138. Ministry Leadership in a Time of Immense Change, with Markus Watson

Spiritual Life and Leadership

In a time of immense change, how should churches do ministry? How should pastors and leaders lead their churches and organizations? Should we set a BHAG--a Big Hairy Audacious Goal? Should we set one-year, five-year, and ten-year goals?
Or is there another way? Could it be that what we need are not big, enormous goals, but simple to take small steps and achieve short-term wins?
THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDES:

• Markus Watson questions whether or not churches today should set BHAGs--Big Hairy Audacious Goals.
• “Small steps and short-term wins are the best approach, rather than big programs or large-scale planning.” --Alan Roxburgh, The Missional Leader
• We are living in a time of discontinuous change.
• Continuous change is the kind of change that is expected and understood.
• Discontinuous change is unexpected and hard to understand.
• In times of discontinuous change, Markus Watson suggests churches should not set large goals; rather they should conduct small experiments.
• Missteps and small losses can be just as valuable for churches today as small steps and short-term wins.
• Whether through wins or losses, the most important thing, according to Markus Watson, is to keep learning.
• Through their small wins and losses, churches can learn about their neighbors, about themselves, and about God.
• To learn more, join one of these learning experiences:
  • Leading Your Church Through Change, a free online course that teaches the process of action-reflection as a method for leading change in your church.
  • Adaptive Church Leadership Cohort, an 18-month deep-dive learning cohort led by Tod Bolsinger and the Church Leadership Institute to help you navigate change in a disruptive world.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Books mentioned:
  • The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World, by Alan Roxburgh and Fred Romanuk
  • Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, by Jim Collins
• Online courses and cohorts:
  • Leading Your Church Through Change
  • Adaptive Church Leadership Cohort

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