Board Meeting
I returned an hour ago from the church board meeting. We had a great night!
God guided our entire discussion. There was much positive energy in the room, and we got a lot accomplished. Last month was a little bit different.
What was the difference between tonight's meeting and last month?
1. I bathed this meeting in prayer ahead of time. Earlier this morning, I spent an extra hour in prayer, asking for divine wisdom and guidance for leading the meeting. I also prayed specifically for each board member.
2. I made a specific point to work through issues with a couple of board members who had some unanswered questions before the meeting -- this ended up being a very positive and affirming step for all of us.
3. At the beginning of the meeting, we spent extra time preparing our hearts in prayer, asking God to guide and direct us according to His will -- after all, it is His Church!
4. We did substantial deciding without a lot of hashing. One agenda item that had a "high potential hash factor" was referred to a team of three board members who will come back next month with a written, concise plan. That move saved us an hour or so of circular discussion.
5. Tonight, my own heart was oriented towards faith rather than fear and "problem solving." This carried over into our conversation as well as our decisions.
6. Last month, I brought problems to the board. This month, I brought solution steps.
7. It helped that our treasurer reported that December was the best month we've ever had financially in the history of Hayward Wesleyan Church.
God guided our entire discussion. There was much positive energy in the room, and we got a lot accomplished. Last month was a little bit different.
What was the difference between tonight's meeting and last month?
1. I bathed this meeting in prayer ahead of time. Earlier this morning, I spent an extra hour in prayer, asking for divine wisdom and guidance for leading the meeting. I also prayed specifically for each board member.
2. I made a specific point to work through issues with a couple of board members who had some unanswered questions before the meeting -- this ended up being a very positive and affirming step for all of us.
3. At the beginning of the meeting, we spent extra time preparing our hearts in prayer, asking God to guide and direct us according to His will -- after all, it is His Church!
4. We did substantial deciding without a lot of hashing. One agenda item that had a "high potential hash factor" was referred to a team of three board members who will come back next month with a written, concise plan. That move saved us an hour or so of circular discussion.
5. Tonight, my own heart was oriented towards faith rather than fear and "problem solving." This carried over into our conversation as well as our decisions.
6. Last month, I brought problems to the board. This month, I brought solution steps.
7. It helped that our treasurer reported that December was the best month we've ever had financially in the history of Hayward Wesleyan Church.
Just keep doing what your doing
ReplyDeleteDoug
i wish i had a board like yours
ReplyDelete-- pastor phil
Pastor Phil,
ReplyDeleteAttitude reflects from top down. Today's gem - "The man who is worthy of being a leader of men will never complain about ... his helpers.
Mark,
This month you brought solution steps to the board meeting. A good board (including the pastor) is always willing to listen to solution steps of other members.
You made a specific point to work thru issues with a couple of board members before the meeting. That is great. The problem arises when the pastor makes all decisions with a couple of board members before the meeting, essentially disgarding the rest of the board.