markjlenz

Posts by markjlenz

Stats & Stories: Using Both for Maximum Impact

It’s been said that facts are your friends. This is true in business, relationships, education and faith. Even though facing facts can sometimes be hurtful, truth needs to be exposed and embraced to make headway in all areas of life. To make any wise decision, it’s important to have the right information. But you need […]

How Staff Values Can Impact Church Culture

If you’ve been in ministry for a while, you may have noticed how easy it is for a church to stray from its original purpose. Mission drift happens subtly and over time, but if it’s not addressed it can lead your church down a well-worn path towards irrelevance. This can lead to churches getting really […]

The Key to Improving Boss / Employee Relations

Have you ever been in a work environment where you’ve had issues with your supervisor? Ever had disagreements with your boss? If you’re like most people, you probably have. Many factors can contribute to an uneasy work environment, but the most common is the employee / boss relationship. In his book, The Truth About Employee […]

Three Simple Tips to Improve Workplace Efficiency

When Jesus sent out his disciples to minister, he told them to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16). To put it another way, he told them to be smart, efficient and quick to learn, but also to be gentle and humble in their approach. Working with wisdom, integrity and […]

Small Group Axioms

In the 1970’s and 80’s small groups began becoming popular in churches. Today, it’s hard to find a church without some sort of small group ministry. In some cases, small groups have replaced Sunday School as the main approach to Christian education and fellowship. In other cases, small groups compliment Sunday School by offering a […]

The DNA Difference: Church Plant vs. Multisite

A lot has been said in recent years about two specific strategies to reach more people for Christ. Church planting and, for lack of a better word, multi-siting. Both have been used successfully to expand the kingdom of God, reach people for Christ and disciple new believers. Both are good approaches. But there is a […]

What Hedgehogs Teach Us About Ministry

In Jim Collin’s classic book, Good to Great, he introduces readers to the idea of a Hedgehog Concept. Collins says the idea came from a famous essay by Isaiah Berlin called “The Hedgehog and the Fox.” It’s based on the ancient Greek parable: “The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” […]

Book Review: Embracing Followership

Allen Hamlin Jr’s book Embracing Followership – How to Thrive in a Leader-Centric Culture is a fascinating look at the unique nature of followership, its relation to leadership, and the critical way it builds the kingdom and enhances the body of Christ. This work dives into the topics of influence and authority, formal and informal […]

How To Fail Forward

For years I’ve pondered an interesting question. If I wrote a book called How to Fail, and it became a best-seller, would that be a good thing? In today’s world, there seems to be a subconscious, relentless drive toward being successful. There are countless conferences, books and podcasts on the topic of attaining success in […]

Three Unanswerable Questions to Ponder When You’re Being Fired

Fired. Separation. Forced resignation. Regardless of how you say it, it means the same thing. You once worked at a church. Now, suddenly, you don’t. If you find yourself in your supervisor’s office and the HR director unexpectedly joins you, your heart will start to pound, you’ll feel flushed, and you’ll soon realize your time […]

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