Leadership Retreats
Staff Retreats – Staff retreats are an intentional way to develop the team and provide focused time for important and strategic things. Team benefits beyond the formal agenda and objectives shouldn’t be missed. Being together outside church circles builds the team bond and produces net positives in team relationships and camaraderie.
Although it’s possible to accomplish retreat objectives locally, enhanced focus often comes from extended time away from the whirlwind of day-to-day busyness. Out-of-town retreat costs will be greater, but the return on investment can also be higher. Consider mitigating retreat costs with an alternating plan for local and out-of-town retreats.
The best retreats combine several elements:
Retreats might also include logistical items, budget discussions and calendar planning.
Leadership Studies
Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God – Use this 13-week study to conduct an Experiencing God Weekend or churchwide spiritual growth emphasis. Written by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby, and Claude King, the Experiencing God Bible Study leads individuals and churches to examine biblical and contemporary illustrations, and then to understand and apply seven realities of experiencing God.
Jesus on Leadership: Developing Servant Leaders – C. Gene Wilkes’ Jesus on Leadership is a six-session adult Bible study that leads members of the body of Christ to apply biblical principles of servant leadership to their ministry and service. By following the pattern of Jesus’ ministry of training people to do kingdom work, Jesus on Leadership helps develop church members into servant leaders. Sessions include:
Evangelism Studies
Tell Someone (e-book): You Can Share the Good News – Greg Laurie’s Tell Someone with video access includes small group experiences for six sessions, six weeks of Bible study and learning activities, applicable Scripture, and tips for leading a group. Greg teaches that evangelism is simply telling two stories: Jesus’s and yours (how Jesus changed your life forever). A key focus is that everybody loves to tell and hear stories. The goal is not to win arguments but to win souls. Tell Someone helps group members identify people and places already in their daily routines, encouraging and empowering them to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Tell Someone, Session 1-6 Outlines
Life on Mission: A Simple Way to Share the Gospel – Life on Mission contains personal study segments, five group sessions, and an interactive conversation guide. Based on the authors’ experiences as church planters, this five-session Bible study is equal parts purpose and practice. The video sessions feature prominent pastors and authors who are practitioners of a missional lifestyle as well as mission-minded preachers. Sessions include:
Team Development Outlines
The Great Dechurching by Jim Davis, Michael Graham and Ryan P. Burge
The Great Dechurching Book
The Great Dechurching Summary
Leadership Gold by John Maxwell
Chapter 2 Outline, “The Toughest Person to Lead Is Always Yourself”
Chapter 6 Outline, “The Best Leaders Are Listeners”
Chapter 7 Outline, “Get in the Zone and Stay There”
Chapter 9 Outline, “To See How the Leader Is Doing, Look at the People”
Video, RightNow Media
TED Talks
Outline, “Everyday Leadership” by Drew Dudley (TEDx Toronto)
Video, “Everyday Leadership,” TED Conferences
The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey and Jim Huling
Outline, “The 4 Disciplines of Execution Overview”
Video, Vimeo
Replenish by Lance Witt
DVD Video, Willow Creek Association
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Retreat Guidebook
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