Patrick Lencioni with Carey Nieuwhof on "Working Genius"

 The #2 most listened to podcast of 2021 by Carey Nieuwhof featured the very popular Patrick Lencioni speaking about how to discover your working genius, uncovering why some aspects of leadership drain you and others energise you, and how to get the best out of your team.

Carey wrote:

Patrick Lencioni noticed that no matter how long or how well a leader leads, some things continue to frustrate almost every leader.

 Pat and his team came up with a new assessment called Working Genius designed to help every leader figure out what energizes and what drains them, and where their best contribution comes from.

 Pat explains all six types of Working Genius and how to use the insights to best position yourself and your team.

Plus, in this episode’s What I’m Thinking About segment, Carey talks about why he thinks you’re going to need to pivot in 2021.

The YouTube version is here... but you get the extra notes by going to Carey's site.

 

The 3rd Most Listened To Carey Nieuwhof Podcast Of 2021

CNLP 422: Gordon MacDonald on the Damage Driven Leaders Create, Hitting the Wall in Leadership, and Getting Healthy

Carey writes:

One of the most listened to guests in the history of this podcast, pastor and author Gordon MacDonald returns to discuss the damage that driven leaders can create in their drive to get things done. He also talks about how he hit walls in his own leadership and what he did to improve himself.

In Gordon’s words, “Driven people produce shallow followers,” and he explains how to move from a place of “drivenness” to a much healthier place of calling.

 

 Here's Carey's page about the episode with extra information, links etc.

Biblical Principles For Churches Wrestling With Vaccine Mandates

Pastors and other leaders have had to wrestle with issues they never saw coming. Who should they "allow" to come to worship - the vaccinated only, everyone? Churches have divided by arguments over vaccine passes. What principles should guide us in this incredibly complex time?

George Wieland, Director of the Carey Centre For Mission Research and Formation, has written identifying some of the biblical principles he see as being relevant. It is an article that has received a lot of affirmation and it might be valuable for all of us to ponder prayerfully.

Anxiety: There Are Things We Can Do

There is a huge amount of anxiety around. We hear reports of the anxiety amongst children, let alone adults trying to cope with an uncertain and threatening world.

Josh Weidmann has put together 48 things you can do to relieve anxiety. They come from his own experience and they are practical. They are things we can do and it is only in doing them that the results will be found. They are also Christian. Peace is found through the Prince of Peace. It is the knowledge that God is still in control despite the apparent chaos that allows us to relax.

These might be useful for you or someone you know.

May God give us all His peace.

pastor's Wife Might Be Imprisoned For Quoting The Bible

This video speaks for itself. It is another example of the restrictions being imposed on Christians who believe the Bible. Keep praying for our nation as well as so many others following this same pathway.

Why John Cooper Is "Brazen" About Deconstruction

John Cooper is the lead vocalist, bassist and song-writer/producer for the rock band, Skillet. He has recently spoken forcefully about the "epidemic" of Christian influencers, often musicians, who have "deconstructed" their faith. The strength of his assessment has brought criticism which he answers in this article (actually, a Facebook post).

People use "deconstruction" to describe different things and that is part of the problem. Cooper distinguishes between reading the Bible seeking to discover its truth even if that means abandoning some former beliefs, on the one hand, and simply questioning traditional Christian beliefs, perhaps on the basis that the Bible is not reliable, or God is a moral monster, and encouraging others to abandon their faith, on the other. He says the first is what we should be doing all of the time, It is the second that concerns him. It is people's attempts to destroy other's faith that causes him to speak strongly.

Read the article yourself and tell us what you think.

 The Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Act has now been passed by our parliament and is the law in our country.

Despite the "chilling effect" of this legislation, this video from Family First encourages parents, counsellors, faith leaders etc and those who are seeking counselling or unwanted sexuality or gender issues to "keep going" upholding God's truth on sexuality and gender. Bob McCoskrie emphasises that this must be loving and gracious, avoiding coercion and any abusive methods but by being faithful, we will be in the right side of truth.

He cites the example of Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego who refused to bow down to a statue of the emperor even if God did not rescue them.

You would not think that acting lovingly and graciously, or acting in line with one's conscience would be unlawful but, in our country, it now is. The video is, in that sense, counselling us to break the law. What do you think about that? Is this a sufficiently important issue that Christians may have to keep going?