Thank You and Good-bye

     Thank you for your interest in and response to this blog.  This is the last post in this blog.

     My first blog post was December 11, 2006.  I have included posts on interim ministry, leadership, and other topics.  Many of you have been kind to read and respond to these writings.

     I plan to start a new blog in January:  New Shepherds Orientation.  It will be designed to provide information, inspiration, and appreciation to those men and their families who serve as shepherds (elders, bishops, overseers) of the Lord's church.

     It has been my privilege to lead New Shepherd Orientation Workshops with congregations.  I have learned much in preparing and leading these times of concentrated work on being more effective in being great leaders by being great servants.

     Two blog posts a month will include some of the following topics:

• Majority or minority rule?  How many votes do you give to each elder?
• Setting goals
• Non-suicide contract
• Elders appreciation parties
• Shepherds who leave when the wolf comes don’t care — Jesus
• How to hear criticism
• For pain to be most productive, it should be anticipated, chosen, and managed
• When most people hurt me, I gave them permission
• Contracts - why, written, items, reviewed?
• Elder rules
• Elder operating procedures:  non-negotiable, negotiable
• Counseling for me 
• Are death wishes the best way to solve leadership problems?
• How to get rid of a bad elder
• Questions to learn more about your family.
• How do you want the church to be? — Be that!
• Grass catcher list
• Elders’s meetings
• Discussion before decisions
• Elder-preacher relationships
• Family meetings
• A leader is a non-anxious presence.
• Funerals and parties
• Processing anger
• Who selects leaders?
• How to select leaders
• Planning a preacher’s (elder’s) departure
• Elder agreements
• 48-hour rule
• Anonymous letters
• Counseling, referral, followup
• Suicide, 3 questions, contract.
• Delegation steps
• Criticism
• Listening until the other person gets through talking
• Sabbath - day a week
• Isolation
• Sabbatical
• Good leaders may not be the first to speak 
• Are you allowing your last preacher to control your next preacher?
• How to deliver bad news — death 
• How to deliver bad news — termination, reduction in pay
• Should we let our preacher preach after he resigns, is released?
• They say we are not open

     If any of these topics sound helpful and interesting, please subscribe to the blog.  I plan to send a link for subscription by the end of the month.

  Thank you again for your encouragement.  Please be looking for the opportunity to subscribe to the new blog.