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Black Sheep Messenger

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After 40 years in church work, I transitioned out of a staff role and have become a “pastor at large” looking for fellow black sheep messengers.  One of the most profound revelations in this later season of my life is that there are all kinds of people with black sheep stories.  It usually includes a lot of shame and guilt.  Some of it deserved, but a lot of it not.

My mission: to create a safe place for the black sheep

Black Sheep Diary

For too many years I felt like something was wrong with me because I didn’t naturally fit the mold of what I thought a good pastor ought to be. I carried a double dose of shame: I felt bad that I didn’t “fit in” as a pastor type and I also felt bad about having to hide my fullest, truest self to live up to that role. I felt like a black sheep in the back of the pen.

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Resources

01

Black Sheep Messenger Tour

Unfortunately, the negative connotation is deeply entrenched, and those who dare to think differently, or question the status quo are still labeled in a way that makes them feel unwanted and unneeded. In the church world, no one willingly embraces the black sheep label…  But maybe that needs to change.

01

One-on-one conversations

Sometimes all we need is someone to listen and walk with us as a friend. I’d love to be that person for you. Whether you’re navigating issues in your important relationships, wrestling with your faith, or anything in between, I hold space for your whole self, as you are.

02

Pocket prayer

So often, we feel like we have to go somewhere or do something to encounter God and experience growth. However, the core of the Christian message is that God came to us in the person of Jesus.

With Pocket Prayer, you’ll receive personally curated scripture and prayers sent right to your phone each morning to encourage, challenge, and strengthen you for the day ahead.

03

Find your FLOCK

Faith was always meant to be done in community. Discover meaningful friendships and engage with God’s word together in a weekly virtual bible study. Big questions and black sheep welcome.

Speaking Engagements

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When life gets complicated, it’s natural to want to retreat and try to figure it out on our own. However, these are the moments when relationships become more important than ever. Whether you need a listening ear, you want me to come to you, or you’re in search of a safe community that will provide perspective, there are so many ways we can go deeper together.

Scroll down to see the speaking topics I offer.

04

Falling without failing

Everyone will do something wrong. Everyone will say something wrong. Sometimes, that which we are convinced will be wildly successful— flops. But maturity takes the flops and failures of life and turns them into a pathway for success. How does that happen, both professionally and personally? What are the practices and disciplines that turn failure into something profoundly good?

This talk is built around the development and success of the rock hit “Smoke on the Water.”

05

Lead without losing your soul

Stress management and “burnout” are regular topics of conversation in modern work life. Is it even possible to be successful both at home and at work? This presentation describes the difference between “doable” and “dangerous” levels of tiredness, and the life rhythms that allow us to put our best selves forward— reducing the risk of losing what’s most important on the way to pursuing success

06

Developing the reluctant leader within you

When a leader improves, everyone wins. But what are the disciplines great leaders embrace and practice? This workshop takes you through a step-by-step process that not only describes the way leadership “works” but focuses on behavioral specifics that enhances leadership effectiveness for people across the leadership spectrum. This is the most requested talk for leadership development.

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Don't you see what you're looking for?

Do you have a certain topic you’d like me to speak on that you don’t see here? Chances are, I’ve talked about it before and, if I haven’t, it’d be my honor to craft something special to share with you and your people.