About
PLI is devoted to empowering leaders for wider influence for the sake of the gospel in their communities and effective leadership in their ministries. Learn more about our vision and process here.
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Life is better connected. Connect with others to experience life-giving community and build authentic relationships. We have several learning communities. Find the best fit for you.
Resources
We provide a number of resources and materials to educate both our participants and the general public on effective leadership principles.
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Blog
Dealing with Disappointment
By: Jock Ficken
Every congregational leader I know deals with disappointment. Most of us have endured seasons where disappointment has been heaped upon crushing disappointment and where a resiliency of faith in the face of disappointment is difficult to sustain. Here’s a disappointment short list: People you thought you could “count on” suddenly count themselves unreliable. The system… … Continue reading
3 Benefits of Pride and Arrogance
By: Jock Ficken
Hmmm! 3 Benefits? In seasons when it’s really hard, OR I’m not well, OR our church is not well, OR the tick, tick, tick of postponing actions or hard decisions is waiting to detonate…pride and arrogance gets crushed in me…needs to get crushed in me! But it doesn’t seem to go anywhere if I don’t have … Continue reading
2 Requests. 1 Thank You.
By: Jock Ficken
PLI just wrapped up 3 Leadership Essentials learning communities. Leadership Essentials fastens down some of the core building blocks of effective leadership. (We’ll be starting a similar learning community in Ethiopia next week!) One Thank You But allow me to say Thank You to you for leading in your role. Thank you for serving and … Continue reading
Impact Through Authenticity
By: Kyrie Klopke
We all desire authenticity, yet it’s hard to find in our culture today AND — dare I say? — even harder to find among Christians or in the church. It’s difficult to share Jesus with your friends or co-workers without coming across as judgmental, hypocritical, or religiously irrelevant. So how do you live an authentic … Continue reading
Exposing Conflicting Values… The 3 Bold Steps of an Adaptive Leader
By: Jock Ficken
We live in a highly secularized culture. Often dismissive. Sometimes hostile. Churches face the choice of adapting or disconnecting from their worlds. The Spirit still works through the Word of God in all manner of contexts. As a result, leaders need to expose conflicting values in our collective hearts if we’re going to take on … Continue reading
1,000 Strong – Guest Blog and Poem
By: Phil Klopke
I’d like to share a blog post and poem my friend, Tanner Olson, wrote for 1,000 Young Leaders. Tanner is a writer, speaker, and spoken word poet. He is the creator of Written to Speak, a project that seeks to spread hope and announce love through written and spoken word. I hope you enjoy it as … Continue reading
Change Is Hard for Me
By: Phil Klopke
Have you ever noticed how hard it can be to make change in your life? I have. The gap between the change I want to see and the actual change I experience is often wide, especially when it’s done in isolation. To experience real, life transforming change in your life you need a community that … Continue reading
The Conspiracy of Silence… The Leader’s Biggest Mistake
By: Jock Ficken
Leaders across the church…not all leaders but plenty of leaders, women and men, denominational officials, pastors, God-fearing leaders…they don’t speak up and define: Here’s our reality. Here’s what this means. Here’s the big challenge in front of us. Maybe because they… “When you put a name on your reality you now have the capacity to … Continue reading
10 Learnings to Lead Change and a Plan for if Next Year is not 1989
By: Jock Ficken
In my early leadership years, Lyle Schaller, a mentor from afar, used to say something like: If next year is 1989, there’s a lot of churches that are primed and ready to go! But if next year is 2019…. 1,000 Young Leaders will deploy missionary disciples from your congregation to help you take on your … Continue reading
5 Ways to Make “THIS is THAT” Work
By: Jock Ficken
Reaching the emerging generation that’s left the church is an adaptive challenge. A 74.3 million adaptive challenge! Most congregations don’t “do” adaptive challenge well. They swat them away and then find a scapegoat leader to blame. (Check out Leadership Essentials where we train adaptive leaders.) It’s no secret that PLI is trying to help you and … Continue reading
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