Leadership
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What is the most valuable resource to your organization? There are lots of different answers—all of which might be important, but let me go ahead and tell you the right answer—people. The people are the most valuable resource in any organization. In my context, we rely heavily on people who serve on the church staff…
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A few weeks ago, one of our leaders here at Matthews United Methodist Church closed a meeting using a concept with which I was previously unfamiliar. He spoke about a principle used in business called NPS, which stands for Net Promoter Score. The NPS illustrates the level at which people are promoting your service, product,…
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My experience and research has led me to believe that those who think about the future the most are also those who are able to create a desired future the best. The daily whirlwind quickly and stealthily consumes our time and energy that could be spent on discerning a preferred future. At 801South, we try…
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I started playing team sports and at very young age and I loved it. I remember seasons when my brother and I were playing two different sports on two different teams and my parents would drive us from field to field all day long. When I think back to those days, it was like we were…
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The decline of mainstream Protestant denominations in America is one topic that has been discussed, written, and researched to death. There’s no use in debating or even explaining the statistics detailing this decline. The situation speaks for itself. So what can we, who are young and remain in a denomination, do moving forward? We can…
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Up until this past weekend, a worship experience (called 801South) in a new modern venue on the campus of Matthews United Methodist Church was nothing more than an abstract thought in the minds of a few individuals. Today, however, the concept that began as a vision on paper is now a tangible experience. So how does one…
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My buddy, Brian Zehr, talks about seeing life thematically. Sometimes it’s the songs that come on the radio, the books we read, or the shows we watch on television. We have seasons in life during which the world around us is centered around a particular theme. I feel this way right now. Whether it’s a book someone recommends…
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It seems like everywhere I go these days I hear about simplicity. The concept of simplicity is a buzzword, especially in the worlds of marketing and design. I see it in commercials for car dealers and read about it in articles written by branding professionals (marketing, not cattle). There are even whole books dedicated to…
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Do you feel like you’re not accomplishing what you had dreamed of doing in life? That you have too many road blocks to do what really matters? What you really want to be doing? I travel down this road of self-pity almost daily. So what’s the difference between people who change the world and those…
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Merry Christmas, everyone! As you celebrate this holiday with people you love, take a minute to consider this question: Do my traditions look the same every year? Do I always go to the same relative’s home? Is there a routine that we follow year in and year out? As I sit in expectation of the…
Five Minutes of Encouragement 