Reflections on Retirement

By now you’ve seen PLI Board Chairman Lynn Thomsen’s announcement of my retirement in August 2024. I so much appreciate the caliber and character of PLI’s Board of Directors and the thorough and thoughtful process they’ve outlined in their succession planning. Shortly into 2024, they will invite you to nominate candidates for PLI’s next Executive Leader.

I get a chance every week to watch global PLI at its best!

• We have an incredible team of leaders and trainers across the U.S. and residents around the globe.
• Enrollment has increased by 50% in the U.S. since the Covid dip and is near its largest numbers in 25 years.
• Participants around the globe are asking, “What kind of leader do I need to be for people to want to follow?” and resetting their biblical definition of leadership in record numbers.
• 1,000 Young Leaders is launching a new “platform” and creating a digital gathering place for the resilient 10% that intend with the blessing of God to change their generation.
• Leaders are getting better.
• Churches are getting better.
• The mission of God is being better shared with the people around our leaders and churches. 

And, I get to watch Multipli, the new ministry that Gail has founded, train the people of God who “think” God wants them to be involved in His mission of reconciling a world unto Himself; but they haven’t known what and they haven’t known how…so they haven’t done anything. And they’re becoming fearless impact-makers 9 months of fully online training later!

Why don’t you give yourself and 2 or 5 of your friends an early Christmas present and sign up for a one-hour information meeting to get a taste of the experience.

So, here are 10 words of wisdom gained in my 10+ years with PLI:

1. Honor the past in your church. Celebrate the folks that God used to make it happen. But stop shying away from leaning into the future and leading the people of God into His vision for the future.
2. Get clear on who God has uniquely designed you to be as a leader and…
   1. Stop doing so many things that you’re not good at doing.
   2. Stop doing things just because no one else will do them.
   3. Stop doing things that make life and/or ministry a depleting list of duties each week.
3. Point people in the direction of the mission of God. The One who was sent by the Father in heaven now sends us!
4. Don’t be afraid of change if it’s for the sake of the mission. People resist change because of…
   1. The sense of loss they feel for losing what they value.
   2. The fear of what they don’t understand going forward.
5. Your church is “stuck” right now most likely because…
   1. You don’t have a team of leaders leading with urgency. Some are still wishing for yesterday to come back tomorrow.
   2. Your board, and the church as a whole, needs to see the “early wins” of people confidently living on mission in their everyday lives. (See Multipli and 1,000 Young Leaders links above.)
6. Churches that are still wishing for yesterday to come back tomorrow want to attract a crowd and stop with getting some members rather than discipling the few to be sent to reach the many.
7. The future of your church rests more with the leaders you’re investing in today than the customers that you’re trying to keep happy.
8. Leading in the church is just plain difficult today! Especially when yesterday is the goal for tomorrow.
9. Most churches and their leaders who would nod their heads with much of the above still have trouble getting the friction out of their mission focus and getting aligned. Dave and Raechel are rolling out a process that you might find helpful.
10. We all have one Master to serve. Things go off the rails when we need to please people. Marriages get neglected. Families get shorted. We overwork for the wrong reasons. Trust me. This one I know. And the older me wishes he could have coached the younger me a long time ago to do this better!

In 2024, I’ll search for more wisdom to share in this space. For now? Thanks. Thanks for being part of the PLI family. Thanks for making a difference. Thanks for leading with integrity when it’s too often in short supply.

And, from Gail and me? We are so pleased to have shared a piece of the journey with you. And from the deepest parts of our hearts, we wish you a blessed and merry Christmas.

So, forward this blog to 5 of your best leaders and ask them to review the ten words of wisdom.

And two last things:

• If you haven’t already, sign up to receive these weekly blogs in your inbox.
• We are close to fully meeting a $103,000 matching grant before December 31! Your new year-end gift will be doubled dollar for dollar and help PLI fully realize the grant!