by Derek Sanford | Sep 1, 2024 | Uncategorized
It was a strange time to have a team vision session because it felt more like we were in survival mode than future mode. The state of the world was making it very difficult to look ahead. It was January 21, 2021, and our church leadership team had brought in a couple...
by Derek Sanford | Aug 30, 2024 | Uncategorized
As pastors, we often carry the dual burden of shepherding our congregations spiritually while also managing the practical realities of life, including financial stewardship. It’s no secret that personal financial health can significantly impact our ability to...
by Derek Sanford | Jul 29, 2024 | Uncategorized
Like everyone else, I’ve seen the video of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in what is said to be a mocking depiction of Jesus’ last supper with drag queens and other sexually charged characters. The Olympics X account has since posted that the scene was...
by Derek Sanford | Feb 5, 2024 | Uncategorized
Feedback is invaluable. Regular feedback makes everyone better. It is especially valuable for volunteer leaders who are serving on your teams. For many volunteer leaders, they have important jobs outside the church space, but ministry is a new arena for them. It is...
by Derek Sanford | Jan 27, 2024 | Uncategorized
The best version of you sounds like a self-help phrase or a health and wealth preacher’s mantra. “Maybe,” you’re thinking, “we should put aside trite slogans as our collective New Year’s resolution this year!” But not so fast. Let’s dwell here for a moment. Let’s...
by Derek Sanford | Jan 8, 2024 | Uncategorized
All good teams have huddles. A football team huddles to call the next play. A softball team huddles before a game to get focused. A rock band huddles before the concert to be inspired and to discuss any last-minute adjustments. The same is true for volunteer teams in...
by Derek Sanford | Dec 11, 2023 | Uncategorized
When the Fuel Gauge is on “E” Anybody who’s ever taken a road trip with me, knows that I have a complicated relationship with the gas gauge in my car. It’s not unusual for me to be running on empty down the highway. I like to push a car to its gas-guzzling limits....
by Derek Sanford | Dec 4, 2023 | Uncategorized
An intentional plan for onboarding is an important way to set new leaders up for success. An effective on-ramp to your team ensures that your volunteer leaders will feel welcomed, sets them up to “win,” increases their engagement and satisfaction, improves their...
by Derek Sanford | Nov 6, 2023 | Uncategorized
I recently completed a companion resource for my book, Untapped Church: Discovering the Potential Hidden in Your Congregation. If you’ve read the book and are looking for a practical way to implement the concepts, you might find the Untapped Church Workbook to...
by Derek Sanford | Oct 9, 2023 | Uncategorized
Today I’ll wrap up this blog series on Character in Leadership. We’ve talked about the importance of character, the things that shape character, and cause us to compromise our character. Today I want to talk about the best strategy to employ when your character falls...
