Eliminate Volunteers…It’s Not Consistent with Our Theology

April 5, 2016 By Hugh Ballou

Eliminating Volunteers Volunteers – or the lack of them – let’s eliminate the term volunteer because it’s contrary to our theology. There’s no wonder why people aren’t functioning and many organizations complain that there are not enough volunteers to do the work needed. How do you feel about eliminating “volunteer” from your vocabulary? It’s a Paradigm Shift My strategy is to use a term such as “Members in Ministry” for church volunteers or “Community Servant Leaders” for nonprofits. These terms signify... Read more

Using the Great Commission as a Church Mission Statement is Irresponsible!

April 1, 2016 By Hugh Ballou

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded... Read more

The “Earl Grey Pastor” – doing nothing is not the answer

March 30, 2016 By Hugh Ballou

Faith is not belief. Belief is passive. Faith is active. – Edith Hamilton What’s an Earl Grey Pastor? I just heard the term “Earl Grey Pastor” from my son-in-law priest on Sunday. It’s quite a revealing term. It’s the pastor who is interested in office hours, Biblical study, worship design, pastoral care, but not in moving the church into new spaces of growth in ministry or relevance. It’s a passive stance…it’s a risk avoidance stance…it’s an insecure stance…it might even be... Read more

In the Name of God – Disruption

March 29, 2016 By Hugh Ballou

Disruption Donald Trump is disrupting the status quo with his abrasive rhetoric. I can’t share any quotes from him because I can’t find one worth sharing. I do observe, however, that he is disrupting the “good ole boy system” of politics and he’s getting lots of free press and gaining support, not because people agree with his abrasive stance, but mostly because people are tired of the perceived insider system in our government. He knows how to work people’s emotions... Read more

Hire a Church Consultant – Sucker!

March 28, 2016 By Hugh Ballou

Consultant: any ordinary guy more than fifty miles from home. – Eric Sevareid The Consultant The overview of the purpose for the SynerVision Leadership Foundation declares: “Consultants, seminars and books have promised much to these searching communities and delivered little more than reworked methods from times now long past. Indeed, we are in a time when methods and manuals, quick fixes and weekend seminars, do not provide lasting transformation.” There’s got to be a better way than to hire a... Read more

No More BS…The Church Needs Resurrecting

March 26, 2016 By Hugh Ballou

“If Jesus came back and saw what was being done in his name, he’d never stop throwing up.” – Woody Allen It’s time to ditch the bullshit and get to the real meat of issues that are plaguing the organized church. The bureaucracy is stifling… The CEO posturing of clergy, and congregations’ expectation that the clergy be CEOs, is contrary to the role of spiritual leader… The brutality of clergy toward church musicians is toxic to ministries… The petulant and... Read more

Christ Has Died and So Has the Church

March 25, 2016 By Hugh Ballou

Christianity is a great concept. It’s too bad nobody has tried it. – Alan Dohrmann, coach to leaders such as Napoleon Hill, Walt Disney, and Peter Drucker. People don’t need an explanation when I share that I’m still a committed Christian despite the fact that I served on a church staff for 40 years. The sad reality is that the church, as a representation of Christianity, is not living up to that role. It’s become a haven for people... Read more

Escaping Leadership Traps: Mastermind Groups

March 14, 2016 By Hugh Ballou

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. – Henry Ford Napoleon Hill, in his book Think and Grow Rich, gives many examples of “mastermind” groups. This is another type of accountability and advocacy support. Regular meetings of this team will help you pool the best thinking skills of each member and the result will be greater than the sum of the parts. In fact, this is the definition of synergy that Stephen Covey uses... Read more

Friday Forum: Do Pastors Have the Right to Comment on Politics?

March 4, 2016 By Hugh Ballou

The Nonprofit Entrepreneur as a new model for church leadership! March 4, 2016 The Friday Forum today is about… Whether Pastors Have the Right to Comment on Politics We are all aware that the IRS can take away the tax-exempt status of a church if the pastor takes a political position. Campaigning from the pulpit is not accepted by them; however, many pastors comment to their congregations and teams on how their members should make decisions on issues. I worked... Read more

What Is Authenticity in Leadership?

March 1, 2016 By Hugh Ballou

“A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.” ― James Allen, As a Man Thinketh Authenticity is the basis of Transformational Leadership. Without authenticity and integrity, the leader has no influence. Attempting to implement like someone else, or making decisions out of integrity, is stifling for leadership. Acting one way at the job and a different way in private reveals things to others that might not be complementary and certainly not consistent. Clarity is the first principle of strong leadership. Managing self is... Read more