“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” So began a brief talk by Dr. Owen Phelps at the first Benefactors Mass & Brunch for the Yeshua Catholic International Leadership Institute on Saturday, Aug. 10, at St. James Parish in Rockford, IL. His words echoed those of Dick Kunnert, a Yeshua board member, Senior Fellow and Master Facilitator who served as master of ceremonies at the brunch. Before the brunch Father Dave Beauvais, also a Yeshua board member, served as celebrant and homilist at the Mass. In addition to leading prayers for all of the Institute’s benefactors, he took the occasion to thank t...

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(Lord) when did we see you … in prison, and visit you? (Matt 25:39) Maybe it’s hard to picture a county jail as God’s vineyard. But a team of Lead Like Jesus Facilitators in Rockford, IL, will tell you that’s exactly what it is – and that it inevitably yields a rich bounty for the Lord. They should know. For the last nine years, they’ve been regularly facilitating Lead Like Jesus Encounters for Winnebago County Jail inmates. In all, they have led 86 Encounters that have reached more than 1500 incarcerated men. The team uses ecumenical materials from Lead Like Jesus, but the ...

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Whenever people interact, some conflict is inevitable. We can’t avoid it. In fact, trying to avoid all conflict can be a trap that impedes the development of healthy organizations – including parishes. When handled well, conflict can actually become an opportunity for greater parish growth and health. Thus, leaders need to see each conflict as an opportunity for improvement. It helps them to realize that there are two kinds of conflict -- task conflict and relationship conflict. Relationship conflict is the toxic version. But interestingly, it often arises because we don’t adequately address t...

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One of our friends and advocates, Father Mike Mendl, SDB, recently referred us to a concise article about three leadership styles: Dictator; Best friend; and, Ghost. The first two styles are self-explanatory. To learn more about the third, you’ll have to read the article – which we highly recommend. The author quickly outlines the pros and cons of each leadership style, giving the reader a handy guide to navigate each of the styles. Of course, it’s important to remember that these three styles of leadership don’t begin to cover the options a leader has in relating to his or her ...

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