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.
Learn
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.
Join
Interested in how PLI can impact your ministry? We'd love to get to know you and learn how we can empower your ministry.
Posts Tagged ‘Enter New Territory’
Pioneering a New Future
By: Jock Ficken
There are pockets around the United States where it still feels like not a lot has changed. Gail and I were in one of those pockets last week near St. Louis at a large PLI congregation. “We had our largest attendance at Christmas that we’ve ever had! Last month!” Not many leaders are saying that … Continue reading
Where is God Leading you Next?
By: Jock Ficken
I asked a bunch of younger leaders to do the difficult, to challenge some “landing pattern” pastors and spouses and others who have served so well for so long to not squander what might be their largest legacy in helping the Church set sail toward a new season of great mission vibrancy. This “landing pattern” … Continue reading
Grit Your Teeth and Get in the Local Mission
By: Jock Ficken
So many—pastors, churches, women, men—who intentionally enter some slice of their community to represent Jesus and respond to the mission of God start by gritting their teeth and finally giving it a try. They’ve heard about it, talked about it, prayed about it, but never did anything about it. There is a lot of talk, … Continue reading
2 Prayers for the Mission Field
By: Jock Ficken
The Prayer Dr. Robert Newton, former missionary to the Philippines, former district president and PLI Board member, explained that when they were missionaries in the Philippines they would kneel down, hold hands and pray the essence of these two prayers as they prepared to enter a village. We have now come with the One … Continue reading
Do the Important Stuff
By: Sherrah Behrens
“WOW! THERE MUST BE SOME REALLY GOOD STUFF HAPPENING HERE!” That was the response of a couple of leaders attending the conference our congregation hosted some years ago. Several years earlier we had jumped to a multiple campus ministry and had now built the first phase of the new campus where the event was being … Continue reading
Benefits of Pruning
By: Jock Ficken
It’s no secret that the Church in the U.S. is struggling and declining; it’s been well-documented in many places. And it’s no secret that this places enormous pressures on pastors and their families and their congregations. But… What if much of what is happening in the church is a season of pruning? And it’s a … Continue reading
Slaying the “It Won’t Work Here” Mindset
By: Jock Ficken
This summer we’ve invited ourselves to return to a season of adventure and discovery…to admit that all things in leadership and ministry are different. They aren’t what they used to be. We’ve packed a decade (or more?) of change into a handful of months. (It hasn’t really caught up with us or the people we … Continue reading
3 Non-Negotiables for Congregational Change
By: Jock Ficken
Every day, leaders wake up knowing that their congregation must navigate change or distance itself from being a vibrant community with wider influence. Here’s the problem: Inertia wakes up even earlier every day and has already resolved to fend off any feeble attempts at desperately needed change that would challenge the status quo. So, here … Continue reading
What You Can Do if You Think Your Church is Failing
By: Jock Ficken
80% of U.S. churches… Worship less than 100. Face steady to rapid decline. Possess collective memories of being 2 times or 10 times larger. Leaders and members are taunted with the whisper that they’re failing. Usually today’s realities were set in motion years earlier by… A stubborn refusal or inability to make necessary changes for … Continue reading
Why We Can’t Stay Here
By: Jock Ficken
Leaders articulate vision! They offer a preferred future. They also articulate WHY WE CAN’T STAY HERE. My early leader years? Lots of vision! I ignored WHY WE CAN’T STAY HERE, and then I couldn’t understand why nobody wanted to leave…HERE! I was like Moses trying to convince the Israelites to exit Egypt before anyone realized … Continue reading
I’d like to receive PLI E-news
PLI enews is a weekly publication containing our leadership and ministry blog as well as free content and important news.