FREE Webinar: Learn LIVE from David Peterson – Former Head of Coaching at Google

FREE Webinar: Learn LIVE from David Peterson – Former Head of Coaching at Google

As in the past, I want to pass-on opportunities for you to learn how to empower leaders through coaching from global thought leaders in the coach community.

Yes, I do believe we as Christians have the advantage when we coach and equip leaders how to coach other leaders because we have the capacity to rely on the Holy Spirit that others outside the Christian faith do not possess.  And No, I don’t believe we know all there is to know about coaching just because we are followers of Christ.  You and I have much to learn from secular leaders on the topic.

With that backdrop, this month, former Director of Executive Coaching at Google, David Peterson and Coaching Industry Pioneer, David Goldsmith will host a complimentary masterclass called 5 Ways to Accelerate Your Coaching Impact.  I’d love for you to be my guest.

In this live masterclass, David and David will show you how to accelerate your path to more effectiveness in your coaching. You’ll discover how applying the right coaching skills in the right way can help you deliver huge impact quickly. Even for the most challenging leaders.

Get key concepts you can use in your very next coaching engagement!

Register for the Masterclass Here 

If you’re interested, I recommend that you sign up right away. Coach education sessions like these often reach full capacity quickly.

Feel free to share your thoughts with me about this session. Looking forward to hearing from you.

I can’t wait to see you there!

Gary Reinecke
Executive Director
InFocus
MULTIPLY-FOCUS-EMPOWER-PLANT

991.473.4481
www.infocusnet.org
greinecke@infocusnet.org

 

 

What does it cost your ministry to make a new disciple?

What does it cost your ministry to make a new disciple?

Have you been asked: “What is the fruit of an apple?”  It is kind of a trick question.  The expected answer is, “the seeds of another apple”.  The fruit of an apple is NOT just another apple; the fruit of an apple is an orchard.

Relating to Jesus’ commission in Matthew 28:18-20.  The true fruit of a disciple is a disciple who makes disciples – who makes disciples.  Another way of saying this is, the seed of a disciple-making movement are contained in every disciple.

If the fruit of a disciple is a disciple-making movement then a fair but more strategic follow-up question to ask leaders of leaders is: What does it cost your ministry to make a new disciple?  This may seem like an odd question to ask a pastor, church planter or missionary.  But is it really?

I was speaking with a colleague last week.  He mentioned a network of disciple-makers that had done the hard work to track and calculate the return of their investment so they could study the metrics that mattered most to them.  Note, these are conservative estimates.  To-date they have facilitated the transformation of approximately 830,000+ people who now follow Jesus at a cost about $35 per new disciple.  In addition, they tracked the following data points:

  • 2,400,000+ people reached with the gospel
  • 36,000+ churches started
  • 720,000+ people in small groups.
Back to the question: What does it cost your ministry to make a new disciple?

 

This question triggers a number of reactions:

  1. Defensive (We don’t track that sort of thing!) OR Curious (Why do you ask?)
  2. Closed (Are you kidding?) OR Open (I’ve never thought about it that way before.)
  3. Criticism (Aren’t you bringing business principles into the church?) OR Willing (That is an interesting question!)

One of the first things we will do in the Leadership Collective – Missional Discipleship is ask leaders to consider this question. It is a clarifying exercise and one that helps leaders grasp a number of insights.  See if you can relate to these.

5 benefits to asking the question:

What does it cost your ministry to make a new disciple?

  1. Clarifies the type of fruit a leader is harvesting
  2. Channels resources in the direction of making disciples
  3. Helps a leader know what opportunities to say “no” to
  4. Has the potential to align ministries to support the work of making disciples
  5. Empowers teams to celebrate “wins” along the way

Here are some of the reasons why we created the Leadership Collective – Missional DiscipleshipWe believe this is a strategic opportunity for leaders to re-think their disciple-making process due to the restrictions that are being opposed in our society.  See if you resonate with any of these:

  • Simplify your disciple-making process
  • Adapt innovative ideas that have worked elsewhere
  • Create new discipleship processes you have been envisioning

If you relate to any of the above and would like more information on the Leadership Collective – Missional Discipleship – watch the video below.  Micah Dodson and I share the vision for this 10-month learning community so that you have a clear picture of what you will achieve.  We pray you can join us in La Jolla, CA for the launch event November 15-17.Leadership Collective - Missional Discipleship: interview with Gary & Micah

CLICK IMAGE ABOVE

LEADERSHIP COLLECTIVE – Missional Discipleship

LEADERSHIP COLLECTIVE – Missional Discipleship

A real problem I am experiencing in leading our small group is keeping people engaged in the disciplemaking process.  Not just because we are doing this remotely but also because discipleship is hard work.  Can you relate to any of the following challenges that lead to Mission Drift:

  • busy schedules
  • family responsibilities
  • recreation
  • financial obligations
  • work pressure

Many times we stall-out in our development and it is easy to go through the motions and maintain vs. doing the hard work of making disciples, who make disciples.

How does that translate into the leadership roles of church planting, lead pastor or as a pastoral staff member of a church?  The problem of making disciples grows exponentially with increasing scopes of care.  It is one thing to disciple a small group.  It is quite another to be charged with discipling multiple groups.  Or an entire congregation.

The task of making disciples that make disciples is as critical today as it was 2,000 years ago.  In the midst of giving leadership in a local church it can be lost in the tyranny of the urgent.  I invite you to watch an interview with Ty Davis of Tulare Community Church below.  He highlights the challenges he faces in his role on church staff, the struggles he encounters as he reorients his focus on making disciples and the benefits of being part of the Leadership Collective.

Interview with Ty Davis Tulare Community Church

CLICK IMAGE ABOVE

If you would like more information on the LEADERSHIP COLLECTIVE – Missional Discipleship – please CLICK HERE.

Covid-19 UPDATE

InFocus will do everything within our ability to meet and exceed regulations so people are safe, remain healthy and have a peace of mind.  If we believe it is in the best interests of everyone involved we will move the live, face-to-face event in La Jolla to a virtual Zoom event.  We will communicate the adjusted cost and the modified agenda with all interested participants.

 

Leadership Collective – MISSIONAL DISCIPLESHIP TIMELINE

Leadership Collective – MISSIONAL DISCIPLESHIP TIMELINE

Leaders, pastors and church planters are facing challenges like never before.  Some are being hit from both sides of THE DEBATE.  The debate might vary from one moment to the next; but today, at unprecedented levels, leaders are having their values tested in ways like never before.  A common theme that I’ve heard in conversations with several leaders, is the issue of in-person vs. remote gatherings.  Most of you reading this blog have been at the center of that debate.  This is just one of several hot topics today.  There are others that I could mention that are just as volatile or moreso, but that is not the point I am trying to make.

The point is, leaders are dealing with issues that were not even on their radar 6-9 months ago.  I do not want to suggest to know the right answer.  What I do know is that leaders are seeking authentic, responsible and collaborative support to clarify, strengthen and hold to their values.  One leader I spoke to recently shared (and I summarize):

The upheaval in our world, and that I am facing right now, has undercut the rhythms of life and ministry…

…for him AND I might add, for so many others in ministry just like him.

It is encouraging to see places where leaders are seeking innovative solutions to address challenging circumstances impacting disciplemaking.  Clusters of pastors and church planters gathering to encourage, support and brainstorm solutions.  And new ways of doing discipleship are emerging from these encounters.

A few weeks ago I was speaking with my colleague, Micah Dodson of Thrive Church Planting.  And we discussed the question, what can we do?  That is how we came up with the Leadership Collective – MISSIONAL DISCIPLESHIP TIMELINE.

It is our response to help a select group of leaders, pastors and church planters support and encourage one another to clarify their values.  Plain and simple.  We are using the SYMBOL TIMELINE as the tool to help leaders process these together and individually beginning October 2 from 10-10:55am PST.

Here is the plan moving forward.  We will meet for 4 sessions over ZOOM on Fridays from 10-10:55am PST.  Below is the flow of the 4 sessions:

  • October 2: ORIENTATION TO THE MISSIONAL DISCIPLESHIP SYMBOL TIMELINE 
  • October 9: TRANSITIONS & BOUNDARIES 
  • October 16: SHARING YOUR TIMELINE
  • October 23: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Suggested Reading: We are purposefully NOT requiring any resource costs for this exercise.  However, if you would like to learn more about the timeline – especially Transitions & Boundaries, let us suggest a wonderful companion book entitled: STUCK! Navigating the Transition of Life and Leadership”, by Terry Walling.

We will be accepting participants until October 1 @ 5pm PST.  Please CLICK HERE to let us know you are interested in participating by entering your:

  • Name
  • E-mail address
  • Paste MISSIONAL DISCIPLESHIP TIMELINE (in the Message box).

We are excited to get started.  We hope you can join us.  And bring a friend.

Gary Reinecke & Micah Dodson

CLARIFY YOUR VALUES: FREE, “BY-INVITATION-ONLY”, ONLINE COHORT

CLARIFY YOUR VALUES: FREE, “BY-INVITATION-ONLY”, ONLINE COHORT

  1. Are you stuck in a ministry rut?
  2. Are you struggling to forge new relationships to make disciples?
  3. Are you tired of getting the same results, unsure what adjustments you need to make?

Before we begin the Leadership Community for Missional Discipleship we are hosting an online cohort to help you clarify your values.  We’ll do that by facilitating a group through the Symbol Timeline Exercise together.

  • Read more about the Symbol Timeline Exercise, please – CLICK HERE.

This will be the first time me and Micah Dodson have offered this FREE cohort to help you synthesize your values.  The process officially begins October 1 and runs for 4 weeks.  We will be limiting the group to 15 participants; sign-ups are on a first come, first serve basis.

  • If you would like to participate in the FREE online cohort, please – CLICK HERE.

By joining the FREE online cohort you are NOT obligated to participate in the year-long Leadership Collective for Missional Discipleship process, please – CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO HERE.  However, this serves as a clarifying, stand-alone exercise and can be an extremely helpful pre-cursor to the Leadership Collective for Missional Discipleship.

You are invited to participate in the FREE online cohort please – CLICK HERE.

Any questions?  Please e-mail me – CLICK HERE.

Gary Reinecke
Executive Director
InFocus
MULTIPLY-FOCUS-EMPOWER-PLANT