Did you know The New Testament is filled with “One Another’s”? It’s true. There are 59 One Another’s that speak directly to the church – the people of God. “love one another”, “Serve one another”, “Comfort one another”, “Equip one another”, on and on it goes, instructing us in how to treat – one another.

In Hebrews 3:12-13 we read, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; ¹³ but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

This “One another” is for the church, not the outside world. As the body of Christ, we are to Exhort one another. The word exhort can have varying meanings, but the main thought here is to build up, strengthen your fellow believers. The literal meaning from the Greek is to come alongside any brother or sister in Christ, giving whatever is within your means to lift up, encourage, and provide comfort, building up any and all brothers in Christ.

Christ did not intend the church to be simply a group of like-minded people meeting together regularly, unless something better came up. Jesus knew His bride, His church, would have difficulty and trials in this world. He gave instruction on Loving, serving, and equipping “One Another”. Not only instruction, He demonstrated these one another’s to His Disciples for the benefit of you and I today.

The writer of the letter to the Hebrew church also says, “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”  Stir up love in one another – not divisiveness, but Love. Exhorting one another…twice in these two verses we find “One Another’s”.

You cannot exhort one another without love for one another. It does not take a very deep study to see that the Christian life must be lived in tandem with other believers. Not only attending church but actively engaging in all things scripture teaches us to do for “One Another”.

Fifty-nine One Another’s are given within the framework of the church. It appears God is pretty serious about our One Another’s. How will you begin today to increase your effectiveness in fulfilling scripture’s teachings of One Another’s?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

The Christian life is one of ever refining, continual transformation. The church is a group of people serving as a family unit or one body, continually refining, transforming each part to perpetuate fulfilling God’s purpose. Just as the cells in your individual body are continually reproducing, refining, transforming to perpetuate life.

Rather than being tossed around by the clever words and deceitful practices of man, God’s people are to study and speak God’s Truth – the only real truth. Truth is truth. There is only one truth, and it will always stand the test of time and man’s twisting of the truth.

To grow into a stable, mature Christian, you must study and practice Godly truth in all areas of life at all times of trials, hardships, and victories alike. This comes about as you study personally and also as others in your church pour into you as the blood from your heart flows throughout your body giving life support to all parts of the body.

Others in your church are equipped and called by God to serve, equip, and embolden one another, just as you are called to do the same for others.

Not only His people, God primarily uses His word, The Holy Bible to perform this transformation in each one of His children. Other people in the church cannot fulfill their part in serving you without studying and applying God’s truth in their own lives. Each one of us, God’s children must do the same or we are not part of His church, the bride of Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

When you strip these two verses down to find it’s factual meaning it says, All scripture is given, by God, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Too many church-goers are being caught up in worldly pursuits, cultural tendencies, political party platforms, or many teachings that are not in line with scripture. Even in the church just because your pastor, priest, or other Bible study leader or friend said it, does not make it truth. Truth is found in God’s word. Before you repeat what someone else says – anyone else– always take it back to scripture itself. False teachings had entered the church shortly after its founding and Christ’s ascension, and it exists today.

What are you doing to insure you are a growing part of a healthy, maturing body of believers in your church? How are you allowing other true believers to pour into you without being tossed around with every new teaching or nuance of conformity in today’s world?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Scripture shares the incredible value of the church in multiple ways. I pray that reading these will increase your consideration of valuing God’s church. These did not originate with me but were impressed upon me while reading John Crotts’ Loving the Church. As you read each one, consider the depth of meaning for you personally.

1, The Church is designed for the glory of God. All of creation was designed by God to bring glory to Him. The glory of anything manufactured belongs with its creator. Beauty may reside in the created piece, but the glory belongs to the creator. We are told in the New Testament that “in all we do, do it for the glory of God.”

2, Jesus is continually building His church. Jesus did not tell His Disciples, “Now that I am leaving, go and build…”. He did give us our mission – The Great Commission and closed it with the statement, “And low, I am with you to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) He is with us, building His church each day of every year. We, His people, are the church.

3, Jesus died for His church because He loves His church as a groom loves his bride. Jesus values the church enough to give His own life in a cruel death for her. God loves the church so much that He allowed His one and only Son to die for her, for you and me (John 3:16).

4, Jesus is the foundation for the church. He came, lived, and spoke all to leave us His example to build upon. No building will stand without a solid foundation. You and I have the greatest foundation ever designed.

5, The church is made of precious materials. The God of the universe, who made everything that has been made, chose you and me to be the church. Why? Because He considered us His most precious building materials for His representation on earth.

6, Scripture’s metaphors reveal God’s value of the church. According to God’s own Word, we are called, the Bride of Christ, His Own body. Scripture also refers to us as the “Temple of the Holy Spirit”, God’s Temple on earth, the household of God. God values you, part of His church as a most precious part of His family’s existence.

7, The church is the earthly support of Truth. In today’s world we see attack on attack of God’s Truth – the only real truth. God values His church, you and me, to be the pillar of that truth, upholding truth, shining it like the brightest beacon in the darkest storm.

8, God designed the church to spread His Glory. As the holders of truth, we are to share the love and glory of God Almighty to a sin-sick world. It is our mission – The Great Commission to share the value of being God’s church, the bride of Christ.

9, God designed the church for your personal spiritual health and growth. God designed the church as one body to help the hurting parts, to strengthen the weaker parts, to work together in unison as each part has a function in fulfilling the work of Christ in the world. We are one body lifting, encouraging, equipping, and supplying the growth and health needs of one another.

The incredible value of the church is the incredible value God has placed upon you. Yes, you are that valuable to God!

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

You can have the nicest, newest, most plush car on the market, yet without the proper fuel in it, you are going nowhere. The same is true for your church and your church’s vehicle. But first, what is the vehicle of the church? Is it the people? No, the people are the church. Your vehicle is what carries your people to fruition of biblical values. Could it be the programs? No, programs can work in one church, but not the next.

It is your ministries, not programs, that carry your church from point A to point B, fulfilling The Great Commission. I also believe that in many churches Sunday morning happenings are programs. Sunday morning Bible study is a program. Worship service is a program. We even have printed “programs” for our worship.

A program has a beginning and an end. God’s ministry is ongoing. Therefore, you need a vehicle to get your church (people) from point A to point B. Your vehicle for God’s destination is your ministries. Yes, it is true, your Sunday activities can be vehicles – when we change the way we both view and practice them.

You cannot venture from Richmond, Virginia to San Diego, CA in one day in your auto (vehicle). If San Diego is your destination, you break the trip down into segments that are drivable. From Richmond to Louisville, KY. The next day to Little Rock, AR and so on each day.

In church we must do the same. Since our destination is to fulfill The Great Commission, and we truly never reach the completion of that journey, we break it down in doable segments. What set ambitions, our goals, for one year at a time. This does not mean we cannot look ahead, but our focus must be on what is in front of us – on this leg of our journey. By setting worthy/yet achievable goals, we build for the next leg of our journey.

I like to lead churches to set an Overarching Goal (OG) each year. “If there was only one thing we could focus on for this year, what is that one thing?” The OG should be broad enough that every person of the church (all ages) can participate, yet concise enough to be understood and printed in one sentence. We want everyone in our ministry vehicle with us on this journey.

Before you set out on this next leg of your journey, you might need a new or repaired vehicle – new/renewed ministries. Ministry is not sitting in prayer, Bible study, or worship services. Ministry is serving others. Ministry requires work/action. Ministry is God performing His work through His children. This is why we should consider the ministries of our church as our vehicle to accomplish God’s directive, The Great Commission. The right God-given ministries will grow disciples who grow disciples, propelling God’s church forward on our journey.

For more information on setting goals and finding right ministry vehicles contact George Yates or pick up a copy of Turnaround Journey.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

In our last post we looked at Driving Gauges. In this post we will describe Destination Indicators. Driving gauges are with you throughout the journey and give you a quick analysis of the moment at hand—where you are right now on your journey. Driving gauges are important to your journey, assisting you in making decisions in the moment, what minor adjustments are needed today.

Destination indicators are also important on your journey. Destination indicators are those mile markers, street signs, and points of interest along the journey, telling you that you are on the right road and making progress toward your destination. The destination indicators do not necessarily help you reach your destination but give you an indication of progress.

If you are traveling in your car from Calvert to Junction City and you know Maryville is halfway between the two, when you see road signs announcing Maryville 3 miles ahead, you know you are making progress in the right direction. The road signs are destination indicators for your journey.

Destination indicators are almost always reactors. By the time you reach a destination indicator, it is too late to make an adjustment for that part of the journey. However, you can make necessary adjustments for the remainder of your journey based on the knowledge you gain from your destination indicators. Imagine on your journey you are using exit 57 as one of your destination indicators by planning to stop at a known restaurant for lunch. However, when you get off at exit 57 you find the restaurant is closed for business. In fact, there are no restaurants at exit 57. It is too late to not get off at exit 57. The only thing you can do is return to the highway and search for an open restaurant to fill your need.

Likewise, if Vacation Bible School (VBS) is one of your destination indicators for your church journey, you are expecting VBS to give you certain information and results along the journey. You should always conduct debrief sessions following every event. What you learn in the debrief session cannot help you with this year’s VBS. VBS has passed. Use what you learn to make plans for future events and next year’s VBS.

Destination indicators are more often reactors that can help you determine if you are on course and how to change for the future, but not for the indicator itself. If on your car journey you see mile markers clicking away assuming you are making progress, you could be correct. However, if at some point you see a road sign declaring you are on Highway 27, when you are supposed to be on Highway 127, you need to make an adjustment.

While the mile markers appeared to be showing progress, with each mile, Highway 27 may be taking you farther away from you desired course. It is time for a course correction.

Have you considered Destination Indicators for your church journey in 2025? Every church/organization should set Destination Indicators each year. It is the absolute best way to ensure you are on the right track and making progress.

For more information on Destination Indicators contact George Yates or pick up a copy of Turnaround Journey.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

What are your driving gauges for ministry? Driving gauges are not what drives you in ministry. Rather, they are those practices and applications you have in place that you can look at any time along your journey, that tell you whether or not you are making progress on your intended journey. The right driving gauges will ensure your effective progress in fulfilling The Great Commission.

As you drive along in your car, on any journey, you have certain “gauges” that assist you along the journey. Driving gauges tell you something about where you are right now, not 15 minutes ago or 30 minutes in the future. A glance at your speedometer will tell you if you need to speed up or slow down. Your fuel gauge identifies how much fuel is in the vehicle right now. If your check engine light comes on, you’ve got a decision to make, stop and have it checked or keep going, praying against anything catastrophic.

Your driving gauges are not restricted to the 4 inch by 12 inch part of your dash. Your mirrors are driving gauges as well. They will tell you what you have come through and who/what is behind you. They also identify if you need to speed up, slow down or change lanes perhaps for an emergency vehicle.

One other driving gauge, the largest, is your windshield. It is designed to assist you in identifying what is right in front of you. Not fifteen miles down the road, but right now. Your windshield helps identify curves, potholes, hazards, other vehicles, among other things vital to your eventual arrival at your destination.

Driving gauges in your ministry are vital to your progress and effectiveness of fulfilling your goals and God’s directive, The Great Commission. Driving gauges are practices and applications that you – or anyone on the journey with you can look at any time along the journey and assist you in making decisions on any course corrections along the way.

This is what makes them vital for your ministry. It is also missing and overlooked in most ministries. Many churches operate without driving gauges. Take for instance Vacation Bible School. For many churches a successful VBS means no one went to the hospital this year.

Can you imagine taking a journey in your car with eyes closed or reading a book instead of watching the road and your driving gauges? Until we have automatically driven cars that will not end well.

If you have goals for the year, what driving gauges do you have in place that you and your team are looking at, at least weekly, to insure you are moving in the right direction fulfilling your goals and The Great Commission? Don’t flounder, flourish! For more on Driving Gauges, contact George Yates or pick up a copy Turnaround Journey.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Storytelling, with a purpose, is key to being a good leader. And, in fact, it is a foundational aspect of progress—when we hear how others overcame problems or situations, ideas begin to fill our heads, inspiration fills our hearts, and actions begin to create the stories that will be shared tomorrow.

An often overlooked part of leadership is to inspire, encourage, and develop people. This should be your major objective as a leader. When you do, people and organizations thrive. As shared in the two previous posts on this site, stories are one of the greatest tools we have in leadership, yet one of the most overlooked and underused.

Pivotal Stories:  In 1859 a train crashed near Johnson Creek, Wisconsin. Fourteen people were killed that day. Two of the victims had recently become policyholders of a new insurance company named Northwestern Mutual. Claims for the accident totaled $3,500. Sadly, the company only had $2,000. Company leaders quickly took equity loans on their own homes to pay the claims—and do right by their policyholders. This story has been repeated to both employees and customers ever since.

Pivotal stories expose the thinking that overcame the situation. They focus on the first big win, or the first big challenge, that was overcome. Pivotal stories share the history and the mindset of how an organization deals with change.

Teamwork Stories:  In 1980, Herb Brooks organized a group of young men to form what is arguably the most impressive teamwork story in history. Known today as the Miracle on Ice, the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team skated away from those Olympic Games with the gold medal. Sure, any gold medal winning team is impressive. However, the big reveal is that the U.S. Team was comprised only of college and amateur hockey players—who were competing against professional teams.

Teamwork stories detail the late nights, the contrasting talents, and the breakthrough moments when a group of people challenged a status quo, realized the missing piece of the puzzle, and changed perhaps one small aspect that improved effectiveness.

Great Work Stories:  Storytelling about individual achievements should happen everyday in the workplace. They not only have the power (given in the form of recognition) to elevate an individual’s performance, but they also elevate the performance of everyone who hears the story being told.

Consider the impact the following story could have on team members. “Heather, we had only a couple of days to submit our project, and you still pushed us to explore something new—to be more creative and innovative in our approach. Thank you. Because you insisted that we try one more time, we generated some great new ideas.”

Never overlook the value of a story, especially a Great Work Story of the people inside your own organization to inspire and encourage the effectiveness of your organization. Do you have something to share to help move your organization forward? That’s a story with a purpose. Use a story. Stories work. Stories stick!

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

Ron, a youth minister at a church where I was serving as Interim Pastor, came to me one Sunday following the worship service to tell me he was “quitting”. He was going to resign as volunteer youth minister because, in his words, “They won’t talk. I can’t get them to talk about our lessons. They just sit there. It’s not working.”

I asked Ron to explain what was happening and their reaction. As the conversation was unfolding I realized one key factor in Ron’s leading these teenagers. Ron was in his early thirties and was using stories and illustrations that were relevant to him and to his coworkers – people his age.

I encouraged Ron to try a different approach with the teens. Find stories and illustrations that appeal to 15-17 year olds, not 32 year old adults. “Ask them for illustrations.”

Four weeks later I asked Ron if he had tried my suggestions and how it was working. His face lit up, his body language showed excitement as he exclaimed, “It’s great. It has totally changed. Now, I can’t get them to stop talking (about the lesson).”

Understanding your audience and providing stories and illustrations that appeal to your audience is crucial. Once you understand this one key factor, your leadership will change – and if like Ron, it will change dramatically.

It is always best to insure your audience can relate. The more they can relate to your story,
the more they’ll take notice. The more they take notice, the more they will remember.

There are basically three story plot types.

1, Challenge Plot – This type story has built within it a challenge for one (or more) of the characters. How did he/she handle the challenge? Did he overcome the challenge? If so, how, what steps did he take? Is the person or group you are dealing with up against a challenge? (David and Goliath is a great challenge plot story – 1 Samuel 17.)

2, Connection Plot – The connection plot story includes elements that allow the listener to connect to what is happening in the story. If a person or your whole team is struggling to move forward, share a story of someone who could not seem to get ahead until she had a mental breakthrough and succeeded at the task at hand. (The Good Samaritan is a great connection plot story – Luke 10:25-37.)

3, Creativity Plot – Using a creativity plot story unlocks the deeper thought regions of people’s brains to find solutions for their impending issues. (Solomon and the two mothers provides a creative plot story – 1 Kings 3:16-28.)

Each of these types engage the deeper listening skills of hearers enlivening sensory receptors that will bring about needed change. Stories do not have to be lengthy. I have used and have read of others using three to five sentences to share a story that elevated progress in their teams.

Learning how and when to use each of these three types of plot stories will enhance your leadership and bring more effectiveness to your team and organization – I guarantee it! Remember, stories stick.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

One of the greatest tools we have in leadership is stories. Yet, it is also one of the most overlooked and underused avenues of leadership today. Jesus understood the value of stories. We have recorded more stories and parables in His teachings than any other teaching/leading technique.

Stories are truly imperative in helping people to learn, grow and grasp the task at hand. Here are six imperatives of why you should include stories in your leadership.

• Stories motivate people to action – Stories of people overcoming obstacles motivate people to stronger performance. Stories of pushing through adversities motivate people to keep going, pushing through difficult times and circumstances. Stories motivate people to action.
• Stories give a tangible relational illustration – Stories are relational, giving the listener something he/she can connect to causing them to strive for a strong outcome. The more I can relate to what you are telling me, the greater opportunity I have to connect it to the needs before me. People find a personal connection to a relational illustration.
• Stories paint a mental picture – Your mind thinks in pictures. Not sentences, words or even letters. I remember a time walking on the beach, miles of water to my left, miles of sand in front and behind me, miles of hotels on my right. Your mind just painted a picture of a beach scene based on your own experiences. Yours is different than mine but everyone reading this painted your own picture. Use stories to paint a mental picture for greater effectiveness of desired outcomes.
• Mental pictures are stored in our memory bank – These mental pictures are stored in our memory bank and can be drawn upon to learn new material. You can learn nothing new until you can attach it to something already stored in your memory. Use stories that connect the new, desired outcomes to information already stored in memory (as in the beach illustration).
• Stories can appeal to every type of learner – There is not a person alive who does not respond to stories. Stories may have varying levels of appeal to different people, but stories appeal to everyone. The appeal of a story draws people to strive for the desired outcomes.
• Stories Stick – Facts and figures are great, but when put in story form statistics (facts & figures) stick in the mind of the listener. When facts are put into a story, we are 20 times more likely to remember. Stories stick!

Stories can be encouraging, enterprising, and fun, bringing effective outcomes for your leadership and your organization’s productiveness. Jesus’ stories have been affecting lives for over 2,000 years.

For illustrations and examples to accomplish each of these or for training in learning to use stories, contact George Yates.

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.

It is a fact, we all like new things. A new car, new phone, jewelry, a new fishing rod & reel. We each could begin a list of new things we like and would like to have. For some, a new beginning would be ideal.

We are at the threshold of a new year. Consider it a new beginning for each one of us. We will soon have a new President, a new administration, a new work year (for those still working) with new vacation and personal days.

But most of all you and I have a new opportunity to grow in the grace & knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and Almighty God.

I shared a message on this topic Sunday using the scripture verse Isaiah 43:19, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

I believe as we sit on the threshold of a new year, we are sitting on the threshold of a new and greater opportunity than we’ve experienced previously. 2025 holds something for Christians that we have not seen in our lifetime – if we take hold of it.

Are you ready and willing to follow in a new way – a deeper, more concerted walk with God than ever before? This is the opportunity God has for you in 2025.

God had Isaiah share, “I am doing a new thing.” Doing is not past tense, it is present tense. God’s work continues in us each day of our lives.

God has a next step for each of us. He is doing a new thing and desires us to follow Him in greater and different ways in this next year.

He desires to grow you; therefore, you cannot stay in the same place. God stretches us to grow us. No growth takes place in the comfort zone.

Can you perceive going with God on an enhanced journey? He’ll not leave you or forsake you. In 2025 may your perceiving be, wherever He leads I’ll go.

Isaiah reminds the people of Israel in verse 19 that God has never left them alone. He has never forsaken them. He has always provided a way, a highway in the wilderness where there were no roads or paths to travel. In the desert, He provided streams of free flowing, thirst quenching, life-giving, living water.

God is your highway in the wilderness. He is your stream in the heated, dry conditions of the desert. God’s new thing is your highway and your thirst-quenching stream. Are you ready?

George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.