Ron Edmondson

JULY 28, 2014

'I was once asked to help a church process how to get younger people to attend. After we discussed some change recommendations a man pulled me aside and said, “ Son, we don’t need no fancy ideas around here. We like being a small church. ” I soon learned he represented the feelings of the church as a whole. They thought they wanted to reach younger people, but the truth was — when faced with change — they were really satisfied with the church as it had been for many

Resistance 83

Resistance Comparison Edmondson Learning-by-Doing 83

Ron Edmondson

AUGUST 18, 2014

'I love being a dad. I have a lot of titles, but this is one of my favorites. Long story short, I grew up much of my childhood without a father in the home. It left some scars, but one thing it did was make me very intentional to attempt to be a good dad. I remember as a 12 year old boy praying specifically that if God ever gave me the opportunity — I’d be the best husband and father I could possibly be.

Learning-by-Doing 83

Learning-by-Doing Commitment Follow-up Edmondson 83

Ron Edmondson

JULY 23, 2014

'I spent most of my adult life outside vocational ministry. I’m amazed at the opportunities God has given me in ministry, but in many ways I am still a newcomer. I have just over a dozen years in this career. It’s challenging in some ways, because I see things differently from some who have only done ministry, but it also gives me a unique perspective from some pastors.

Edmondson 83

Edmondson Influence Career 83

Ron Edmondson

NOVEMBER 22, 2014

'I deal with people who feel like failures. Everyday. It could be because of relationships gone bad. Business setbacks. A personal life — that was private — but is not anymore. Bad decisions intentionally done or bad circumstances — out of their control. All of that and more — failure. One reason people seem to identify with my teaching is that I’m not perfect.

Learning-by-Doing 83

Learning-by-Doing Edmondson Planning Goal 83

Ron Edmondson

JUNE 3, 2014

'One of the hardest parts of leading for me has been the things I’ve had to learn or do that may have been contrary to the way I would have naturally done them. For example, I like to be in control of my surroundings. I don’t like the feeling of being out of control. There have been several incidents in my personal life which have shaped that in me as a person.

Micromanagement 83

Micromanagement Uncertainty Positioning Leadership 83

Ron Edmondson

JUNE 5, 2014

'I’ve made many bad decisions in my leadership. Thankfully, the longer I lead, the more I develop warning signs I’m about to make another. I think these may apply to all leaders. These aren’t full proof. They don’t mean you are definitely making a bad decision. But, they are hints you might and worth considering before you make the decision — especially major decisions.

Leadership 83

Leadership Definition Planning Development 83

Ron Edmondson

OCTOBER 7, 2014

'Most churches admit they need more leaders. I have never met a pastor who would say they didn’t need more leaders, but I’ve met hundreds who are desperate for new leaders. The Bible says to make disciples. That’s should be our goal for every believer in the church. But, the process of doing church requires leadership. Leaders leading the process of making disciples.

Leadership Development 83

Leadership Development Development Leadership Edmondson 83

Ron Edmondson

MAY 1, 2014

'I previously shared 7 of the greatest needs of a wife, based on personal observation and experience working with married couples. Today I continue with the man’s side of the needs. Here are 7 of the greatest needs of a man. Respect – This is number one! I would even be emphatic and say every time. In my experience, men are using a different word that means this if they say it isn’t!

Participative 83

Participative Succession Commitment Blog 83

Ron Edmondson

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

'Hezekiah ruled over Judah and was a good and faithful king. Hezekiah often became the target of warring nations. The king of Assyria, which was a much more powerful nation, made plans to overthrow Hezekiah’s kingdom. Throughout the stressful time in leadership, Hezekiah consistently used the same battle plan. He went before the Lord in prayer — and — he followed the Lord’s commands.

Stress 83

Stress Letter Learning-by-Doing Edmondson 83

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 18, 2014

'Okay, this one will get me into trouble. Especially if the shoe fits. Wait for the comments on this one. But I have to ask…. When did Christians become so mean? Not all Christians. Most Christians I know are nice. Very nice. But, I’ve met some mean ones lately. Now, let me be clear. I am one. A Christian that is. (Hopefully not mean — too often.

Blog 83

Blog Learning-by-Doing Reference Motivation 83

Ron Edmondson

MAY 12, 2014

'I want to encourage you to plan an intentional date night. Make the reservations. Get a babysitter. (Trade with another couple so they can do this another night.) And, date. Not just a normal date. That’s not what I mean by intentional. Date. Like you did when you were — well — dating! Get to know each other. Sure, I know, you’re married now.

Learning-by-Doing 83

Learning-by-Doing Influence Planning 83

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 14, 2014

'This is a guest post by my friend Jordan, who lives in Louisville, KY where she works as Account Coordinator for Heartland Communications Consultants, Inc. She enjoys blogging on a variety of topics including career, family, God, or most often, the awkward moments of the twenty-something life. To read more of her blog, go to www.jordansblahblahblahg.com.

Advertising 84

Advertising Learning-by-Doing Blog Definition 84

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 24, 2014

'A couple recent posts struck interest with readers beyond my normal audience. Both posts dealt with ways one spouse injures another. You can read the husband’s post HERE and the wife’s post HERE. One suggestion I had multiple times was to consider a similar post for parents. It’s true. We often injure our children unknowingly. No parent sets out to injure a child.

Learning-by-Doing 83

Learning-by-Doing Advice Delegation Morale 83

Ron Edmondson

MAY 19, 2014

'I previously posted this several years ago, before we were empty-nesters. I believe more in it today than I did then. Sadly, as someone who studies marriages, I see more and more marriages that are just going through the routines of marriage without really enjoying the journey. At the same time, I do know couples who have learned how to make their marriage work for the good of both spouses and are truly enjoying life together.

Learning-by-Doing 83

Learning-by-Doing Tips Delegation Planning 83

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 17, 2014

'The leader sets the bar for the organization. If you are a leader of an organization then you have the awesome responsibility of establishing the parameters by which your organization will be successful. Now, as I feel the need in every post like this, Jesus sets the bar. Period. He is our standard. But, it would be foolish to ignore the fact that God allows people to lead, even in the church.

Micromanagement 83

Micromanagement Creativity Objective Idea Generation 83

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 15, 2014

'I’m convinced. After years mentoring younger leaders, there is something all of us leaders with more experience need to know. Every young leader shares some common fears. Granted, I’ve mostly worked with young male leaders (and I am the parent of boys), but I suspect these fears aren’t gender exclusive. And, they aren’t talked about much — or even admitted — the pressure to perform often keeps us from admitting fear — but they are real fears.

Edmondson 83

Edmondson Mentor Innovation 83

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 29, 2014

'I recently posted “ 7 Ways a Wife Injures a Husband…Without Even Knowing It “ It’s been a popular post. Thankfully, I’ve not seemed to make a lot of women mad…a few…but not many that I have heard from…yet. We will see how the men respond with this post. As I committed, a companion post is warranted. Guys, we injure our wife.

Learning-by-Doing 84

Learning-by-Doing Commitment Motivation Information 84

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 28, 2014

'After years of working with marriages, including my own, I’ve come to a conclusion. Marriages that struggle are often lacking one key ingredient. It’s something that, when missing from any relationship, will cause trouble in the relationship. The missing ingredient is called grace. And, when applied appropriately, it’s amazing. If the marriage is struggling, one remedy is to apply more grace.

Bond 83

Bond Learning-by-Doing Quality Course 83

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 15, 2014

'Cheryl and I have been very intentional to protect our marriage. Every marriage bond can slip if the couple doesn’t recognize the signs of stress in the marriage and address them. For us, we look for warning signs we need to take some extended time and invest in the marriage. That could be a long weekend or a day trip, or just a time where we turn off the television and talk.

Stress 83

Stress Learning-by-Doing Bond Banking 83

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 13, 2014

'I’ve shared recently about ways we injure our spouse without even knowing it. You can read the husband’s post HERE and the wife’s post HERE. A common request after those posts is that I should share ways to strengthen the marriage. I should note that I’m hesitant to offer what appears to be therapy by list, because a good marriage is far more than a formula.

Tips 83

Tips Stress Learning-by-Doing Planning 83

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 11, 2014

'Obviously, God builds the church, but He uses people to build it. What kind of members does God use to build a great church? As a pastor, I have noticed some trends among church people who help move the church forward. The following is a list of characteristics of those type of people. Not everyone will have every quality, but it’s the combination of each of them in people that builds a great church.

Follow-up 83

Follow-up Trends Power Quality 83

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 2, 2014

'I have had an online ministry for over 15 years. God has humbled me with the way He has chosen to use this influence He has given me. I try not to take it for granted. One thing that has changed since I began ministering online…and it’s changed for all of us…is the rise of social media. Whether you believe it’s a good addition or not, we cannot deny it’s impact on culture or even on the church.

Media 83

Media Tactics Influence Morale 83

Ron Edmondson

JUNE 23, 2014

'Cheryl and I are in a good season of life and marriage. We’ve been empty-nesters for a few years now — we’ve adjusted — it was hard missing our boys at first — but now life is good. Really good. This weekend we had a destination wedding (I love those) and added a few days for time just the two of us. We needed it. As great as a season as we are in it’s a busy season.

Open-book 83

Open-book Commitment Books 83

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 1, 2014

'All marriages go through periods where things just aren’t as they should be. It’s a natural occurrence in any relationship involving people. (I suppose that would include most marriages). The stress and pace of life causes tension in the best marriages. Even good marriages suffer at times. Cheryl and I have had several of those times, usually due to external pressures we did not cause or invite.

Stress 83

Stress Commitment Examples How To 83

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 2, 2014

'I have had an online ministry for over 15 years. God has humbled me with the way He has chosen to use this influence He has given me. I try not to take it for granted. One thing that has changed since I began ministering online…and it’s changed for all of us…is the rise of social media. Whether you believe it’s a good addition or not, we cannot deny it’s impact on culture or even on the church.

Media 83

Media Tactics Influence Morale 83

Ron Edmondson

FEBRUARY 6, 2014

'I recently wrote two blog posts 7 Ways a Wife Injures a Husband…Without Even Knowing It and 7 Ways a Husband Injures a Wife…Without Even Knowing It. These two posts have quickly become the most read blog posts in my blogging career. I received lots of feedback. Numerous sites re-posted them. I made a new friend when Stronger Marriages shared them. I can see Dave Willis and I becoming friends and working together in the future.

Charisma 83

Charisma Learning-by-Doing Active Listening Comparison 83

Ron Edmondson

MARCH 3, 2014

'Ever wonder why the introvert on your team isn’t talking? Introverts can be highly creative. They have original ideas. They think things through thoroughly. You need to hear from them. Chances are, if they aren’t sharing, you’re missing out on some good participation. Here are 7 reasons they may not be talking: Everyone else kept talking – Most introverts aren’t going to talk over other people.

Brainstorming 83

Brainstorming Team Process Participative 83

Ron Edmondson

JULY 9, 2014

'I often teach and write about the experiences that I have working with relationships. Personal experience is often some of the best information I have to protect and help other relationships. In helping marriages, I often try to share some of the barriers that I have seen to having a good marriage. My theory is that if couples are aware of the barriers before they become an issue it’s much easier to deal with them when they arise.

Advice 83

Advice Influence Maturity Learning-by-Doing 83

Ron Edmondson

OCTOBER 28, 2014

'I meet with pastors weekly either in person or online. It fuels me to invest in younger leaders and always challenges me as I learn from them. I’m a better leader because I intentionally invest in other leaders. (There’s a hint for some of you more seasoned leaders.). It always seems the so-called wisdom I share gathers in seasons. When I say something to one pastor I usually end up repeating it to another.

Leadership 83

Leadership Energy Delegation Edmondson 83

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 30, 2014

'My heart is for the pastor. Maybe it stems from the fact that I spent more years as a layperson…a deacon and Sunday school teacher…and now, as a pastor. I realize now how much I didn’t understand about the position. The role has a lot more expectations and pressures than I previously imagined. I always loved and supported the pastor, but looking back, I wish I had been an even better pastor’s friend.

Maturity 83

Maturity Course Process Positioning 83

Ron Edmondson

JUNE 12, 2014

'I read an article recently that suggested the majority of senior leaders think extroversion is necessary to be an effective senior leader. Obviously — and hopeful I am correct — I disagree. In fact, I see benefits in being an introverted senior leader. I also know people who can’t believe I can pastor a large church and be introverted.

Class 83

Class Innovation Leadership Process 83

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 11, 2014

'The Christmas season can be hard on relationships. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve met with a couple after the holidays because of problems that developed — or were exaggerated — between Thanksgiving and New Years. How can you protect your marriage this Christmas? That’s a good goal, right? Here are 4 suggestions to keep your marriage from being injured during the Christmas season?

Edmondson 83

Edmondson Budgeting Goal Planning 83

Ron Edmondson

AUGUST 13, 2014

'Recently I wrote “ 20 Things God Might Say” It was a popular post. All were designed to be easily tweeted with a simple copy and paste. I thought there might be a companion post. I believe, based on Scripture, that we can trust God not to say some things — especially in these days of grace. Here are 25 things you’ll never hear God say: “Oh yea.

Edmondson 83

Edmondson Advice How To 83

Ron Edmondson

JANUARY 1, 2014

'Are you up for a challenge? How about reading the Bible through this year? I’ve heard so many people who would love to read the Bible through in a year, but never completed the task. It’s nearly impossible for the pastor to preach through all of it, so you are going to miss something unless you study on your own, but most believers haven’t read all the Bible.

Tips 83

Tips Follow-up Document Travel 83

Ron Edmondson

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

'Communicating love to a spouse should be considered a never-ending, life-long commitment. If I’m honest, however, my wife is usually better at this than me. Partly because of her personality and partly because she has a stronger relational aptitude than me and partly because she is awesome — but, for whatever reason — demonstrating love seems to come easier for Cheryl than for me at times.

Servant Leader 82

Servant Leader Learning-by-Doing Edmondson Commitment 82

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 28, 2014

'Do you want to guarantee your success in the new year? If you could figure out a way, that’d be worth it, right? Here’s a Biblical example of how to have the best year ever. The Lord said to Abram: Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house. to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

Edmondson 82

Edmondson Planning Innovation Succession 82

Ron Edmondson

DECEMBER 29, 2014

'Here’s a simple, step-by-step process to writing a life plan. If you don’t know me, you wouldn’t know that I prefer simple. If it’s complicated or too involved, I’ll opt out quickly. That’s my goal here. (I actually wrote these posts several years ago and I’ve not updated them — just this summary page.

Planning 82

Planning Process Edmondson Innovation 82