Pages
Topics
- administration (22)
- assessment (20)
- bible (16)
- books (79)
- bowen family systems theory (142)
- children (52)
- Christian Education (107)
- congregational life (106)
- curriculum (37)
- Design (79)
- development theory (28)
- discipleship (26)
- ecumenical (16)
- games (4)
- handouts (14)
- humor (23)
- leadership (147)
- liturgical seasons (17)
- movies and films (7)
- personal growth (94)
- philosophy (29)
- Prayer (3)
- quotes (49)
- retreats (5)
- second chair (41)
- sermons (3)
- spiritual gifts (2)
- Spirituality (1)
- Sunday school (27)
- teaching (106)
- technology and education (22)
- theology (39)
- Uncategorized (76)
- vacation bible school (1)
- vocation (8)
- world view (33)
- worship (24)
Blogroll
Organizational websites
Archives
- March 2026
- February 2026
- January 2026
- July 2019
- February 2017
- June 2015
- April 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- May 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- June 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- May 2012
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
Visitors to our site!
Login
Category Archives: leadership
Winter issue of Leadership in Ministry Workshops newsletter
The winter 2009 issue of the Leadership in Ministry Workshops (LIM) newsletter is now available. You can download a copy of the newsletter by visiting the LIM website and selecting the link to the newsletters from the main menu. The … Continue reading
Posted in bowen family systems theory, leadership, personal growth
Comments Off on Winter issue of Leadership in Ministry Workshops newsletter
Rethinking consulting
I’ve been doing formal consultation since 1989, when I started Educational Consultants. The venture achieved all the goals I had for it, including covering the college tuition for the boys. While success is its own reward, there’s a downside to … Continue reading
Posted in humor, leadership
1 Comment
Book review: Leaders Who Last, by Marcuson
Margaret Marcuson touches all the right bases in her first book for congregational leaders, Leaders Who Last: Sustaining Yourself and Your Ministry (Seabury Press, 2009). It is a primer on effective ministerial leadership based on perennial principals and much influenced … Continue reading
Posted in books, bowen family systems theory, congregational life, leadership
Comments Off on Book review: Leaders Who Last, by Marcuson
Pondering the imponderables
Some of my students in my philosophy course are starting to get annoyed that the professor doesn’t answer their questions. More often than not, when a student asks a question, the professor will respond, “That’s a good question,” or, “What … Continue reading
Homeostasis finds a way
One interesting phenomena of the power of homeostasis is that whenever a leader attempts to bring about change he or she will most certainly encounter sabotage. And while we can find some comfort in the notion that reactivity is unimaginative, … Continue reading
Posted in bowen family systems theory, leadership
Comments Off on Homeostasis finds a way
What will they say about you?
Leaders who are shortsighted worry too much about what people say about them. Whether it’s because of insecurity, a need for affirmation, issues related to competence or image, many leaders measure success in the metrics of immediate change. More often … Continue reading
Posted in bowen family systems theory, leadership
Comments Off on What will they say about you?
Nattering Nabobs of Negativity
One of the most important qualities for leaders is the capacity for vision. Extraordinary leaders, however, are visionaries. The dilemma for visionaries is that they often are ahead of their time. Leaders with vision see the horizons and lead people … Continue reading
Posted in bowen family systems theory, leadership
Comments Off on Nattering Nabobs of Negativity
A classic pastoral triangle
I’ve experienced the third instance in recent months of a classic pastoral triangle. It’s “classic” in the sense that it has all of the components of an “elegant” emotional process triangle: (1) it is generated by anxiety, (2) its source … Continue reading
Posted in bowen family systems theory, congregational life, leadership
Comments Off on A classic pastoral triangle
The pastoral leader as resident theologian
Students in my online class have been studying about leadership in the congregation. From their reading (The Hidden Lives of Congregations) they are discussing some of the concepts addressed in the book: (1) the function of leadership is influence, (2) … Continue reading
Posted in leadership, theology
Comments Off on The pastoral leader as resident theologian
Functioning at one’s best
I received an interesting question about Bowen’s concept of self-differentiation. The question, an imaginative one, was “what if” some day scientists discovered a “differentiation gene.” It was fun to ponder, but, genes don’t work that way. More to the point, … Continue reading
Posted in bowen family systems theory, leadership, personal growth
Comments Off on Functioning at one’s best
