Top 20 Quotes from Blessing Ranch (Spring 2016)
This is part of a series of posts on 20 quotes. Click here to see others.
I spent the week in Florida returning to a place called Blessing Ranch. It’s a ministry for pastors, and lately they’ve been gathering groups of people from across the states to join up in mentoring groups. That meant I had the opportunity to dive deep into rich conversations with three other guys in ministry along with an incredible mentor named Dr. John Walker. I meet with this group twice a year to sit together and learn from one another. Below you’ll see my 20 favorite ideas shared throughout our time together. Normally I save my “20 quotes†posts for conferences, but this week brings so much for me to think about that I include it. All of these are typed into my paraphrase of what was said and some of them are just my personal thoughts in response to something another guy said. Many of these are likely quotes from authors and leaders but which may not have been attributed as such in our discussion (although I’ve attributed the source if it was mentioned). They also include a few ideas from Jud Wilhite (numbers 15-20), the Senior Pastor of Central Christian Church in Vegas and the author of a number of books. We had a chance to video chat with Jud and allow him to speak into our conversation as well. All that to say this list is my best attempt at capturing some of the incredible insights I received from this week in hopes it can be a blessing to you as well.- Successful leaders in ministry have “objective self-awareness.”
- Instead of saying “I don’t have time,” it’s more honest to say: “It’s not a priority to me.” – Anne Voskamp
- Learn to process your failures without guilt and shame.
- A position of power can wreak havoc on you if you have something to prove.
- May the light inside of me always shine brighter than any light on me. – Shelene Bryan
- Run to the roar (referencing how lions hunt and that we survive by running to our pain).
- People who can embrace feedback can handle dealing with pain.
- The thing that allowed you to survive in the past may be the very thing that keeps you from thriving in the future.
- Give power to the second thought since you can’t control the first (we replace some of the lies and stories in our heads with Truth from Christ).
- When casting vision beyond where people currently are, explain also what you are not saying.
- Anticipate what people are assuming and speak to it.
- Give your ideas your best shot but always be open to discovery.
- Growth is not a vision.
- Begin a hard conversation with why what you are about to say as a challenge is best for the other person.
- Hold everything loosely.
- I’m convinced everyone is leaving. It’s just a matter of when.
- God calls people to churches and God calls people through churches.
- Elders/boards have destroyed more churches than pastors/leaders. (He recommended John Carver books for how to develop a healthy board).
- The board should only speak as a collective unit.
- Don’t fight ghosts (issues that aren’t real).
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