Since 2005 I been in regular contact with Colin Noyes from Brisbane, Australia. He has been a friend, colleague and coach. His thoughts on discipleship and disciplemaking are worth considering especially in the post-modern culture we encounter on a daily basis today.
I encourage you to read his current blog-post entitled “The Starting Point” – CLICK HERE!
Have A Clear Knowledge of Where You Are As A Leader, And How To Get Better!
I’ve found one way to engage leaders in a developmental conversation is to ask them to assess themselves.
There are a number of excellent tools out there that do a great job, providing a reliable and valid baseline that leaders trust. One tool I’ve used with dozens of leaders is called the Leadership Effectiveness Profile. It helps a leader reflect on eight key areas that every leader utilizes as she/he leads a team.
When leader’s see their profile it causes them to pause!
To enhance this exercise, InFocus in partnership with Scrappy Leader has incorporated video to highlight each of the eight competencies in the Leadership Effectiveness Profile online course. The combination of the assessment with the videos is a solid resource to help a leader take the next step in their development. Ideally, the resource works best in the context of a coaching relationship.
Please CLICK HERE for more information or contact InFocus to SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT or call/text me at 951.473.4481.
Core values are both personal and corporate.
I’ve found that many individuals and teams are vague on their values. Case in point, how many times have you discovered a laundry list of values when you ask leaders to share/recite their personal or corporate values? I want to share with you a YouTube video that will challenge you to think through your core values and arrive at three that you will commit to memory.
The title of the YouTube video is, You Have Too Many Core Values by Storybrand founder, Don Miller. He is the author of the book, “Blue Like Jazz” that you may have read. The point he makes is worth considering for you and your team.
One of the reasons we are offering the Personal Calling Collective LIVE is to help people discover their personal values. As people take this important step they will have a greater sense of self, a greater understanding of how the Lord has created them and a greater sense of calling. I hope you can join me and my co-facilitator, Mukesh Azad in June 2019. CLICK HERE for more information.
This image has particular interest this week as part of the cathedral was burned and altered the Parisian skyline. Notre Dame de Paris or “Our Lady of Paris” was started in 1163 and was largely complete by 1345. For almost two centuries this amazing piece of architecture was under construction.
I wonder what motivated the visionaries that envisioned this house of worship.
What motivates you to do what you do? I enjoy asking this question because you can tell a lot about a person by their answer. In the case of Notre Dame was it to reach the heavens so that people could get closer to God; to honor and give glory to God; to make the cathedral the heart of Paris? Whatever the reasons, people dedicated their lives to fulfill the vision.
When asking people who are discerning how to align their lives with God’s purposes – it takes on an entirely different meaning. I remember when I was a college student studying environmental design I was asking myself this very question. It led me to explore other avenues than I had previously considered, including ministry. My dad was a businessman who was trained as an electrical engineer so ministry was unfamiliar territory. One morning as we were walking and talking, he made an observation pertaining to the internship I was doing at the church where I was raised in the Faith. He made a comment that range true for me and solidified the change I was contemplating. He admitted that he did not understand what a vocation of ministry involved; but he did notice that I was invigorated more and more by what I was doing. That helped me sort through the fog that cluttered my mind and see for the first time what I had sensed in my heart. Words matter – especially when it comes from someone you respect, love and desire to be like.
That eventually led me down the path of seminary and into coaching, to help: emerging leaders and leaders discern what God was calling them to, navigate critical issues to catalyze movements of disciples that start healthy churches that start churches and faithfully serve God in the next chapter of their life.
One of the reasons we created the Personal Calling Collective is to help you and those you coach do just that. Younger leaders have a great need for this type of support AND established leaders need it just as much. CLICK HERE for more information. Here are a couple of resources that might help you, and others, discern what God is calling you to next:
Personal Calling Coaching Guide with Storyboard
Personal Calling Storyboard
Gary empowers leaders to discover and realize their God-given potential, not by imitating others, but by striving to become the best possible version of themselves.
Lead Pastor,, Sunrise Community Church
How many times have you taken people through some kind of process to discern their spiritual gifts, passions, skills or strengths – only to discover that they had not budged in pursuing their calling from God?
When I first started out in ministry my role in the college group that I was serving was to help people understand their spiritual gifts. It did exactly what it was designed to do. People with a gift of service found a place to serve. Over and over again I helped people find how and where they could use their gifts. What I realized is, that this is a good starting point but not how people naturally thrive long-term.
Now, I see that the process needs to be embedded in a coaching relationship, providing feedback on an ongoing basis. When the feedback loop is provided, the person has a chance to reflect on what they are doing, make adjustments then focus more and more on what they enjoy most or – passionate about. I remember one person that I worked with for an extended period is now thriving in a church planting ministry.
However, that support is often-times missing for people who are discerning their way in ministry.
The solution is to have leaders who know how to support people in their unique, personal calling process. One group that we really, really need to help is the up and coming generation. Call them what you want, the younger generation are hungry for this type of attention – that is one reason we created the Personal Calling Collective, LIVE online learning community. To help you learn how to support followers of Jesus to discern what He has called them to do with their spiritual gifts, passions, skills, strengths all in the context of their life journey.
One of the tools that is central to the Collective is the Focused Ministry Coaching Guide & Storyboard. It provides the framework for the self-discovery process. What I like it that it describes the process – allowing you to utilize tools that you are most comfortable with to assess a person’s spiritual gifts, passions, skills, strengths, etc. There are so many available today and every leader has their favorites.
Who do you know that might benefit from being a part of an exciting group of leaders, working hard to help people discern what God has called them to accomplish?
The start date is June 24 and the Collective includes four, 1-hour group sessions with six, 1-1 coach appointments; for a total of 10 contact hours. Please reach-out to me direct and let me know if you have any questions. You can schedule a time to meet by CLICKING HERE.
Below is a breakdown of the topics you will learn how to coaching people through:
INVOLVE
ASSESS
REFINE
REPRODUCE
CLICK HERE for more information.