Val Hastings

The Power of Play

Churches, faith communities and other organizations are all looking to cut corners and costs these days. So when it comes to staff development, they're squeezing out the fun events where people can play and be creative in favor of more concrete and seriou... Read >

What is the Economic Halo Effect?

Churches wonder: Are we relevant to the community, are we making a difference, how can we have a bigger impact? On February 1st in the Philadelphia Inquirer, there was a fascinating article about "the economic halo effect." In a research study, 12 con... Read >

Coach Training: The Key to Keeping Seminary Students in the Church

Today's seminary students are 40-50 years old, on average. They're on their second or third career, many coming out of corporate America. And while they're committed to making a difference in the world, most of them aren't planning to do that in a church ... Read >

Change Grows Best in a Culture of Appreciation

Is it too late to suggest a New Year's resolution? If I had my wish, each and every church would commit to the resolution of creating a culture of appreciation. Coaches and church leaders often have the same goal – to help people create internal or org... Read >

Sustainability – Does Your Church Have the Capacity to Endure?

With the prediction that 6 out of 10 churches will close in the next 10 years, sustainability is obviously a hot topic for today's churches and church leaders. But what does it really mean to be sustainable? Sustainability is "the capacity to endure" (... Read >

How to Turn Your Plateau into a Positive Place

Here in the United States, Thanksgiving approaches. It's a natural opportunity for celebration and acknowledgment, a plateau where we can pause and rest. Life has a natural ebb and flow, and that includes time when the pressure is off and the crisis is... Read >

What in God's Name Are We Doing?

Strategic planning is a theme that often shows up at this time of year. In fact, as I write this article, I'm noticing that I've had conversations about this topic three times already this week. People all of a sudden realize that it's Fall ,"back to s... Read >

Stressful Times at Church? Do What I Say, Not What I Do!

In a list of the most stressful jobs you can have, being a minister came in as one of the top ten. Pastors weren't surprised by that at all, but what if things were different? What if we practiced what we preached? When I mention the stressful nature ... Read >

Pastors: Steer Into The Shift Or Be Left Behind

Ministry is going through a shift - really, a kind of death (of the pastor-centered approach to ministry) and resurrection (of a team approach). We see it in the numbers: more and more pastors out of work, more and more churches closing their doors, less ... Read >

Just What Is The Pastor's Role, Anyway?

At every church, there is usually a Board of Directors or some other governing body that hires the pastor, creates a job description and a set of expectations for that pastor, and evaluates how the pastor is doing in their role. These expectations are... Read >

What's the REAL problem? (You might be surprised)

Ah, Easter is over! It's been a busy time and I'm sure you're looking forward to things slowing down and getting back to normal. But maybe that includes dealing with a problem you have been happily distracted from by the activities of the season. Befor... Read >

Change Your Questions, Change Your Church

On my recent travels to deliver a coach training program, I heard a statement on the radio that stopped me cold. History changed when a single question changed; when we stopped asking, "How do we get to the water?" and started asking, "How do we get the w... Read >

If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix it!

We usually have the best intentions. We're starting in a new church, inspired by our bishop or by the church's administration to make changes for the good of the church. Oh yes, we're going to make a real difference here! But very quickly, those valia... Read >

Stop Planning and Start Doing!

When John hired a coach, he felt like he was spinning his wheels - going nowhere. He hoped that coaching would give him the objective assistance he needed to add traction to his ministry. John's story is not unusual. A common reason that people hire a ... Read >

Difficult Conversations – The Pathway to Change

Whether your goal is for your church to grow, stop shrinking or to just plain stay open, some things are going to have to change. Churches are closing all over the world and if you do nothing different, yours will be among them. Change is never easy, a... Read >