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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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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
Part-Time Pastor Pete and the Hand of God
By: Jock Ficken
Let me tell you about an incredible, self-effacing man of God nearing retirement. I’ll call him part-time Pastor Pete. He and his church will remain anonymous. Part-time pastor Pete joined PLI’s Discipleship to Missional Community and introduced himself: “I’m not quite sure why I’m here. I guess I thought I owed it to myself and … Continue reading
Some Faces of our 1000 Young Leaders!
By: Jock Ficken
Earlier this month Phil and Kyrie Klopke, PLI’s 1000YL Directors, and the PLI team welcomed 35 young women and men to Nashville for the first annual gathering of 1000YL. It was the first time most in this two-year online training met in person. Ph.D., student, HVAC apprentices, engineers, truck driver, businessmen and women, stay-at-home parents, … Continue reading
Dennis…You’ll be Blessed by His Story!
By: Jock Ficken
“It was absolutely the work of the Holy Spirit that I came to faith!” Let me introduce you to Dennis, a deacon at our host church in Denver last week. He shared some of his story at a pastors’ lunch at PLI last week. Allow me to try to briefly share it here “First, I’d … Continue reading
Don’t Face Goliath in Saul’s Armor
By: Jock Ficken
Too many leaders are like David trying to face Goliath in King Saul’s armor. Nearly 20 years ago Peter Drucker claimed that “successful careers are not planned. They develop when people are prepared for opportunities because they know their strengths, their method of work, and their values” (Harvard Business Review, March-April 1999, “Managing Oneself”). Drucker … Continue reading
Identity! Capturing Freedom to Lead and Live
By: Jock Ficken
Every person I know risks fastening their identity to the wrong thing. That’s alarming given the fact that Identity might be the most fundamental of leadership building blocks. The Flourishing in Ministry study funded by the Lilly Foundation interviewed thousands of pastors. Their results showed that placing your identity on the wrong thing is one … Continue reading
What’s the Expiration Date?
By: Jock Ficken
Ever reach to the back of the refrigerator and pull out the pickles or the yogurt? Past the expiration date? Too late. Done! Throw it away? Now…what do you think might be the expiration date on your congregation? If nothing changes? What about your denomination? Or your network of churches? Write down an expiration date … Continue reading
Get In The Game
By: Jock Ficken
Get yourself in the mission game if you’re not there already! Don’t wait for all those folks to one day wake up and decide they should ask you about Jesus. You’ll be waiting a long time. (Review our Christendom and Post-Christendom PLI Entry Paths.) It was incredibly difficult when I started down this path. I … Continue reading
Can we say Thank You?
By: Jock Ficken
Allow me to say Thank You to you for leading in your role. Thank you for serving and caring for your congregation and people that don’t know Jesus and for whom Jesus extended His arms on the cross and died. Let’s be honest. Leading is difficult. Oftentimes lonely. So, simply, for who you are and … Continue reading
4 Mistakes I Made as a Young Leader
By: Jock Ficken
4 Mistakes I Made as a Young Leader… Or, 4 “Do Overs” I’d like to have back! NOT ANCHORING MY IDENTITY AS A BAPTIZED CHILD OF GOD My identity was too connected to how how well I was performing at work. Numbers were up?… No major conflict?… I was on my game?… Great. Any other … Continue reading
You’re a Leader
By: Jock Ficken
Remember the joke? It’s an old one. I heard it again twice in two months, in Ethiopia and then in Columbus, Indiana. Two guys are walking barefoot in the forest. They meet a bear planning his lunch. One guy starts to put on his running shoes. The other explains: “You’re never going to outrun the … Continue reading
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