Church

Guest post – Getting Ready to Cast Vision

December 27, 2011 By Scott Cochrane Leave a Comment

Vision Today I am very pleased to present this guest post from Andy Cook and our friends at the Willow Creek Association in Chicago. For any church leader getting ready to cast vision for the coming year today’s post provides practical tools and inspiration to gain the most milage from your vision-cast.

In this month’s Defining Moments (a benefit WCA member churches), Bill Hybels and Jim Mellado revisit a classic Summit talk, “Making Vision Stick” by Andy Stanley. Andy explains three ingredients of effective vision casting:

Define the problem. What problem is my organization designed to solve? If we don’t do what we do, then what doesn’t get done?
Offer a solution. Your vision is the solution to a problem.
Present them with a reason. Why must we do this? Why must we do it now?

The new year brings an incredible opportunity to refresh a church’s vision. Similar to the U.S. President’s “State of the Union,” this is a dedicated time for pastors to breathe new life into their church’s calling and help people focus on what matters most. Around Willow, it has been the launch of new dreams and seismic shifts. At its core, the vision has never changed—to turn irreligious people into fully devoted followers of Christ—yet this has been the occasion to reaffirm that calling with new language and strategies. (Here’s a link to a recent vision talk by Bill Hybels.)

As you prepare to cast vision, here are some questions to consider on your own:
1. What is my church’s vision? What is stamped into the proverbial cornerstone as to why it exists?
2. Does that still resonate in me as a leader? Do I still get excited about that vision?
3. How do I breathe new life into that vision for myself and my church?
4. In what ways is my church living out that vision right now? If people were to look at our church from the outside, would they guess that we’re all about that vision?
5. What are the settings in which I need to be sharing vision within the next three weeks?
Then, after watching this month’s Defining Moments, here are a few questions to talk about as a team:
1. Rapid-fire, have each person share the vision of your church in a brief sentence.
2. Now, have everybody rephrase your vision to be more personal or compelling for them personally.
3. Where are the areas in which you have sensed vision “drift” in your church?
4. Share some stories of times in which you feel you’ve most lived out your vision as a church.
So, how about you? What vision will you be casting in a few weeks? How are you breathing new life into your church’s vision?

By: Andy Cook (@WCA_AndyCook)
Customer Experience Team Leader
Willow Creek Association

Filed Under: Guest Post, Leadership, Vision Tagged With: Church, Church Vision, Leadership, vision-cast

Turning a Summit Registration into a Leadership Strategy

September 2, 2011 By Scott Cochrane Leave a Comment

The Global Leadership Summit is coming September 29-30 to 22 sites across Canada. The extent to which this event can impact your leadership might be determined the moment you register.

It’s all about intentionality.

When I see a registration for the Summit show up for a group of two or three people, this typically tells me that they are leveraging the Summit primarily to impact their own individual leadership.

When I see a registration for a group of 10 to 12, this usually tells me that a church is sending its staff and perhaps elders to the event. The intent then is to get all the key leaders on the same page.

When I see a registration for a group of 30, 40, 50 or more, this tells me that a leader intends to leverage the Summit to impact his entire church. This leader understands what God can do in and through a congregation when a critical mass has a shared experience like the Summit can provide.

Whatever your leadership strategy, it’s important to have the right tools in place to achieve your goal. One such tool can be this 2-minute Summit vision video.

Whether you’re trying to cast a Summit vision to your staff, your board, or your entire congregation, consider having them watch this with you, and then challenge them to be a part of this experience.

As you prepare for The Global Leadership Summit, September 29-30, let me challenge you to think beyond a mere registration, and toward an intentional Summit strategy.

Because leaders just know, it’s all about intentionality.

What is your strategy for leveraging this year’s Global Leadership Summit?

Filed Under: Leadership Summit Tagged With: Church, strategy, The Global Leadership Summit, The Global Leadership Summit

An Urgent Call to Mobilize Your Team

August 16, 2011 By Scott Cochrane 2 Comments

Oh my.

I’m sitting on my flight home from Chicago en route to Kelowna, processing all that transpired this week at the U.S. version of The Global Leadership Summit.

My own heart was stirred in ways that will, I’m certain, forever mark my leadership. And I’ve renewed my resolve to see churches from across Canada bring teams to the Canadian Summit, September 29-30.

So if you’re still wondering how many you should bring along to The Global Leadership Summit in Canada, I have a simple but important challenge to issue;

BRING AS MANY FROM YOUR CHURCH AS POSSIBLE

To maximize this experience here are 3 keys to seizing maximum impact for your church.

1. START VISION CASTING FOR THE SUMMIT NOW

For the next two weekends, August 20 and 27, carve out a few moments in each weekend service to cast vision for the importance of experiencing “defining moments” together as a church family. Ask them to prayerfully consider joining you at the Summit.

2. CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND

On either of the first two weekends of September, the 4^th or the 11^th, directly challenge your congregation to join you at the Summit. This need not replace your fall kick-off plans; this should be a part of your plans.

We have prepared a package for you to use, which includes a 3 minute trailer to be shown in your service.

To obtain your own Summit invitation package call our office at 800.804.0777.

3. PERSONALIZE THE “ASK”

Set a target not only for how many from your church should attend, but even for who those people should be. Then make the bold ask. Pick up the phone and lay out the challenge. Let them know you need them at the Summit with you to experience what God might have in store for your church.

Don’t allow finances to be a reason someone cannot attend. Find the resources, either within your budget or from a like-minded donor, to supplement the registration fee of those unable to cover the entire fee.

So set a bold target and go for it!

I can’t wait to hear how God uses this event to impact your church.

How will you mobilize your church for this year’s Summit?

Filed Under: Action, Canadian, Church, Community, Leadership Summit, Ministry, Strategy, The Global Leadership Summit Tagged With: Church, GLS 2011, GLSCDA, Leadership, mobilize, vision

RE-POST – Is Your Organization Doing 90 on Empty?

April 19, 2011 By Scott Cochrane Leave a Comment

In his book Seinlanguage, comedian Jerry Seinfeld makes an insightful, and hilarious, observation about perspectives.

“My parents had two constant arguments while they were driving, over how fast my father was going or how much gas was left in the tank.

My father had a standard defense for either one of these. It was always, “That’s because you’re looking at it from an angle. If you were over here, you’d see.

From where you’re sitting, it looks like I’m doing ninety on empty. But that’s because you’re over there. If you were over here, you’d know I’m in the driveway with a full tank.”

Ever felt like that as a leader? Ever found yourself looking at the metrics of your church, your department, or your organization and said to your team, “Wow; things are heading in the wrong direction.” But someone else looks at the same information and says, “That’s because you’re looking at it from over there. From over here things look just fine.”

The bottom line is that when you’re looking at your metrics, you need to know if you’re doing ninety on empty, or actually sitting in the driveway with a full tank.

Here’s what I’ve learned from effective leaders.

Know your business. Do you know the seasonal trends that can affect data? Do you know how other churches or organizations are doing under similar circumstances?

Know your people. Who are the optimists? Who are the pessimists? Who are the realists? Knowing your people will help to filter their analysis.

Know yourself. Are you a “glass half-full” or “glass half-empty” person? Being aware of your own inclinations can help bring clarity to how you view information.

The next time you’re looking at your metrics, try filtering it through these lenses.

Who knows? Maybe you’re doing ninety on empty…

How do you ensure you are accurately assessing your metrics?

Filed Under: Discipline, Leadership, Wisdom Tagged With: assessment, Church, department, direction, metrics, observation, organization, perspectives

Is Your Organization Doing 90 on Empty?

February 18, 2011 By Scott Cochrane 3 Comments