Woman leading a group meeting

Church consultant Susan Beaumont says that power accrues more easily to men than women in our culture, so women need to be especially savvy about how they use their power. She outlines five common ways that women can undermine themselves when it comes to using power.

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Episode 16
Smiling_ confident woman flexing her bicep

Why do women leaders sometimes struggle with using their power and influence? In this episode Lewis Center Associate Director Ann Michel speaks with church consultant Susan Beaumont about how women leaders can learn to use power constructively in leadership relationships.

Person warmly shaking hands with another
 
John Zehring, author of Get Your Church Ready to Grow, says that it's helpful for a church to focus its outreach on categories of people who might be more receptive to finding a new church home, such as recently divorced or widowed persons, those new to the neighborhood, or inactive members interested in reengaging.

The Right Question
Leaders do not need answers. Leaders must have the right questions. 

Kristi Hedges developed a method for a person to discover how they are perceived at work. After selecting five people who know your work well, all of whom you trust to give honest feedback, meet with each and ask these questions: 

What's the general perception of me?
What could I do differently that would have the greatest impact on my success?

Discovering God_s Future for Your Church Video Tool Kit
 
Discovering God's Future for Your Church is a turnkey tool kit to help your congregation discern and implement God ' s vision for its future. The resource guides your church in discovering clues to your vision in your history and culture, your current congregational strengths and weaknesses, and the needs of your surrounding community. The tool kit features videos, leader ' s guides, discussion exercises, planning tools, handouts, diagrams, worksheets, and more.

50 Ways to Welcome New People
50 Ways to Welcome New People

One key to effective outreach is making sure that worship visitors feel truly welcome. From helping newcomers feel at home in worship to following up with visitors, the strategies and tips in 50 Ways to Welcome New People will help your congregation make a good first impression and extend hospitality in meaningful ways.

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Leading Ideas is made possible by contributions to the Lewis Center for Church Leadership from readers like you. Thank you.

Female pastors serving Eucharist
It's Good for Girls to Have Clergywomen, Study Shows

What effect do clergywomen have on girls? A great one, it turns out. Women who grew up with female clergy as role models do better psychologically and educationally than those who did not, writes Jana Riess for Religion News Service.

Quotable Leadership

The twentieth century will see as great a change in the position and progress of woman in the world as has been accomplished in this century, but it will have ceased to cause comment and will be accepted as a matter of course.

Susan B. Anthony, 1901
Simply Christian -- N. T. Wright
 
This 10-session video-based congregational study featuring biblical scholar N. T. Wright addresses questions of the reasonableness of the Christian faith in the modern world. Simply Christian is an excellent course for both established believers and seekers and is ideal for your congregation's small groups, adult Bible studies, and Sunday School classes.


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