Todd Engstrom

Category: leadership

  • Jesus Has All Authority—Stop “Releasing” People to Do Ministry

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in , , ,

    I was talking with two friends recently, and one of them was wrestling with something I’ve heard many times before: “I want to make disciples in my home… but I’m not sure if I have permission.” This kind of confusion is more common than we’d like to admit. In many churches, faithful believers are left…

  • Forerunning, Not Competing

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in , , ,

    I recently got back from a spring break trip to Florida—family, friends, sunshine, the usual mix of chaos and rest that comes with traveling with kids. I left a day early, though. My oldest had a playoff soccer game, so I packed up and hit the road solo while everyone else stayed behind. That night,…

  • The Deadline Dilemma in Ministry

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in ,

    I love deadlines. Others hate them. The word itself sounds ominous—essentially, cross this line, and you die. But where did it even come from? It turns out that deadline has a fascinating etymology. Originally, in the 19th century, a “deadline” referred to a literal boundary in prisons—if a prisoner crossed it, they could be shot.…

  • Thinking Out Loud: Groundbreaking

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in ,

    I’ve always found ground breaking ceremonies a little funny. There’s a circle of people dressed in nice suits and fancy shoes, all wearing hard hats for a quick photo while they shovel a bit of dirt. It makes me scratch my head—why celebrate at the very start of a building project? And grand openings with…

  • 2025 Theme: Patience and Presence

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in , ,

    As we step into 2025, the dawn of a new year in our culture is an invitation to dream, plan, and set new goals. As a leader in the church and God’s kingdom, I have found this cultural rhythm to be a good opportunity to prayerfully consider what God may desire to do in my…

  • Assessing Candidates – Character

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in , ,

    Over the past few weeks, I’ve focused on staffing in the local church.  This series will focus primarily on assessing candidates who emerge for potential roles on your team.  There are four primary areas of assessment that are crucial in assessing someone for a position on our staff: Calling Character Capacity/Competency Culture/Compatibility This series will…

  • Assessing Candidates – Calling

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in , ,

    Over the past few weeks, I’ve focused on staffing in the local church.  This series will focus primarily on assessing candidates who emerge for potential roles on your team.  There are four primary areas of assessment that are crucial in assessing someone for a position on our staff: Calling Character Capacity/Competency Culture/Compatibility This series will…

  • Recruiting Candidates

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in , ,

    After understanding your core philosophical convictions, building a healthy staff team requires an interview and hiring process.  At The Austin Stone, we have a process of candidacy, interviewing, assessment and hiring: Do We Need To Hire? What Role Are You Trying To Fill? Identifying Candidates for Your Team Recruiting Candidates for Your Team I pray these posts…

  • Identifying Candidates

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in , ,

    After understanding your core philosophical convictions, building a healthy staff team requires an interview and hiring process.  At The Austin Stone, we have a process of candidacy, interviewing, assessment and hiring: Do We Need To Hire? What Role Are You Trying To Fill? Identifying Candidates for Your Team Recruiting Candidates for Your Team I pray these posts…

  • Understanding the Position

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in , ,

    As I’ve served in the role of Executive Pastor for the past two years, one of the key responsibilities I have is building a staff team.  With the help of Kevin Peck and Dave Barrett, I’ve developed a pretty thorough philosophy and process of staff hiring.  The following posts will develop these ideas: Philosophical Considerations for Staffing Making…

  • The Basic Process of Hiring

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in , ,

    As I’ve served in the role of Executive Pastor for the past two years, one of the key responsibilities I have is building a staff team.  With the help of Kevin Peck and Dave Barrett, I’ve developed a pretty thorough philosophy and process of staff hiring.  The following posts will develop these ideas: Philosophical Considerations for Staffing Making…

  • Making Disciples is The Job

    —

    by

    Todd Engstrom
    in , ,

    As I’ve served in the role of Executive Pastor for the past two years, one of the key responsibilities I have is building a staff team.  With the help of Kevin Peck and Dave Barrett, I’ve developed a pretty thorough philosophy and process of staff hiring.  The following posts will develop these ideas: Philosophical Considerations for Staffing Making…