Emotional Intelligence

There has been a growing trend in the last few years recognizing the importance, not just of stored information (Intelligence Quotient or IQ), but of EQ. Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ) is the capacity of an individual to recognize their own and other's emotions. With that ability, the individual is able to identify those emotions and use them to guide thinking and behavior. 

The following videos are an introduction to Emotional Intelligence and how one might apply Emotional Intelligence in beneficial ways. 

A short animation breaking down the concepts of emotional intelligence and how it's an integral part of thinking and decision making. For more of my work visit my youtube channel or my website www.brendongouveia.com Follow me on twitter @BrendonGouveia

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) by Daniel Goleman For the book click here: http://goo.gl/CeK7hx Emotional Intelligence - big ideas Emotion helps us remember a particular situation by attaching feelings to it They also push us to take action But sometimes they can lead us to make bad judgments or act irrationally.

44 Leadership Quotes from Wilfredo De Jesus (GLS Speaker 2016)

Many of you are familiar with Global Leadership Summit which is cultivated by Willow Creek Church in Chicago, IL. It's an incredible worldwide gathering of leaders from the church and business worlds which happens every year. Today's resource posting is a blog posted during one of the sessions from the 2016 Gathering. The full blogpost with introductory information is at the bottom of the page. 

The following are 44 Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Wilfredo De Jesus from the 2016 Global Leadership Summit:

1. A leader who stops learning stops leading.
2. If there was ever a time leadership was needed it is now. We need men and women of God to lead in their communities.
3. We have a culture that’s drifting.
4. No one drifts upstream. No one drifts toward holiness. It is our natural tendency to drift away from God.
5. The God you and I serve is alive and well. He is on His throne.
6. The church is divided in their own political views.
7. 44% of Americans can be described as Post-Christians.
8. Going upstream takes work. You never drift against the tide.
9. Drifting will not get you there but staying the course will. Staying the course requires establishing a true North.
10. The Word of God doesn’t change. Even if culture is changing, the Word of God is true north.
11. People all over the world are open to many different routes to find God. But there is only one way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
12. The Word of God became the Word for my life.
13. How we respond matters? How we respond to a culture drift matters.
14. If you want the best outcome you should pay attention to your response.
15. Although culture is drifting, the church is not to drift with culture. The church has always been at odds with culture.
16. When you try to become relevant with culture, you become irrelevant.
17. People begin to accommodate the drift.
18. I’m not justifying their destiny. I’m judging their fruit. The problem is we’re trying to be PC.
19. People oppose change because they feel their life will be taken away.
20. People assume what’s the use. They withdraw.
21. Accommodate, Oppose, and Withdraw are all wrong responses to culture drift.
22. We must engage culture.
23. Jesus moved toward the outcasts.
24. Jesus stood up against injustice.
25. Too many Christians value their position on issues rather than God’s command to walk in love.
26. We have the responsibility to be salt and light in the world today.
27. Choosing to engage requires a lot.
28. On July 12th, we laid out 352 crosses in our parking lot. This represented the 352 people who have lost their lives in gun violence this year.
29. Evil has prevailed because good has been absent.
30. Good is the church and the church must be present when there is evil in our cities and communities.
31. We must bring Good to the picture.
32. This is not the time to retreat. This is time to engage.
33. As of yesterday, we have 484 crosses are on the hill.
34. Some of the violence is the church has failed to be the salt and the light.
35. Know who you are. Know your identity. You’re the church, the greatest institution on planet Earth.
36. We must not let Hollywood define us.
37. I am not ashamed of the Gospel. You got to know who you are.
38. The American dream is to have it all but the Kingdom dream is to lose it all.
39. Making corrections are good and right. They are necessary to stay on track.
40. Repentance implies you’ve done something wrong and nobody wants to be told they’re wrong.
41. Repentance is a good thing. It is healthy to repent.
42. A person who doesn’t repent thinks he can never be wrong.
43. The Titanic still interests us because it could have avoided tragedy. It had four warnings.
44. A scared world needs a fearless church.

Here is the full post:  http://briandoddonleadership.com/2016/08/12/live-blog-2016-leadership-summit-44-leadership-quotes-from-wilfredo-de-jesus/

The Importance of Art

When I was a young lad I remember a joke something to the effect of, "Our creative God broke the mold when God made you." While this isn't that funny and probably was meant more as a dig, the truth is that our God is very creative. I think often about creativity and how each of us bear the image of God in our unique sense of creativity. For some it's creating spreadsheets or business plans, for others it's creating an environment for community or safe space, and for others it's creating masterpieces on canvases of differing textures. However you are uniquely wired to express your own creativity, I pray you have found a way to utilize and explore that gift.  

As church leaders it's important that we realize how uniquely and broadly gifted our church body is. Hopefully we are encouraging our community members to use their creativity in the ways that honor God and can benefit the Church. Below is an article on the importance of art and why we should consider incorporating it into our gatherings. 

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/worship/features/22942-why-art-should-matter-to-christians

The Priorities, Challenges, and Trends in Youth Ministry

From Barna.com

This graphic is just a glimpse of the priority polled churches put on the importance of youth ministry. The whole article takes a look at the focuses of youth ministries and the difficulties also associated with youth of today's culture. While this article gains it's research from US churches, it is a fantastic resource as we consider youth ministry in our own environments. 

Here's the link to the whole article:  https://www.barna.com/research/the-priorities-challenges-and-trends-in-youth-ministry/

Taking Out the Laundry and Changing the Diapers Kind of Job

"Know and remember your calling, because sometimes it'll be the only thing that keeps you going." This is what my parents told me when I began to wrestle with my call to ministry. My parents had been in full-time ministry for 25 years at the time and knew the ups and downs that a life of ministry can deal out. As I was researching articles on pastoral care I ran across the below interview with Eugene Peterson, the author of The Message.  The Message is a modern day paraphrase of the Bible which has helped hundreds of thousands of people connect to scripture in a whole new light. I hope this interview will help add some encouragement and perspective for your life in ministry. 

Faithful to the end: An interview with Eugene Peterson

By Jonathan Merritt

JM: With your experience in both the church and the academy, I wonder what advice you would give to young seminary students today. If you were asked by one to describe what is at the heart of the work of pastoring and shepherding, what would you say?

EP: I’d tell them that pastoring is not a very glamorous job. It’s a very taking-out-the-laundry and changing-the-diapers kind of job. And I think I would try to disabuse them of any romantic ideas of what it is. As a pastor, you’ve got to be willing to take people as they are. And live with them where they are. And not impose your will on them. Because God has different ways of being with people, and you don’t always know what they are.

Full Article Here:  http://religionnews.com/2013/09/27/faithful-end-interview-eugene-peterson/