Christmas Message…

In what may seem at first glance, a simple kindness, Jesus washing His disciples feet was a powerful lesson. He was deliberately taking on the position of a servant, washing away the grime and filth of the streets. At one point, Peter protested, saying, “You shall never wash my feet.”  Jesus replied, “Unless, I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:8)…

Every time we meet a new person, shake hands and share names, what’s the first question we are asked? More often than not, it’s “What do you do for a living?” Maybe, what we really want to ask is, “Who are you? What are your values?” but these questions are so broad, and yet so personal, that we begin with something smaller…

It’s a feeling that everyone can relate to: too many tasks to complete and too little time. There are a few things that feel more overwhelming than looking at a full calendar or a lengthy to-do list while the clock ticks away. Feeling overwhelmed can lead to stress, anxiety and sometimes even depression. If your tasks are consuming all of your focus, time and energy, burnout is a likely result…

Over the last several months, we have looked at the competencies required for a mentor, supervisor or coach to lift the vitality of the leaders around them. Now it’s time to wrap up this series and recap what we have covered…

We have spent months looking at the competencies that are essential for an effective leader, almost completing our series last week with a blog on self-awareness. Growing these competencies (specifically self-awareness) leads to the growth of another important, overarching necessity in leaders: emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to see, understand and manage emotions in yourself and others, and to have the humility and wisdom to rely on others when you are struggling to do so…

Why does self-awareness matter? Throughout every individual’s journey of transformation, there are challenges, some small and some seemingly insurmountable.  Without self-awareness, we cannot hope to overcome these challenges, much less lead others in facing their struggles. The sense of self can vary greatly between one person and the next: wise and healthy leaders need to be intentionally developed in this area. There have been various stages of my own life where I felt self-aware, only to look back and realise that there was much I wasn’t seeing. Self-awareness is not some epiphany that comes once in a lifetime and gives all the insight one will ever need; it is a process of continual discovery, and growth of self-awareness often leads to even more questions to ask oneself…

For dedicated spiritual leaders, I have found that one of the most challenging areas of life to make time for is, ironically, spirituality. Despite spending much of our time and energy upholding services to our community and helping others on their journey towards spiritual transformation, our own relationship with God can often flounder…

If you have been following Verve Lead for even just a few weeks, you will know that I am a strong advocate for the work of mentors, coaches, and professional supervisors. Personally, having a mentor has brought me closer to God and my calling, and I believe that developing a relationship with a mentor is crucial for all ministry leaders. Given its positive impact, let us encourage everyone to participate in the process. There is, however, a hard truth: mentoring costs…