As we are in the week of our National holiday, Thanksgiving, I want to share a story that I read earlier. Rather than my words, I want to share it in the words of Krystal Preston, a single Mom from Nevada. Then as usual, I have a couple questions for you at the closing.

“I have no words right now that can express how I am feeling at this moment. I’m in complete shock… The last couple weeks have literally been hell filled with so many tears, anger, confusion and heart ache. Today I got the shock of my life…”

“As some of you may know my son William, who is a lawn mowing, yard cleaning, money making machine. Well my son had a job today that he had to go do and so I allowed him to go assuming it was like any other time. Well this time was different. Very different.”

“William came home and said, ‘Mom I bought you a car’.

I of course laughed and told him ‘Ya, right!’

He said, ‘No mom I’m so serious I bought you a car. Come on we have to go.’

I’m at this point confused and skeptical and I said, ‘Go where?’

He said, ‘With this lady.’

And much to my surprise I go in my front yard and OMG there is a woman standing there and as William said she was giving us a ride.

William jumps in the car so I’m like ok?? This is some kind of joke right. No one speaks really….  So… as I’m still thinking at this point still a joke. We pull up to this house and William says, ‘Mom that’s your car.’

I completely lost it. I started balling my eyes out… I am speechless my 13-year-old son bought me a car.”

“He did some work for this woman and that was his payment that he worked out with her. And here I thought it was a joke… Nope I was handed the keys and paperwork to the car and I’m freaking out but so in shock like OMG this is happening right now. So, we got into the car it started right up and off we went.”

“I am so proud of my son. He is such a good kid. He may have his days but OMG what 13-year-old kid do you know that buys his mom a car… William I love you son and thank you. You have such a big heart and I love you.”

Which of the two do you believe received the biggest blessing? Certainly, both Mother and son received a huge blessing and a life-long gratefully cherished memory. Beginning today, to what length are you willing to go above and beyond your normal to bless someone else through this Thanksgiving and Christmas season? Don’t just think about it – DO IT! Then consider how you can continue in that practice throughout 2021. Be a blessing at Thanksgiving and throughout the year. Happy Thanksgiving. God bless!

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 the 1980’s Texas, like much of the nation, was facing an ever-growing issue, litter. Littering had gotten so bad, not only states, there was a national campaign attempting to fend off this domestic menace. One national series of ads was connecting. Each ad featured an elder native American Indian with a teardrop running his cheek at the sight of litter in streams, rivers, parks, along roadways. This series had a positive effect – except in Texas.

A research group returned these findings. Most of the littering in Texas was by 18-35 year old males. They nick-named this group “Bubba”. It seems none of the attempts from the state were affecting Bubba. Not even the ads with the elder Indian and the teardrop. Bubba wasn’t phased to stop littering.

Officials in the state of Texas realized their messages were not connecting with “Bubba”. What could be done to connect with this group? An extensive pursuit was under way to connect the needed message to this group and others throughout the state. What is it that this group respects and would react to positively?

A new ad campaign was implemented with the message that anyone littering was messing with Texas. And if you mess with Texas you are messing with anyone who cares about Texas. Texas athletes  (Dallas Cowboys,  country musicians as Willie Nelson were among those appearing in ads. The ad campaign was so successful that not only did the prideful Texans 18-35 (and all ages) stop littering, Bubba was willing to call anyone out whom they saw littering. Litter in Texas dropped by 72% over the next five years. The tag line that became a statewide slogan, “Don’t Mess With Texas!”

If you were alive and of remembering age in the eighties, you likely remember that slogan. It was broadcast all over the nation due to the success of the campaign. It was being quoted across the country. The pride of a cleaner atmosphere was spreading beyond the Lone star state. According to Wikipedia, “While the slogan was not originally intended to become a statewide cultural phenomenon, it did.” It is still in use today.

The Don’t Mess with Texas campaign connected the message with the consumer. Every leader needs to continuously insure his/her message is connecting for accomplishing the desired outcomes. As in the business world, in churches, the pastor’s message (not only in the pulpit) often doesn’t connect with the congregation, yet the pastor/leader often does not realize the disconnect. Every ministry leader, the same.

If your church/organization is not making forward progress, fulfilling its mission (the Great Commission), there is a disconnect between your leadership and constituents. Not one of us communicates as well as we believe we do.

To insure your message as a leader is connecting with your congregants, volunteers, or consumers, find a connecting point. The way you deliver your message is usually what connects to you. That may not be the same connecting point you need. In Texas the connecting point was not cleanliness or environmental care. The connecting point was pride in their home state, and protection of fellow Texans. What will you do this week to find a better connecting point for those entrusted to your leadership?

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 last week’s post we wrote of three traits of a fruitful leader. In this post we’ll look at two more attributes of fruitful leaders.

Celebrate: What the pastor and church leaders celebrate affects the culture of the church. If it does not seem important enough for the leaders to recognize, members will not emphasize it. Therefore, they will not take up the cause. What gets recognized, gets emphasized, and what gets emphasized, gets recognized. Whatever you want people to engage in, celebrate it, recognize it – more than once, from more than one platform. When you believe you’ve celebrated enough, you’ve only just begun.

I believe you should celebrate all victories, big and small. If a Bible study class has been running three and has grown to five, celebrate. Celebrate from the pulpit and in the group’s classroom. Celebrate them in other settings. When a person comes to faith in Christ, celebrate. Not only celebrate the person coming to Christ, celebrate all those who have shared in that person’s spiritual life. Recognize all the Sunday School and VBS teachers who have had that person in class over the years. Recognize the co-worker who prayed for and shared her faith.

Celebrate everything you cherish about the gospel. Fruitful leaders understand living the gospel is not enough. Their calling includes building the gospel culture. Celebrating when others engage in gospel living builds God’s culture. Remember: What gets recognized, gets emphasized, and what gets emphasized, gets recognized. Celebrating is recognizing. When you recognize something enough through celebration, people will begin to emphasize it in their lives.

Grow from Within: New life is always a key to kingdom growth. On top of this, fruitful leaders understand that identifying and growing new leaders from within the organization produces God’s fruitfulness. The North American church model over the last few decades has become a hiring agency from outside the organization when looking for leaders.

Throughout scripture we see God raising up leaders from within. After Paul’s conversion, we see him always looking for leaders within the churches he planted. The disciples raised up, equipped, and allowed people in the New Testament church to lead so they could, “give themselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”

Acts 6:2-4 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

When a church becomes a movement of people (God’s movement) raising up leaders from the inside becomes part of the culture, the environment, and the nature of organization. One of the greatest ways to show people that you care as a leader is to empower them to lead out in ministry. Developing leaders from within brings greater benefits when others realize they too could be the next leader sought after. Raising leaders from within should be natural because those leaders already understand the nature, culture, and ethos of the organization.

Where is your church on raising leaders from within? Regardless of your position at church, what will you do this week to begin pouring yourself into others to raise up leaders?

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.

I have been saddened over the years each time I learn of a pastor whom due to poor leadership decisions, has lost not only his church but his ministry. Sometimes never to return to vocational ministry, other times not to return for several years. It is true some men enter ministry without the call of God on their lives. For these, it is destined to not stay the course. Others leave the ministry feeling beat down, depressed, and run over, often by members of their own churches.

The pastoral role in churches across the United States has become more of manager than leader. I’ve never met anyone who entered ministry to manage. No one enters ministry to manage people, programs, or facilities. Yet, this is the role relegated to many pastors and staff. Pastors lose their churches for many reasons. Some of these are due to concepts not taught in our schools and seminaries as people skills and healthy leadership practices.

While many in leadership positions in the corporate world and the church consider themselves to be good leaders, a better question is to ask, where is my leadership most fruitful? Unfortunately, what many consider fruitful ministry is only to escape one of the scenarios above – not losing our job.

Let me quickly address three areas of leadership that will always improve fruitfulness.

Consistency: Once a pastor has been at his church for three to four years the church will begin to take on some of his behavior patterns. Not all, but some of his patterns. Example: If a pastor has a passion for the homeless, you will see the church take on behavior patterns of caring for the homeless. Behavior patterns are the regular and repetitive ways in which we react to life’s situations. The consistency of these repetitions develop patterns in your behavior. If you are not satisfied with the behavior patterns in your church, look first in the behavior mirror.

Vulnerability: It is not a weakness to show your vulnerability. It can indeed be a major building component for your church. People need to hear of your victories. They also need to hear of your trials and shortcomings, even your failures. You have survived your failures and prayerfully moved on. What better way to encourage others than sharing how you got up, dusted yourself off, and took off again? Share your experiences, the good, the bad, even the ugly.

Make it Personal: Share your stories. I know some pastors and leaders who refuse to use the stories of their personal lives. This is tragic and a missed opportunity. Don’t borrow other people’s stories, use yours. One corporate trainer lost credibility with a group he was to be in front of for two days. He lost credibility with his first story because he told it as his story. Then after the punchline, he admitted it was made up. From that point on credibility in everything he had to say was in question. Personal stories of your experiences motivate and encourage others to stretch themselves. Reveal in your stories how Christ worked through your inadequacies’. Let your stories reveal Christ.

There are many more attributes of a fruitful leader. We’ll address more in future articles. Which of these three can you apply this week to improve the fruitfulness of your leadership?

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.

A stagnant body of water lies still, does not move, does not produce anything positive, and will over time begin to stink and die. A moving body of water, on the other hand, touches everything it passes, leaving signs of life and fruitfulness.

Churches across North America today have become more organizations of people than people with a cause. An organization of people becomes stagnant, will decline and eventually die. While a people with a cause is always moving, leaving traces of new life everywhere it touches.

Churches often become little more than an organization of people who gather on Sunday’s for their own pleasure and self-proclaimed worship. One pastor made a proclamation to me and later to his church about an event the church participated in annually. “There is not one thing we do there that an atheist could not set up right next to us and do the same.” Unfortunately, something similar could be said of a majority of what we do as churches, even in our worship services. (That church immediately set out to change.)

Pastors come into these churches and find it hard, even frustrating to move the church out of their comfort zone, into biblical Great Commission ministry. Granted there may be small pockets of true gospel centered ministry, but not overall. We, the church in North America, have created our own brand of Christianity. We have become organizations of people, people of comfort in our ways of worship.

Churches making a significant difference today in their community and beyond have defined a cause and are drawing people to a needs meeting ministry cause. It is more than filling shoeboxes and backpacks – while those are worthy needs meeting ministries. People of all generations want a cause. The younger generations today are exemplary in this serving for a cause environment. But how do you move from an organization of people to a people with a cause. First through prayer for intentional outward focus, find the true needs of your community – not your own perceived needs, the true needs of the surrounding community. There is a 3 question survey that you can use in any situation for finding the true needs that you can download for free at soncare.net .

A fruitful ministry then depends on the leader (pastor) who embodies the cause, empowers the God gifted members of his church to undertake the cause, and guides the church to fully resource ministries to meet the true needs in the community. Whatever the need in your community, God has gifted your church (people) to help meet the need. One issue is we must get out of our closed ministry mindset box and utilize what God has blessed us with.

It is important to remember here, “Don’t copy models, capture principles.” It is not about what some other church has done. It is about the need God has placed in front of you and how He has gifted each member in your congregation to fulfill that need. If you desire assistance in discovering the need or how to utilize the giftings in your church to meet that need, contact me. My calling is to assist you. Begin today moving from an organization of people to a People with a Cause!

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 night last week I literally walked into a wall – the outside corner of a wall. Following a similar pattern as most nights I walked into our dark bedroom where my wife was already asleep. On this night however, I misjudged the angle I was walking and hit my forehead over my left eye so hard on this corner, the sound awakened my wife. I cupped my hand in front of my face and immediately felt blood, not dripping, running down my nose and into my hand. A few minutes later after getting the bleeding stopped and covering my new one-inch gash with a bandage, I went to bed. Pam was already fast asleep.

I still do not know all the answers of that incident: How did I misjudge the angle after years of the same routine? How could a slow cautious stride make such a loud noise (to awake the sleeping)? How could that same slow stride cause such a damaging hard hit with a 10 minute bleeding spree?

In life we hear people use the terminology, “I’ve hit a wall.” I’ll certainly be more selective when using that terminology from now on. Using that terminology normally refers to coming to a seemingly impassable point in a particular venture or task. Example: “My computer quit running. I’ve tried everything I know, and I’ve run into a wall.” Or “It’s been a long tiring day. I’m exhausted! I’ve hit the wall.”

We all come to these “walls” in life and most often it is best to take a break, move onto something else. Set the task completely aside. Come back to the difficult issue later, when we are refreshed. Some of those walls, metaphorically speaking, like the one I ran into, we may never know all the answers. But that does not mean we should give up on tasks or ventures. My task that night was to turn off a fan that was in our window pulling in cool air. A few minutes after the unpleasant incident,  while holding a wet washcloth to my bleeding head, I did turn off the fan. In life, we need more of a break and more than a wet washcloth. Sometimes the best you can do is leave that task for another day (or a later time in the day).

A second set of eyes and another brain is oftentimes where the solution comes from. Don’t be afraid to call on someone else, someone not part of the team or issue. Let that person, that set of fresh eyes, bring his/her perspective. On a number of occasions, I have come to one of those walls on a home project. While I’m taking a break, it is my wife who has come up with a possible solution or at least spurred my thinking in a different direction which led to the needed answer. You are not a Lone Ranger in your world. Call on others.

Another great solution finder is prayer. Look to the creator of all and ask for guidance. You may still need to take a break. That may actually be God’s counsel. “Take a break and I will reveal what you need.” This has certainly happened in my life. And when I heed God’s advice, He indeed always provides the means and the way beyond my issue.

When you run up against a wall in ministry or any area of life, take a break, ask for another set of eyes and trust God. He is still in the delivery business – delivering answered prayers.

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 one of my first meetings with the educational leaders of a church I served, I made the comment, “There are no sacred cows.” Everyone in the room agreed, Amened, and approved. A couple months later as I began speaking about some outdated practices and programs, my words were met with, well let’s say, not so positive stares and comments. People’s sacred cows were coming to light and they weren’t ready to give them up.

When you revise the methods or furnishings (changes) of a church you are in essence trampling sacred memories. What seemed like necessary changes to me were not only sacred cows, they were decades of the familiar, comfort, and religious security of these church members. To these longtime members, I was the new kid (in my forties), the change agent, and that did not bode well.

Bringing about change is not only programmatic. The changes you suggest, as good and godly as they might be, can sometimes be very personal to others. I have written in prior posts about understanding your Emotion Quotient (EQ). Just as every person has an Intelligence Quotient (IQ), so everyone has an EQ as well. Twenty years later in life, I realize the importance of not only knowing my own EQ, but also understanding the EQ of those my requests and suggestions will affect.

The year 2020 has certainly brought disruption into every life. The church has faced great disruption and necessary change. Those changes are not over yet. They will continue for some time as we maneuver through the weeks, months, and years ahead. Pastors and other church leaders are deliberating and making decisions on issues they never would have dreamed of twelve months ago.

As each next step is considered in every church a multitude of factors must be considered. Speaking with an Associate Pastor and friend recently I was reminded of EQ. He did not use that term, but he certainly was referring to it. He said to help their congregation through all the disruptions and adjustments, their church staff was not using the word change. Instead of helping their people deal with change, they have adopted a grief process. They are walking with their members as they grieve the loss of what once was.

The changes of the church brought on by 2020 have and will continue to take an emotional toll on churchgoers. This staff has challenged themselves to walk with their members through the stages of grief during this time. Your church members have lost a great deal of what they have known for years, even decades.

The emotional state of some break down quicker than others. Wouldn’t we all fare well to consider the EQ of those we serve and those who serve us? Considering the losses, approaching people from a position of grief assistance could certainly aid in the emotional and spiritual state of mind – for our members and leaders. What can you begin today that will enable you to assist others in walking through the grief stages from losses in 2020?

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.

Pastor Greg mused as one of his members walked away. “Wow, that is the fifth person this morning who has commented on the changes in his/her life. Eight in the last two weeks.” Actually, none of those had used the word “change”. But what each had to share was a change in the way he/she was living. Five members of Greg’s congregation that morning shared with him of something they had done to share Jesus with others the previous week. A change was truly happening in the congregation. A good change! “After three years, what has finally made the difference?” Greg pondered.

In the past I have written about the importance of organizational leadership. Today I want to write about guiding leadership. While organizational leadership is critical, without guiding leadership your organization will become stagnant which could lead to organizational demise. Guiding leadership is directional leadership.

To be a guiding leader, you must be on the same journey with your organization. Willing to be in the trenches. Guiding leadership is directional leadership. Not only pointing people in a direction, but leading people through the transformation by making the transformation yourself. You cannot lead people to a place you are not willing to go personally.

Have you ever taken a guided tour and known the guide to stay behind and send you on your way? No. A guide is out in front, pointing out the beauty of the journey, helping you to see and enjoy the benefits and avoid the potential pitfalls.

The church of the near future will look different than the church of the past, even the recent past. In many ways, this is not a bad thing. Leaders of the local church (not only the pastor) must be willing to embrace change in their own ways of leadership and ministry.

In the coming church a pastor still preaches, teaches and cares for his people. Some of the changes come in how pastors and congregants interact with people in the community. Our observation patterns must change, watching for opportunities to serve our local community with a completely different mindset of what to watch for. Opportunities abound. We only need to be prayerful and watchful for God’s great opportunities to show His love in ways we have neglected the past 40 years. People may not tell you of a need. We need deeper listening skills, listening to the Holy Spirit for the ways we can serve.

Another mindset change is from when we see or hear of an opportunity we must act right away. In the past we might have sat on an idea. Maybe mulled it around a few days until the opportunity passed. Often without sharing the opportunity with anyone. Changing your church’s operational structure to meet needs according to the giftings and passions of the church members.

In this new era when an opportunity appears, we should immediately place a phone call (or text) to one of the leaders in the church who will spring into action getting others in the church reacting to the opportunity. Helping your members find their true passions and giftings, then matching those to ministry opportunities is perhaps the greatest key to exceptional fruitful Great Commission ministry.

Regardless of your position in the church are you ready and willing to be a directional leader? What is your first order of business to become a directional leader?

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.

A young man in our church, approached me in the hallway a few months after the launch of a fruitful aerobics ministry. Carl was a former military man. Apparently in the military he taught a form of martial arts. Hearing of the fruitfulness of the aerobics ministry, Carl stated that he wanted to teach this martial arts discipline in our church.

I have nothing against martial arts, Carl and certainly nothing against new ministries to bring people to the saving grace of Christ and building disciples. Due to the disciplines of martial arts, I could envision a fruitful disciple growing ministry. However, talking with Carl for a couple short minutes on this day, I knew where this was going.

Like the young lady with the aerobics ministry, I asked Carl to set an appointment, to discuss this ministry possibility and to share with him about writing a ministry plan. Unlike the young lady with the aerobics ministry I never heard from Carl again about this possible ministry.

In the brief hallway encounter, I could tell that Carl was serious, thinking this could be a great ministry opportunity, and I agree it could have been. I could also tell by his delivery that this would unfortunately be a fleeting moment for Carl. A worthy and noble pursuit, his passion would wane and die. I am not certain there was ever any passion in Carl’s heart for this as a ministry. Starting new ministries in the church is a great way to advance the Kingdom of God, if those ministries are God sent.

The events of 2020 have provided many wonderful opportunities for new ministries in and through the local church. Yet, we must open our eyes to things we have been closed to in recent years. We must be willingly ready to follow God in His desire to be His church, not the church of our comfort. Regardless of the past successes or shortcomings, we must be willing to let go of the grip we have on what we believe in as church. New ministries, new processes abound and will resonate the church of the future. In many aspects this church of the future, to be fruitful, will look more like the church found in the book of Acts than what we’ve called church for the last century.

Below are links to two free resources every church can use for greater impact in ministry. One is a ministry evaluation form. I believe every church should evaluate each ministry every year. You ae not going to do away with all ministries but evaluate them for fruitfulness. What functions of the church is this fulfilling? Which parts of the Great Commission have been fulfilled this past year through this ministry? The other resource is a New Ministry Questionnaire. Eighteen questions to answer before starting any new ministry or event in your church. Both resources can be vital to the success of your ministry service to God.

New Ministry Questionnaire – https://soncare.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/New-Ministry-Questionnaire.pdf

Ministry Evaluation – https://soncare.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Evaluating-Ministries.pdf

What is the biggest hurdle for your church in beginning God-sent viable ministries to reach your community? What ministry opportunities has God placed before you/your church in the past 30 days that your church could respond to answering the eighteen questions on the New Ministry form?

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.

I read a very encouraging article this weekend of a church, Pleasant Grove, in Owensboro, Kentucky. This church, PGBC, in the last six months has completed a 2.5 million dollar building project, hired a new pastor, almost doubled their weekly income, baptized dozens, and seen an increase in attendance from 320 to 477. All during the pandemic and unrest in our nation.

How did they do it? By carrying on with the business of The Great Commission. Some of their ventures were simply retooling the ministry opportunities they had previously been involved with, including a t-ball league (yes during the pandemic – in accordance with all guidelines). 2020 gave the church a unique opportunity to tweak this ministry and reach more people for Christ. God is Awesome.

It fills my heart with joy and encouragement as I read and hear of church stories like this during this time of trial and hardships of 2020. These are the churches I desire to be and see throughout our land. God has not given us a timeout to await the pandemic’s demise. Instead He has given us great opportunities to reach more people than ever for Christ. Each church has opportunities like these for the taking. We need only to be willing and obedient in fulfilling The Great Commission.

Fruitful leading of a church goes beyond the functional interests of numbers and dollars. It is easy to get caught up in the day to day affairs of church as usual and keeping up with attendance numbers and budget receipts. God’s intent is for the church to reflect the true personality of God. This is done when we empower the people of the church to be Great Commission Christians, providing opportunities to share God’s glorious character and personality.

Think back, did you let some ministry lapse this summer due to the coronavirus? How could you have tweaked and reshaped that ministry to reach people for Christ? Next, look ahead to your Fall ministry events. How can you empower your people to be the church, God’s church moving forward with God’s directive, The Great Commission?

As an individual, what opportunities has God placed in front of you to share His love and character of forgiveness, mercy, and grace? To whom (how many) can you share in the bounty of God’s love and grace to you? Share a meal, pack a goodies basket, mow someone’s yard, carry a vase of flowers, hand someone a gift card (even $5), pay for someone’s meal. The possibilities are endless.

Whatever you do, do all these things as unto God, for His glory, and be sure to shine His light. Share with the person why you are doing this act of kindness. Watch and pray for opportunities to tell of God’s great goodness.

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.