Reggie Joiner's Blog, page 60

Don’t Burn Out the Engine

I have limited knowledge about cars. I know they require gas and routine maintenance to keep running. Even with this limited knowledge, I know that one of the best ways to ruin an engine is by not taking care of the oil. Don’t ask me how I know or how much it cost me to learn this lesson. Engines, when the oil is not taken care of, can burn out and leave us (or maybe just me) in some stranded places. Staff and volunteers, like vehicle maintenance, require timely care and attention to prevent...

Dealing with Disappointment

by Mike Tiemann

It was a bright spring day in 2014. My daughter was five at the time, and we were spending the early afternoon where we often did: at the park.

She had recently graduated to the “big kid playground,” which had a giant, enclosed slide, fast swings . . . and a set of tall monkey bars that looked impossibly imposing for her tiny frame.

I should tell you that my girl has always been fiercely independent. Strong-willed. Determined. On this particular day, she focused all her attent...

Relational Skills of Great Leaders

“People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
“People may not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.”

We have heard these phrases more than a million times, and even now they still ring true. The ability to connect with others in an authentic, deep and meaningful manner is rare these days. So, the moment people discover that we truly care about them, we upgrade from good leaders to great ones.

The moment people discover that we trul...

How to Handle Negative Personalities on Your Team

Team dynamics are fascinating to me. Wholly different perceptions, personalities, experiences and ideals being thrown together and told to work in unison towards a common goal. Is it any wonder that a team accomplishes anything at all? However, if you’ve ever worked in a well-functioning machine, you know that immeasurably more can actually be accomplished in a team setting than taking on the same task solo. 

So, figuring out how to overcome all those differences and work together is such an...

Pushing Your Leader Forward

One of the first things you learn about leadership is how to encourage those following you. The first thing those who are following can learn is how to encourage the one who is leading. Leaders need encouragement too. Leaders make numerous decisions that go through a variety of second-guessing questions. Is what I’m doing pleasing God? Is it moving the church or organization forward in vision? How is this going to affect the staff and volunteers? How will the other people working toward the v...

Nehemiah’s Story, Your Calling

The work has started, but it’s not yet complete. We’ve come a long way, though, haven’t we? Like Nehemiah, we’ve named the problem. We’ve used our resources and influence to address the problem. We’ve formulated a strategy and are working on the problem. Now it’s time to start being the Church. Remember, when we come together, it makes the enemy nervous. 

Diversity in Christ

We are the Church regardless of our denominations, political opinions, cultural differences. We’re connected by a gospe...

How Churches Can Use IGTV

IGTV hit the world just a short time ago but it already has people talking. Have you heard about IGTV yet? Maybe a better question is have you started playing around with it yet for your church or ministry? 

What is IGTV?  

IGTV stands for Instagram TV and allows you to upload long form videos up to 10 minutes . . . unless you are a large or verified account which are allowed to post videos up to one hour in length. This is quite different from other Instagram videos and stories in which vide...

Embracing and Learning from Different Perspectives

When I was young my dad and I had a special bonding activity. We’d be headed somewhere in the car and he would put me in his lap, let me take the wheel, and “drive.” Obviously, this was long before car seats and maybe even seatbelts. I must’ve been four or five or six to fit on his lap behind the wheel. Try to push down you’re shocked horror at a five-year-old in his dad‘s lap behind the wheel of a two-ton missile traveling 50 miles an hour for a moment to just embrace the sheer beauty of thi...

Vision! Re-Vision! And Re-Vision Again!

There is one thing constant about life. Change! Change is the only thing we can count on happening every single day. If change happens every day, imagine how much change a ministry can go through each year. Change seems to happen more rapidly when you have an aligned team working toward one goal moving toward the ministry vision. As one part of the vision is worked out, other things shift and need to be addressed in order to keep the momentum and to not lose the already accomplished gains. Vi...

The Difference Between “Wow” and “How” People

Aren’t there always two different type of people? Leaders and followers. Introverts and extroverts. Givers and takers. It seems like we find plenty of ways to divide ourselves into two groups based on oversimplifications.

I bet you can think of plenty more examples. But here’s one more categorization that you may not have heard of before. There are two kinds of people in the world—”Wow” people and “How” people.

You may already be familiar with this concept. You may call it something else. Or...