Mindful Leader

Dr. George Thompson Explores Church Leadership at the Edge of Somewhere!

 

Welcome to the Mindful Leader podcast hosted by Dennis Shaw, a retired elder from the Mountain Sky Conference of the United Methodist Church. This episode, features Dr. George Thompson, and we focus on leadership development in local churches. Dr. Thompson shares insights from his extensive experience and his book Church on the Edge of Somewhere. exploring the dynamics of church identity, leadership, and the societal influences on congregations.

(The grid that Dennis and Dr. Thompson discuss is shown at the bottom of these show notes.) 

Through engaging dialogue, Dr. Thompson and Dennis discuss the significance of understanding congregations as distinct entities, and how leaders can navigate the complexities of church dynamics. The conversation delves into adaptive leadership, empathetic marginality, and the importance of moving beyond conventional paradigms to inspire meaningful change.

Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how churches can balance inner commitments with external challenges, explore innovative approaches to congregational leadership, and appreciate the rich, diverse expressions of faith within different community contexts. Join us for an enriching dialogue aimed at empowering church leaders and fostering transformation in today's ever-evolving world.

A link to the book we discussed is HERE. 

Transcript link is HERE.  

Unrelated to this particular podcast, I promised several months ago to share podcasts that animated me, and HERE is a great one on To Kill a Mockingbird.

Dennis email is HERE (and some Podcast services block it out.  It is found HERE if they have blocked it and the HERE at the start of this is not linking.  ).  

The grid we discuss in the show and mentioned above is below ...  

United Methodist Women -- Scripture and Sermon

This is the Reverend Tiffany Eddy in her debut sermon at Hilltop.  Tiffany is an Elder in the Oklahoma Conference, and spent five years on active duty in the United States Navy.  She now lives in Bluffdale, Utah and is participating in Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Mark's Hospital in Salt Lake City.

This was United Methodist Women Sunday.  Tiffany spoke to the subject of empowerment!  i clipped a smidgen at the end whenTiffany was concluding.  Forgive me please.  

Ministry Moment -- A Culture of Growth

Ministry Moment to set the stage for our Fall Stewardship Campaign.  

Season of Pentecost - James -- Are you "All In"? Why Not?

Pentecost 17:  18.09.23

James 3:13 - 4:8a

Pastor Dennis “Big Idea”: 

I decided to take to the area of which wolf will you feed?  Which wisdom will you honor? Played with the idea of what it means to be "all in".  Sometimes it means you are exhausted or tired.  But other times, it means, I am totally with this.  I am "all" in. No guilt.  No shame.  But at the same time, where are you?  

Revealed this service my financial contribution to the church.  Not for guilt, or shame, but to show Marilyn and I are all in.   

Sunday Four of Five Straight RCL Sundays on James

^3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. ¹⁵ Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. ¹⁶ For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.

^4:1 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? ² You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures….

⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ^8a Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

 

 

Season of Pentecost: Ephesians First Rule of Church Leadership

Ephesians 1: 3-14 

Sermon one of seven from Ephesians.  Will introduce a "rule" per week.  

This week:  "Love your congregation where they are."  

 

Season of Pentecost -- If you can't get out of it, Get into it!

The 10:30 version of June 17th Sermon.  The title of "If you can't get out of it, get into it" comes from a Parker Palmer reflection I quote.  Use a couple of mountain climbing illustrations but the big idea is staying anchored in Jesus come good times or more challenging times. The other readings for this Sunday focused on horaculture themes of grafting and I used them a little.   

Season of Pentecost -- You Are the Light of the World!

 

Elder Mary Kavila preached on my behalf this June 10th last.  Her scripture was Matthew 5: 14-16.  As is usual when Mary preaches she brings both gentle understanding and a challenge to the application of the scripture.  

Season of Pentecost -- Graduate Recognition Sunday

 

The Scripture this week was from Old Testament Proverbs, Chapter 7, but the focus was more on the broader topic of faith, family, friends.  Played with idea of those three important words.  The setting was a borderline baccalureate service for Hilltop graduating students and chose to try and focus on how those hearing the words could use them to help be mentors and coaches.  

Season of Pentecost -- Trinity Sunday - an unpacking of the Holy Spirit

This is my Trinity Sunday attempt to explain the Trinity.  The passage is from John 3.  I focused on the Holy Spirit, since we focus on that so infrequently.  

This Side of Easter: Making a Choice (May 13, 2018)

 

Ephesians 1 -- this is Mother's Day and we look at being a parent as a church.