Author: Tina Bell

People Over Projects

About three months ago, I realized people would apologize every time they came into my office. “I’m sorry to bother you. I know you’re really busy, but…” is how the conversations would either start or end. As I recognized the pattern, I recognized the common denominator in every apology was me. I had let the reality of my internal struggle

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Tips for Delegating Jobs to Volunteers in the Church Setting

QUESTION: How do you work around the “it’s just easier if I do it myself mentality” when it comes to people volunteering to help you? I am swamped… we’ve been growing but still are small enough that I do waaayyyyy to much in the church because other than the lead pastor, I’m the only one on staff full time. I

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Teaching Place Value to 1,000,000 with Minecraft Uno Cards

Do you have a fourth grader learning place value to one million? Here’s a quick idea on how to make it more fun. Create a color coded place value mat. Then use uno cards that match each color to teach the place value. Start by teaching just the ones. Refresh on saying the random numbers you lay down. Then add

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Trusting God’s Timing and His Will

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (NIV) reminds us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … a time to plant and a time to uproot.” I remember being 24 and feeling a desire to relocate to a new area. I applied for three jobs in a month. I had three job interviews. I was offered

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10 Lessons Learned from Changing Jobs

One year ago today life changed. I said goodbye to my work family to focus on my real family. I thought I would start a Podcast and write a book after taking a part-time job, but the job quickly turned into full-time, and that dream still sits shelved. I thought I would be starting school this semester for counseling, but

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3 Lessons on Team Work from Philippians 2:1-4

One of the perks to staff meetings at a church vs. in the corporate world is leadership training is rooted in Biblical principles. This past week our Executive Pastor asked us to read Philippians 2:1-4 and pull out which one part defines you as a team player. “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any

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“I’m Fine” is not an emotion

“Fine is not a feeling.” When I teach “Resiliency Awareness Training” to groups, the response to this statement always stands out to me. It’s one of the few times in the class where I hear people mutter almost in unison something similar to, “Got that right.” Yet so many people answer the question, “How are you doing?” with the word

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The Hidden Sin of Self-Righteousness

In his article, The Self-Righteousness of Job, Stephn Flurry states, “The sin of self-righteousness is perhaps the most difficult sin there is to see.” As I pondered that statement, I thought about the times in my life where I didn’t see how my own self-righteousness destroyed relationships, hindered my inability to lead or work well with others, and most importantly,

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How Do You Let Others Shine More Than You Do?

As a leader, how do you help others shine more than you do? Yesterday I was given 90 seconds to ponder this question from John Maxwell’s book, Leadershift, and then asked to share with a group what he meant by the statement. My initial answer was that in order to let others shine, you have to give them a platform

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