George Bullard's Journey

What Did You Do for Worship on Christmas Day?

Download: What Did You Do for Worship on Christmas Day?

Christmas is over for another year. Each Christmas comes with its own chatter around various issues.

One issue this year was whether we greet one another with “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.” I prefer “Merry Christmas” because Christmas is for me a distinctively Christian experience where we celebrate the birth of the Christ child.

I felt good about my use of Merry Christmas this year except when I went by my laundry and greeted the Iranian family who owns the shop. We talked about both Christmas and Ramadan. Then as I walked out the door I forgot and called back over my shoulder, “Merry Christmas.”

A second issue this year was whether churches ought to hold worship services on Christmas Day since it was also a Sunday this year. It was the first time this had happened since 1994. Most of the attention was focused on mega congregations rather than the other 97 percent of congregations.

Coaching Insights for What Did You Do for Worship on Christmas Day?

Download: Coaching Insights for What Did You do for Worship on Christmas Day?

What did you do for worship on Christmas Day? Was it the same as or different from what you would have done if Christmas had fallen on another day of the week? Why?

What was the basis for making your decision? Personal preference? Family? Religious significance of the Christmas Day? Responsibilities at your church? Commitment to your Lord, your faith, and your religious traditions?

I suspect a wide range of reactions exist to this debate over worship on Christmas Day. Some people are probably not upset at all and feel this is much to do about nothing. Others may see this as an Armageddon issue and churches who did not hold worship on Christmas Day are guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Book Dialogue

Here is a location for dialogue concerning George's book, Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation. It will be released the middle of January, and then dialogue will begin on this site.

Stay connected!

To pre-purchase the book, go to www.LakeHickoryResources.org.

Do You Need a Coach?

Do you need a coach? How do you know? How do you know you are ready?

A coach can assist you in moving from where you are to where to desire to be in your life and ministry. A coach can increase the quantity and quality of your performance and service in life and ministry. A coach can help you travel or be carriaged from where you are to where you perceive God wants you to be.

One of the greatest evidence of the effectiveness of coaches is that almost all excellent coach have someone who serve as their coach. Therefore, it is a life process issue that is relevant to all of us.

If you believe there are areas of your life and ministry that could be enhanced by someone coming alongside you and joining you in your ministry as a coach, I urge you to do several things.

1. Take the inventory on this blog entitled "How Do I Know I am Ready for a Coach?" It should be on the same page where you are reading this note. You can download it and make copies for yourself and others.
2. Look at coaching on the web. One site to which I relate is www.valwoodcoaching.org.
3. Look at the list of coaches on the left side of this blog and contact some of them for a conversation.
4. E-mail me if you have questions you think I can answer for you.

By the way, there is also an inventory on this page entitled, "Is Your Congregational Leadership Ready for Coaching?" This is a helpful inventory to give to a team, committee, or board who might need to be coached as a group.

Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation

My first book, Pursuing the Full Kingdom Potential of Your Congregation, should be out in another 30 days. It is the fourth book in the new Lake Hickory Resources imprint published in cooperation with the Christian Board of Publication.

To pre-purchase the book, go to www.LakeHickoryResources.org.

How Do I Know I am Ready for a Coach?

Download: How_Do_I_Know_I_Am_Ready_for_a_Coach?

This is an inventory you can take to help determine if you are ready for a coaching relationship.

Is Your Congregational Leadership Ready for Coaching?

Download: Is Your_Congregational_Leadership_Ready_for_Coaching?

This is an inventory congregational leadership can take to determine if they are ready for coaching.