor and two global development workers walk into adversity. And no, this isn't a set-up line for a joke. These are real people in real adversity and what you can learn from how they developed resilience to be their best.

Feel like quitting? You are not alone. Cut yourself some slack. Have you ever been through a pandemic before? None of us have. You possess more resilience than you imagine.