Search results for: preferred future
What Is Your Preferred Future?
What is your preferred future? Ever thought about that? I know. It’s one thing to think about the preferred future for your small group ministry. Or the preferred future for your small group leaders or coaches. But, it’s another thing to think about your preferred future. When I think about my own preferred future, I…
Read MoreHow to Reach Milestones (on the way to your preferred future)
How to Reach Milestones (on the way to your preferred future) In today’s post I want to explain a process that I think will help all of you. Since all of us are attempting to build a thriving small group ministry, one of the things we must learn is how to identify the preferred future…
Read MoreHerbert Simon on Designers and the Preferred Future
“Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.” Herbert Simon You can read more from my Quotebook right here. Image by Jesse Garcia
Read More5 Keys to Arriving at Your Preferred Future
I have written many times about the preferred future (for small group ministries or otherwise). The first time I remember hearing the term was at a Fuller Church Growth workshop in 1992. In a session on vision I heard that Tom Peters described vision as a “picture of a preferred future.” I believe the preferred…
Read MoreHave You Identified the Milestones that Lead to Your Preferred Future?
Do you have a clearly defined preferred future but still struggle to know whether you are moving in the right direction or will ever arrive? If so, it may be that you’ve missed an essential step in the process. What step? Developing milestones that lead to your preferred future (and indicate you are moving in…
Read More“What Is”, “What If” and the Challenge of the Preferred Future
If you’ve been along for much of this journey you know we’ve talked a lot about the preferred future. A lot. In fact, when I used the search box here on the blog I discovered that 52 of my articles use the term “preferred future” in the title. That is a lot! (see the search…
Read MoreFrom Here to There: The Preferred Future for Small Group Leaders
Yesterday’s post about the 8 Habits of a Life-Changing Small Group Leader prompted some good discussion about how you might help a leader move in the right direction. Makes sense. Especially when you consider how hard we’re working to create easy first steps into leadership that lead automatically to next steps. See also, 6 Keys…
Read MoreWhat Does Small Group Coaching Look Like in Your Preferred Future?
If you’ve been following the conversation here, you know that we’re always talking about the preferred future. Always. Right? Don’t believe me? Look at all the articles that have preferred future in the title! We ask, what will the leaders be like in the preferred future in order to provide group members the experience they…
Read MoreBudgeting for the Preferred Future
I’ve written about arriving at the preferred future a number of times. My most requested talk features this concept. The essence of the concept? The present can be explained by an understanding of Andy Stanley’s insightful one-liner: “Your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you’re currently experiencing.” The probable future can be anticipated. As…
Read MoreCreating Your “Refined” Preferred Future
If you’ve been along for very much of this conversation, you’ve seen this diagram. Adapted from an idea of Glen Hiemstra’s, I use this diagram all the time. Whether I’m working with our team here at Canyon Ridge or I’m off consulting, this diagram works its way into the discussion. Today, I want to point…
Read More