Ron Edmondson

MARCH 7, 2011

I think we use the word team too casually these days. A team…at least a healthy team…is not just a group of people who perform a common task. That may be a group, but it shouldn’t be called a team. I’ve written on healthy teams before: 10 Characteristics of a Healthy Team. Signs of an Emotionally Healthy Team. You can tell a healthy team by how it responds to each other and how it performs as a team.

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Team Training Succession Leadership 60

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 14, 2011

Leaders create capacity in an organization so the organization and people can grow… That’s what leaders do… Great leaders: Paint the void – Allow others to see what could be accomplished… Empower the team – Give the tools, resources and power to accomplish the task… Release – Let go of the control so others can lead… Repeat - As often as possible… If you are always the doer and never the enabler then you are not a leader.

Micromanagement 58

Micromanagement Tools Team Resources 58

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 20, 2011

One of the most frequent issues I deal with as a pastor is the issue of forgiveness. There is so much hurt among people and the tendency is to bottle it up in an unforgiving spirit. It would be easier to hold a grudge, but Scripture is clear we have an obligation to forgive…just as we have been forgiven. Whenever I address this issue, I get push back from those who say they can’t get over what was done to them.

Stress 58

Stress Course Goal 58

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 30, 2011

I’m excited to introduce you to the book “Today We Are Rich” by Tim Sanders. Tim is a familiar face to Catalyst folks, having energized audiences there before, but Tim is most noted as a New York Times best selling author and former exeuctive with Yahoo. Tim’s enthusiasm is contagious and “Today We Are Rich” helps explain how Tim become the motivator he is…and helps the reader know how to achieve it.

Books 57

Books Real Estate Short-term Bond 57

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 28, 2011

Leadership is abuzz these days. Everyone is talking about it, yet it appears many organizations and churches are consistently looking for leadership. In my conversations with other churches, people want to know how to find, attract, and train leaders. Apparently it is far easier to call oneself a leader than it is to actually be a leader. Perhaps we need to do a better job distinguishing what leadership actually means.

Definition 56

Definition Leadership Leadership Styles Training 56

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 2, 2011

Dear church planter (and others)… In the growth phase, everything is changing, life moves at rocket pace… Somedays you don’t know whether you are coming or going… It’s a bit overwhelming, stressful, even a bit scary at times… I hear this often from new church plants and fast growing churches… I feel (and identify with) your pain… I see part of my calling to help church leaders during this time… I pray you protect your heart and your family

Stress 56

Stress Advice Skills Leadership 56

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 1, 2011

I was working with a church recently that is facing a growth barrier. They have experienced rapid growth and now the staff is stretched beyond what they can do. There are holes of responsibilities not being filled. My opinion…and they agree…is that they can’t continue growing unless something changes. The “genius&# suggestion I gave them is that they must rise up new leaders, empower them with authority, and spread the load of responsibility.

Follow-up 55

Follow-up Influence Examples Team 55

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 18, 2011

I want to give you a book… Money & Marriage … Financial expert Matt Bell wants to help newlywed and engaged couples make the most of each other’s financial strengths, teaching them how to work together to build a solid financial future. Through a ten-step action plan, Bell teaches how to prioritize goals, get out of debt, build savings, invest wisely, buy a house, and much more—all in a way that minimizes stress and maximizes unity.

Books 55

Books Stress Learning-by-Doing Goal 55

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 4, 2011

An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Proverbs 27:5. I was talking to one friend recently who made a very pointed criticism of another mutual friend. It was obvious he has a sincere concern about our other friend, but instead of addressing it with him, he decided to mention it to me. Honestly I wondered how many other “friends&# with whom he has had this same conversation.

Guidelines 55

Guidelines Succession 55

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 19, 2011

Too many people shy away from what God has called them to do… They run because of: Fear… Uncertainty… Past mistakes… Selfishness… ??????? Yet… I’ve learned, however, that the sweetest days of life are when you are found within the center of God’s will for your life. Even as scary, unknown, uncomfortable and risky as living that way may appear at first… So…let me ask you… Are you doing what God has burdened your heart to do?

Uncertainty 51

Uncertainty Planning How To 51

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 3, 2011

Is it common in your marriage for one spouse to be strong when the other is weak? Or is that just in my marriage? Cheryl and I have noticed that it goes in seasons for us, and sometimes even day-to-day. When Cheryl is having a bad day…week…month…I seem to be having a better period of time. Cheryl often appears to be stronger during my weaker moments… I often appear stronger during her weaker moments… We have found it to be true emotionally, physically, and sometimes

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50

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 6, 2011

“Martha, Martha,&# the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, Luke 10:41 NIV. I’m confident that wasn’t the response Martha was looking for. Didn’t Jesus care that Mary refused to cut the pies or set the table? Couldn’t He see that Martha had so much to do if they were still going to eat by noon? Shouldn’t Jesus have told Mary to get up and get busy?

Maturity 49

Maturity Follow-up Report Course 49

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 3, 2011

Determining when to make change and when to leave things the same is one of the most delicate decisions of leadership, but I know one thing for sure: “It’s working&# should never be the primary reason to avoid change. It could be a reason. Not everything needs changing. Some things are timeless. Change for change sake sounds good but isn’t always the best idea.

Uncertainty 49

Uncertainty Resistance Motivation Team 49

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 29, 2011

As the organization grows, a leader’s role begins to change. I have a friend who leads a growing organization. The speed of the growth could easily rouse my friend’s controlling nature, but he’s a good enough leader to recognize his weakness in this area. He knows that in order for the organization to continue to grow, he must resist the tendency to direct every decision.

Resistance 49

Resistance Goal Organization Leadership 49

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 28, 2011

Tonight, regardless of your support or lack of support for the President or the situation we currently face in Libya, our President looked like a president. He was strong in speech, decisive, and took personal responsibility for our country’s actions in Libya. The line which struck me was, “ When our interests and our values are at stake, we have a responsibility to act.&# and, “ (to not act) would be a betrayal to who we are” and “ a failure to act in Libya would carry a far g

Politics 48

Politics Cost Examples Leadership 48

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 31, 2011

As a leader, or even as a team member, we constantly have to make decisions. Great leaders understand the power of decision-making and learn to use this power wisely. In simple terms, leaders should consider two methods of decision-making. Some decisions can be arbitrary decisions and others need to be calculated decisions. Knowing which type of decision making to use at a given time will help you be a better leader.

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Long-term Definition Cost Power 48

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 4, 2011

We are working on a redesign of the Grace Community Church website. You can look at our current site HERE. Like my post yesterday , sometimes it’s just time for a change. We realize that as we’ve grown, our site has become bulky, harder to navigate, and needs some attention. The hardest part is not the design as much as it is choosing the right content.

Content 47

Content Information Motivation 47

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 8, 2011

Healthy teams allow every idea a chance to live… The healthiest teams don’t contain an idea killer… Healthy teams: Brainstorm. Analyze. Test drive. Push back. Critique. Debate. Challenge. Every idea… But healthy teams remain open-minded about an idea until it’s proven to be a bad idea… It could be a short process or a long process… But healthy teams give every idea a chance to live… Knowing that… There is value in the collection of ideas on a

Team 47

Team Brainstorming Process Leadership 47

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 17, 2011

There is often a difference in… Knowing… And… Doing… When it comes to right things…things we should know and do… It’s true for all of us…some more than others… You can know the right things to do…and never do the right things… In my experience, not doing is often a bigger problem than not knowing… Many people who know never do… Yet… The margin between knowing and doing may determine the degree of success you atta

Influence 46

Influence Planning Succession Leadership 46

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 24, 2011

Some of the best leaders on your team… Have yet to be recruited… Will have to be asked… Are anxious to serve… Need this in their life as much as you need them… And they may not even know it… It’s your move… Go get ‘em… (Not sure where to look? Read THIS POST.). Related posts: The Best Leaders Give Their Vision Away. 5 Reasons Leaders Tend to Micromanage.

Micromanagement 46

Micromanagement Innovation Team Organization 46

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 11, 2011

It’s Friday discussion time! Let’s discuss spiritual growth…specifically yours. I’m always interested in spiritual growth, because…well…that’s kind of what I do! Help me by telling me some of your spiritual growth process. To help you think, consider answering some or all of these questions: Are you closer to God today than you were a year ago? If not, what changed?

Maturity 45

Maturity Survey Process 45

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 9, 2011

During the 1950’s, Evangelist Everett Swanson traveled to South Korea to preach the gospel to the troops in the Republic of Korea army. During his visit, he encountered children orphaned by the war hanging out in garbage dumps. They were searching for food, shelter, and hiding from the reality of their existence. Sometimes the garbage trucks would avoid them…sometimes they wouldn’t.

Travel 45

Travel Learning-by-Doing How To 45

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 7, 2011

It’s Monday morning…. I have spoken with many pastors who share a common struggle with each other. If it was a good Sunday…one where God’s Spirit was at work…during the 24-hour period from Sunday noon and Monday noon…they face doubt and frustration. Yesterday was one of those days for me. I knew I was speaking truth. I knew God was working, but I was teaching on God’s purposes for marriage to many who are undergoing tough times in their own marriages.

Stress 44

Stress 44

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 29, 2011

Leaders need a platform from which to lead. That is…a platform from which they can lead. They have an inner desire to lead people, take them somewhere, invest in others, improve the world around them, make a difference. Healthy organizations find a place to build that platform within the organization. One nice part of the growth of the online world is the ability all leaders have now to build a platform.

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Media Blog Learning-by-Doing Organization 44

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 29, 2011

I saw a news report on this recently. I laughed. No pun intended. There are clubs like this around the world. Laughing yoga has become somewhat of an institution. In fact, there’s an International Laughing Yoga association. See it HERE. Go to YouTube and you’ll see all kinds of reports on laughing yoga. Here’s an excerpt CNN did recently: What do you think?

Report 44

Report Follow-up Team 44

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 28, 2011

I recently returned from Ecuador where I was able to witness firsthand the work of Compassion International. It was a great trip, I learned a ton, and I’m now even more committed to Compassion International. The best part of the trip, however, was the people with whom I traveled. For the week I was surrounded by other pastors. What a joy! It’s great to be with people who understand the pressures, stress, frustration, and honor of being a pastor.

Travel 44

Travel Stress Learning-by-Doing Commitment 44

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 17, 2011

We have had an incredible journey these last five years as a new church. God continues to amaze us. I am consistently asked the story of starting Grace Community Church. Specifically other planters want to know what we did prior to launch. I’ve been asked enough that I thought it was worth sharing here. The vision for Grace was placed on my heart 10 years before this process began, so we either had a head start or we were behind the curve; however you look at it.

Travel 44

Travel Commitment Training Strategy 44

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 23, 2011

Recently I gave our staff this exercise. This is a preference assessment. Basically, if you could only choose one option, which would you choose from the four figures shown? So you can understand the diagram… There are four different options…indicated by the number 1 through 4. The solid lines represent “structured&# and the dashed lines represent “unstructured.&# The outer square represents the organization and the inner circle represents the individual team member.

Environment 43

Environment Learning-by-Doing Team Organization 43

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 22, 2011

We went to a fairly new restaurant recently as a family… It was new enough to have the opening bugs worked out, but still new to us… We were seated quickly…which was a plus since we were hungry… We instantly fell in love with the great atmosphere… They had a nice menu…and the prices were reasonable… We ordered…and waited…and waited…and waited… We had a hard time getting our drinks refilled… Our waiter never seemed to remembe

Price 43

Price Organization Leadership 43

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 25, 2011

For several years, I spent some of my reflective time in an old cemetery in our city. The older the tombstone, the more likely to have an epitaph inscribed. This short sentence or phrase was intended to capture the heart of the person…the way he or she lived his or her life. If you Google my name “Ron Edmondson&# , you’ll easily find my blog, that I’m on Twitter, my church, and some other blogs that I’ve commented on or that have featured some of my writing.

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Edmondson Blog Planning Course 43

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 27, 2011

“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,&# says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. ” Malachi 1:10. What a powerful and scary verse! Let me set the stage…. Times were hard for the Israelites. The land was dry. The crops were barely producing.

Power 43

Power 43

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 14, 2011

This is the second in a three part series on marriage at Grace Community Church. The first part was “The Purpose of Marriage&#. Do you need to renew the commitment you made to your marriage? Related posts: Friday Discussion: What’s the Purpose of Marriage? Monday Marriage Moment: The Final Episode. The Purpose of Marriage.

Commitment 43

Commitment 43

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 13, 2011

But even if my life is to be poured out like a drink offering to complete the sacrifice of your faithful service (that is, if I am to die for you), I will rejoice, and I want to share my joy with all of you. Philippians 2:17 NLT. Would you be willing to die for another person’s spiritual growth? I’m not sure I’m with Paul on this one yet, because as much as I like to see people growing spiritually, I don’t know if sacrificing my life for their growth is yet an option.

Letter 42

Letter 42

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 9, 2011

I’m excited to be leading a few breakouts at the pre-conference of Exponential Conference this year. Come join me. Partnering with The Sticks network, which attempts to plant and grow churches in smaller communities, I’ll be talking about issues all churches must consider. My topics this year are: 3 Vital Steps Before Launching. Grow a Church While Flipping Burgers.

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Conference Blog Books Leadership 41

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 12, 2011

Okay, I admit, this week is a tough one… Here is this weeks Bible verse to memorize: What if we all lived by that verse this week? What difference would it make in the world around us? Are you naturally a complainer…or do you just tend to comply? Related posts: Scripture Memorization, Week 9. Scripture Memorization, Week 1. Scripture Memorization, Week 7.

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Ron Edmondson

MARCH 26, 2011

I don’t know if I buy into the research of this report, especially in my church where we seem to have an abundance of exercise and health conscious people. But, according to this ABC News report… Well, just watch for yourself… (After the short advertisement). Did you watch it? What do you think? Agree or disagree? Is the report offensive to you?

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Edmondson Advertising Report Influence 40

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 25, 2011

You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ… Colossians 1:7. We have different methods of learning these days, than they had when Paul wrote this verse… But I wonder… Who are the Epaphras’ is in our day? From whom are you learning these days? Point me to the resources that are helping to shape who you are today.

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Conference Blog Resources Books 40