Inside My Victory

Today’s episode is bitter sweet. We are saying farewell to Pastor Gene before he moves home to the U.S. and goodbye to the podcast, Inside MyVictory. We are excited to share our top five most listened to podcasts. At the end, I’ll be sharing the vision for a brand new podcast were launching this September. You won’t want to miss this!

The unchurched don’t want to hear what to believe and why to believe it. That doesn’t work in today’s culture. They need relevant, practical, real world answers. Jesus set the standard when he served others first with no strings attached. What does this look like for us in today’s churches? Are we pushing the next generation away by our talk with no action?

Imagine a world where the Church is first, not second. The first place people turn to for answers, for innovation, and for hope. It’s time for the Church to take its job back. To become the leader and not the follower in today’s world.

This generation is looking for authenticity. For people to help them learn what is real, instead of just being told what is “right.” For unique content and new ideas. In today’s podcast, learn the importance of applying that in your church.

Less wow, more how. People are looking for real answers, real people and real moments. Listen to this week’s podcast to learn about how methods need change to reach this coming generation and answer their toughest questions.

Traditional broadcasting is rapidly being replaced by social media and omni channel experiences. Learn how your church can adapt to the changing online landscape. https://www.kellystickel.com/insidemyvictory/2019/6/18/10-shifting-trends-in-the-church-of-tomorrow-episode-2

In today’s church world, attractional church has been the answer to reaching those far from God. But that may be changing. Listen in to this week’s podcast to hear about the surprising rise of an old approach that may just be making a comeback.

Church is changing. It’s redefining and reinventing itself. Check out today’s podcast as Pastor Gene and I discuss trends that are already moving and shifting into the church of tomorrow. https://www.kellystickel.com/insidemyvictory/2019/6/11/si8n4wvlrgv06plndbkqdzob61nbdz

Our self-talk can either build us up or limit our success. Learn how to move past this common roadblock and maximize your potential.

We all have fence lines in our lives; in our relationships, in our careers, in our ministries. They cause us to limit God’s ability to work in our lives. Today, we are revisiting Mind Craft to learn how we can break down these barriers.

Summer time can be a dreaded season for pastors. Attendance drops, giving decreases, and volunteer commitment dwindles. What’s a pastor to do? That’s what Pastor Gene and I are discussing today!

I have had the privilege to spend time around some amazing leaders and I’ve noticed that each take noticeable steps to show honour to those around them. The little things they do make a big difference and cause everyone they meet to feel important. Today, I’m sharing five things these leaders do that really make an impact.

The world functions better under a culture of honour. Business is better. Families are better. Marriages are better. Even church is better. Honour may come easier to some than to others, so how do we make it a priority amongst all? Further to that, how do we honour even within disagreement?

Is your organization diverse or divided? You can run a diverse organization but when subcultures result in division, things can get a lot more difficult. So how can we as leaders consistently lead with alignment?

Alignment within any organization is absolutely vital. Otherwise, you have subcultures popping up all over the place. How do you establish consistent culture across each of your locations and departments?

We can’t get to where we want to go tomorrow if we are always trying to bypass our today. It can be easy to wish for tomorrow; to wish for more or for something new. But that’s not what God has called us to do. It’s what we do with what we have now that proves our potential to handle more. So what are you doing with what’s been given to you now?

Offence is certain to happen. There’s no avoiding it. But you can choose how you react to it, and that makes all the difference. Just because you feel offended doesn’t mean you have to live offended.

Organizational alignment is a consistency of culture throughout the organization. As your church or business grows, alignment becomes more and more difficult, so how do you maintain it? This week, I had the absolute pleasure to sit down with Pastor Kevin Gerald and discuss all things alignment and culture. He and his wife Sheila pastor Champions Centre in Tacoma, Washington, one of the largest churches in the Pacific Northwest. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

In today’s episode, we are sharing our last few tips for team collaboration. Everything from accountability, to apologies, to personality tests. We’ve really enjoyed this series and hope you’ve been able to learn a thing or two this month!

Clear roles and expectations along with healthy goal setting are crucial for facilitating collaboration across teams. It’s important to make sure everyone knows what they’re doing and when it must be done by in order to get the job done in the best way possible. Join Pastor Gene and I as we discuss Part 3 of our Collaboration series!

Do the members of your team participate and engage in group projects? Are they willing to seek consensus? Is there a healthy culture of vulnerability and reflective thinking? If you struggle to answer these questions, you may have a team that is poorly collaborating. There has to be unity within the church so how do you maintain that with healthy collaboration?

As your team grows, collaboration becomes increasingly difficult yet ever so important. With everyone bringing different strengths and perspectives to the table, competition can arise and misunderstandings become more prevalent. Your “why” might be crystal clear, but if it’s not constantly at the forefront of your team’s mind, it could get lost between departments. How do you foster healthy collaboration that moves your vision forward?

I firmly believe that the call of every church is to be outsider focused, to make disciples, and to reach the lost of their communities. If you as a church leader want to move in this direction, you and your team need to be solely convinced that this is the direction you are called to go in. You will face opposition and the temptation to settle for what is comfortable. But, if the leadership are together in this and committed to seeing it through, the church has a chance. It takes a team to confidently move forward in this transition. Are you ready?

When the church isn’t focused on it’s “why,” things can get messy. Misalignment breeds competition and distrust amongst teams resulting in an unhealthy culture. So, how do we maintain the clarity and alignment of our mission and methods?

Our “why” is to make disciples of Jesus so it is all about the community, therefore we have to focus on our community to fulfill our mission. When the church drifts it’s focus towards the methods, it will become insider focused and lose touch with the very people they are trying to reach. How do we keep our community at the centre of what we do?

Have you ever thought about why your church exists? We often talk about how we do church and what happens during our services, but we rarely discuss the “why.” In his book, Start With Why, Simon Sinek describes how a clear “why” inspires action and creates loyal followers. This concept has huge potential within our churches, so how do we determine our “why?”

Uncertainty and criticism are inevitable when it comes to crafting and implementing your vision. It’s important to deal with them before they leak to your followers. Be stubborn with your vision but flexible with your plans.

When forming a vision, it’s important to take some time to investigate; to ask the hard questions and create a thorough plan. As Andy Stanley says, “Investigate before you initiate.” Visioneering is incredibly exciting, but it’s important to take a step back and evaluate your plan in order to make the most of your vision.

There is a difference between dreamers and visionaries. A vision is a mental picture of what could be fuelled by a passion that it must be and dreamers only possess the first part; a mental picture. Without passion and motivation, there will be no determination to see a vision to completion. So, are you a dreamer or a visionary? Is your team made up of non-committal dreamers or determined visioneers?

For many of us, the New Year means new goals, resolutions, and visions. It’s a time to reflect on the past twelve months and to plan for the year ahead. In today’s episode, we are discussing Andy Stanley’s book “Visioneering.” It is such a great read and and an amazing tool to use when creating a vision for 2019.

We are ringing in the New Year with our Top 5 Reads of 2018. I believe that if a leader stops growing, they stop leading. It is vital for leaders to make a regular habit of reading, listening to podcasts, or watching teachings. Grow yourself. We want to help you do that today with our recommendations!

At MyVictory, we have a few systems in place to keep everyone organized and on track. We have found them to be extremely helpful in managing our staff at our four locations. Whether your church is just starting out or has been running for years, clarity and structure is so important. Check out today’s podcast to learn how we keep everyone organized!

When hiring, we always want to make sure that we are selecting the right people for the right position. At MyVictory, we have a four-step process that helps us get to know each candidate and determine if they are the best fit. Jim Collins, the author of “Good to Great,” puts it this way, “Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats on the bus.” How do we get the right people in the right seats?

This past November we had the opportunity to host Christian music producer, Randy Cox, here at MyVictory. Randy has played a big part in the music careers of many artists such as Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith, and he has been helping us with publishing some of our music. Randy joined us from Nashville to do songwriting workshops with our team and impart his wisdom of the Christian music industry. We learned so much in our time with him and we hope you will be able to do the same through this podcast.

Mind Craft - Part 4 When the 12 spies returned to Moses in Numbers 13, they answered his exact questions; “But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak!” (Numbers 13:28) This answer built up their fear, not their faith. Joshua and Caleb saw the same fortified cities and the same giants, yet their focus was different. They said, “Our God is able.” Our focus affects our faith, and God will let us live on whatever level our faith lands on. Where is your faith? Are you settling? Pre-orders for Mind Craft will be available soon, so stay tuned!

Mind Craft - Part 3 Excuses are deadly. They justify staying where you are, validate mediocrity, and are ultimately selfish. When the going gets tough, we so easily submit to excuses and remain stuck within our circumstances. You simply cannot succeed and make excuses at the same time. How can we overcome this defeated mindset in order to accomplish the amazing things God has planned for us? Pre-orders for Mind Craft will be available shortly, so stay tuned!

Sub-Title: Mind Craft Pt. 2 Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” How does that work? How is the almighty God able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask” but only according to the power within us? Can we really limit God? In Mark 6, Jesus was not able to do miracles in His hometown due to the people’s expectations of Him. Are your expectations of God limiting the ways He can move in your life as well? If we want our lives to change, our patterns of thought must be altered. No more excuses, no more “buts.” Your time is now. Pre-orders for Mind Craft will be available soon, so stay tuned!

Mind Craft - Part 1 One of Solomon’s most famous Proverbs is, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Although it sounds like he may literally be addressing your physical organ, there is much more depth to this passage. Later on, in the book of Proverbs, Solomon addresses the heart again and says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so he is.” Our heart pumps blood to our body and has no ability to think, so obviously, Solomon must have been referring to something other than our physical organ. Mind Craft discusses this “heart thinking;” something completely different than what occurs in our mind and spirit. Our heart thinking builds a fence line, and God will only farm to that fence line. How do we expand that fence line - our subconscious thoughts - in order to experience the fullness of God’s plans for our lives?

Proving Ground - Part 4 God has big plans for your life but there are tests along the way to fulfilling His promises. In our last week of the Proving Ground series, we are taking a look at two tests that will determine your level of trust in God; a key to overcoming anything. http://kellystickel.com/2018/10/30/do-you-trust-god-with-whats-next/

Proving Ground - Part 3 Do you find yourself questioning the authority of those in your life? Do you struggle to see yourself as God sees you? Do you find yourself becoming easily offended? All of these things have the tendency to test us. How do we overcome these trials?

Proving Ground - Part 2 In order to reach the next level in your life, change is inevitable. We can’t progress if we are stuck in our old ways. If you want to reach the next level, it’s time that you implement some healthy habits into your routine. http://kellystickel.com/2018/10/16/are-you-willing-to-change/

Proving Ground Pt. 1 Testing always precedes promotion. We aren’t able to move to the next level that God has for us without experiencing some degree of a trial. Are you prepared for the tests that are coming your way?

Project Management - Part 5 We hope you have enjoyed this past series on Project Management! To wrap things up, I am sharing some of my personal experiences when it comes to managing projects and goals. My team and I have accomplished some great things but we have also learned some tough lessons along the way.

Project Management - Part 4 Deadlines are absolutely crucial to any project. Without them, we have no accountability for achieving our goals. Though important, these deadlines can often seem out of reach. How do we as leaders make sure we accomplish what we need to before the cut-off?

Project Management Pt. 2 So, you are ready to begin planning and executing your big project. But, who are you going to work on it with? When are you going to have it finished by? These questions are vital to the progress of any mission. Today we are diving into the necessities of these questions.

Project Management Pt.1 As leaders, we are constantly starting and finishing a variety of projects. However, the church is an event-driven business. How do we manage our projects without getting stuck in the rut of our weekly programs?

Josh Hoffmann, our service programming director, joins Pastor Gene on the podcast today. Josh handles a lot of the creative elements that take place during our Sunday services. He and the media team work hard to keep our content relevant and engaging. Tune in as he and Gene discuss all things creativity!

We are excited to have Pastor Julie Kissick on the podcast today! She and her husband Ken run an outreach mission called Streets Alive here in Lethbridge and are making a great impact on our community. They work to restore the lives of the broken with dignity and re-establish lives that have been damaged due to addictions and homelessness. We can all learn so much from their ministry.

Does your church struggle with reaching people through social media? Jen Tribble joins Pastor Gene on today’s podcast. She has become our marketing guru and is doing an amazing job with coordinating our social media content. Tune in to learn just how she’s doing it.