What’s the best way to convince donors to give to your ministry? This will sound counter-intuitive, but hear me out. I’ve visited hundreds of ministries, heard many leaders explain their program design and rationale, and I know how compelling and confidence-inspiring their explanations are. The greatest opportunity for more effective fundraising is to increase the complexity of [...]
When a leader prays, “Thy will be done…”
Do you ever stop to think that some day you and your staff will be together in heaven and you will have no power or authority over them? They will not be obligated to you, in fear of you, or in any way bound to you as a leader. Does that have implications for how [...]
Truth-telling at work
As I opened the door of a dry-cleaning store recently, I was stunned by a powerfully nasty odour. ”Whoa!” I said to myself, ”I don’t think dry-cleaning chemicals smell like this!” As I waited behind the customer who was being served at the counter, I looked around the store and then glanced at the floor. I did [...]
“Goodbye Dad, it was beautiful.”
On Wednesday the 22nd, I posted about my Dad’s rapidly deteriorating condition and what we were both thinking about as we faced the prospect of his death within the next few months. I asked you for prayer that his passing would be a peaceful and painless transition from this life to the next. That prayer was answered unexpectedly just two days later [...]
Final Reflections: When it’s time to go home
In July my 88-year-old father took a cruise by himself on the Queen Mary II and now he is receiving palliative care. Things change so quickly, and since my attention is on my dad, I’ll post as I have time. However, here’s a reflective thought for leaders about what sustains us when at death’s door. What is sustaining my [...]
Rev. John Pellowe, MBA, DMin
