Your Presenter Today is Rev. George Bullard, D.Min. Executive Coach Lake Hickory Learning Communities

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Pastoral Practice Issues for Generative Dialogue A Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Exercise

Pastoral Practice Issues for Generative Dialogue The following ten issues may be the subject of generative dialogue among pastors as they seek to determine their readiness for achieving, expressing, and sustaining pastoral excellence.

Clarifying Their Identity Pastors who demonstrate excellence are continually clarifying their identities as spiritual persons and spiritual leaders.

Clarifying Their Identity They know who they are, they understand the purpose of their lives, and they know what they value or believe.

Clarifying Their Identity They are developing a clear understanding of their personal core ideologies involving the mission, purpose, and core values of their lives as well as their roles as leaders of congregations. They may even have a written mission, purpose, and core values statement.

Increasingly Clearer Sense of Their Destiny Pastors who demonstrate excellence are leaders who have an increasingly clearer sense of their destination.

Increasingly Clearer Sense of Their Destiny Beyond the foundation of a core ideology, they have an increasingly clearer sense of personal spiritual strategic direction. The contribution of their ministry to the overall work of the kingdom of God is apparent.

Increasingly Clearer Sense of Their Destiny They actively nurture their vision through various spiritual disciplines. They may even have a statement that clearly communicates the passion of their vision for pastoral excellence.

Progressively More Intentional Actions Pastors who demonstrate excellence are leaders who are seeking to help congregations fulfill God’s vision for them through progressively more intentional actions.

Progressively More Intentional Actions Leadership is a journey in community. All participants in the journey must have access to the spiritual and human power and authority necessary to take effective, intentional actions...

Progressively More Intentional Actions... that will make a crucial difference in their ability to serve people and congregations. These pastors are committed to the highest possible quality ministry.

Helping Congregations Minister to People Pastors who demonstrate excellence are leaders who are focused on helping congregations address the human hurts and spiritual hopes of individual people.

Helping Congregations Minister to People Healthy leadership does not talk much about institutional success. It primarily talks about the transformation that is occurring in the lives of...

Helping Congregations Minister to People... individuals and congregations in keeping with kingdom principles. These pastors yearn to meet the real needs of real people in real time.

Modeling Servanthood Pastors who demonstrate excellence are leaders who are modeling servanthood that empowers staff, members, primary partners, strategic alliances, and various network relationships.

Modeling Servanthood Each participant in a congregation is a person of worth created in the image of God to live and to love. Healthy leadership exists when ongoing mentoring, perennial coaching, and obvious empowerment is provided to individuals and teams...

Modeling Servanthood... as they seek to fulfill the congregational vision for Kingdom growth. Pastors who demonstrate excellence are permission giving to others. They lead as much as possible without boundaries, but with a centered set or core ideology. They are clear about their roles as servant leaders.

Enduring Leadership Culture Pastors who demonstrate excellence are leaders who are building an enduring congregational culture that has passion for the future mission fulfillment that extends far past the current leaders.

Enduring Leadership Culture Short-term success is sacrificed in favor of long-term significance. Healthy leadership does not insist that the short-term, leader-initiated goals must be successful. They strive for enduring success that makes a transformational difference in the people and in the congregations they serve.

Enduring Leadership Culture Pastors who demonstrate excellence focus on building enduring leadership communities in their congregations that will function in a vital manner after their tenure of service as pastor is completed. Succession planning is a key issue of dialogue for these pastors.

Affirming of a Diversity of Viewpoints Pastors who demonstrate excellence are leaders who know how to place theological, methodological, and cultural diversity in perspective to the overall core ideology and envisioned future of the congregation.

Affirming of a Diversity of Viewpoints Membership and affiliation in congregations is more diverse than ever. Methods of operation and implementation often mirror chaos rather than coordination. Healthy leadership is not threatened by diversity. Pastors who demonstrate excellence are non-anxious spiritually, socially, intellectually, and emotionally.

Affirming of a Diversity of Viewpoints They are able to discern and communicate what God might be saying to them in the midst of crisis and chaos. They are able to disagree with congregational participants without being disagreeable in a way that can destroy their relationship with God and one another.

Continually Exemplifying Pastoral Excellence Pastors who demonstrate excellence are continually viewed as role models of pastoral excellence by other pastors.

Continually Exemplifying Pastoral Excellence Excellence is a moving target, and is characterized by leading edge innovators and early adapters who respond quickly to new trends, as compared to those who are slow to respond to new opportunities and challenges.

Continually Exemplifying Pastoral Excellence Pastoral excellence is characteristic of pastors who are able to sustain a role as leading edge innovators and early adapters in chaordic times. Pastors who are able to affirm the hope of the Church, learn continually, and innovate regularly are the leading edge among pastors.

Improving Excellence Through Great Ministry Pastors who demonstrate excellence are always learning and innovating, and are energized by being held accountable for their pastoral practices.

Improving Excellence Through Great Ministry Improvements in the overall level of pastoral excellence are not made by guidance from academic institutions alone, but by adding mentoring from respected congregational practitioners and 21 st century Christian ministry thought leaders,

Improving Excellence Through Great Ministry... peer learning communities, and group and personal coaching relationships for those who are or have the potential to be innovators and early adapters.

Expressing Leadership That is Organic Rather than Mechanistic Pastors who demonstrate excellence are leaders of movements rather than managers of organizations.

Expressing Leadership That is Organic Rather than Mechanistic The New Testament presents churches as living entities rather than machines. The Industrial Age was the machine age, but the New Testament times were organic. From a practical perspective, three flowing processes for leadership communities are relevant:

Expressing Leadership That is Organic Rather than Mechanistic... connecting to the community, centering the community, and challenging the community to claim its future. This approach is non- linear and frustrates people who assume God only plants nature in neat, straight rows.

Expressing Leadership That is Organic Rather than Mechanistic Organic or process leadership is messy, just as any growing thing is messy or chaordic.

Vision Development and Casting What is Your Past Story of Ministry?

Past Story Elements Pre-Ministry Calling Preparation for Ministry Projection of Ministry Performance of Ministry Period of Transition

Vision Development and Casting What is Your Present Story of Ministry?

Present Story Elements Baptist to North American Evangelical Protestant Focus Consultant to Coach Performer to Communicator Personal Mission Statement

What are My Mission, Purpose, Core Values, and Vision? A Personal Mission Statement

The Mission of a Christian Individual To grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through making myself available to do what God has gifted, called, and given me preference to do as my part in empowering the fulfillment of the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment.

The Purpose of My Life To act on my commitment to empower congregations and congregational champions to fulfill their vision for kingdom growth in a manner that is trustworthy and competent, nurtures my family, and leaves a legacy that inspires others.

Core Values Successful Marriage and Family Life Significant Spirituality Surrender to God’s Will Strategic Fulfillment of the Great Commission Sacrificial Kingdom Growth Through Congregations

A Vision of Ministry through October 31, 2017 To fully utilize my spiritual and strategic giftedness to empower congregations and congregational champions to fulfill their vision of kingdom growth.

Vision Development and Casting What is Your Future Story of Ministry?

Future Story Elements October 31, 2017 Created Coached Communicated Compensated Celebrated

Vision Development and Casting Based on Your Future Story of Ministry What is the Vision Into Which Your Are Living?

A NEW Vision of Ministry through October 31, 2017 To have created, coached, communicated, compensated, and celebrated the empowerment of congregations and congregational champions to effectively fulfill their vision of kingdom growth. [As Judged by Others]

Questions About Future Story Where is God? What is being sustained? Where is excellence? Where is transformation? What are points for accountability?

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Your Presenter Today is Rev. George Bullard, D.Min. Executive Coach Lake Hickory Learning Communities