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UCJCI Update

Page: [1-10] 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 [21-30] [31-35]


Webster Memorial Says “Thanks” to the Champions of the COVID-19 Pandemic Wednesday Aug 05, 2020
	On July 19, 2020,Webster Memorial United Church ( Kingston,Jamaica) commemorated a day to affirm and thank the first responders to the COVID19 pandemic, those they regarded as, “The Healers of the Nation”. LEADERSHIP CORNER- The Leader’s Daily Dozen (Part 1) If you’re willing to work at making your organization a place where leaders lead and do it well, you’ll need to shift your focus from leading the people, finding leaders, developing leaders, empowering the leaders while they lead the organization, to serving the leaders as they lead the organization. please click here for more information (PDF file)

A Righteous “Root” is Celebrated! Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
	A righteous “root” and a passionate “plant” from God’s vineyard, the life and ministry of the Honourable Rev. Ashley Alexander Smith, OJ, CD, JP was celebrated on July 24, 2020 by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. LEADERSHIP CORNER -Be Better Tomorrow Than You Are Today I’ve met a lot of people who have destination disease. They think that they have “arrived” by obtaining a specific position or getting to a certain level in an organization. When they get to that desired place, they stop striving to grow or improve. What a waste of potential! please click here for more information (PDF file)

Reaping What We Sow Wednesday Jul 22, 2020
	'We reap what we sow'. Most of us have heard this saying from ‘our eyes were at our knees,’ from our parents, guardians, teachers and the like when we deviated or not from the acceptable path outlined by the bible. Yet, given our knowledge and experiences since then, can we truly say that the saying holds for all people? Is it a truism for this life or the life to come? What have we sown to produce the COVID-19 pandemic? LEADERSHIP CORNER -Know When to Push and When to Back Off Timing is critically important to leadership. To be successful, you have to know when to push and when to back off. It’s wise to wait for the right moment to speak up. A great idea at the wrong time will be received just the same as a bad idea. Of course, there are times when you must speak up, even if the timing doesn’t seem ideal. The trick is knowing which is which. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Our Responsibility as Stewards Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
	The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, during this, the third Quarter of the year, will be focusing o n t h e t h e m e ,“Stewardship and the Disciple.” And if I were to ask what is stewardship, the first thing that would probably come to mind is, “Tithes and Offerings”. Yes, returning our tithes and offerings is part of our stewardship responsibility, but I want to suggest that the stewardship concern goes way beyond tithes and offerings. LEADERSHIP CORNER -See Everyone As a “10” Who is your favourite teacher of all time? What made that teacher different? Was it subject knowledge? Was it teaching technique? Though your teacher may have possessed great knowledge and mastered outstanding technique, I’m willing to bet that what separated that teacher from all of the others was his or her belief in you. That teacher probably saw you as a 10. please click here for more information (PDF file)

School Was Not Out at Pringle Home for Children!! Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
	At the time that physical school attendance was not allowed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UCJCI’s Pringle Home for Children, located in Carron Hall, St Mary, with twenty-one (21) residents, engaged the girls educationally in creative and inspiring ways! School was definitely not out! The leadership of the Home started a new routine, wherein after breakfast was served and the dining hall cleared, tables and chairs were carefully pushed aside, and the girls moved to TVJ’s “Jamaica Moves” broadcast. Following the cool down session, they went right back into school action with notebooks and pencils in hand! LEADERSHIP CORNER -Do More Than Manage—Lead! Managers work with processes—leaders work with people. Both are necessary to make an organization run smoothly, but they have different functions. To understand what I mean, think about some of the things that must happen on a military ship for it to function properly. The ship must be navigated, fuelled, and supplied. It has various weapons systems that must be kept in good working order. The routine maintenance on a ship is endless, and there are dozens of processes related to the personnel onboard the ship. please click here for more information (PDF file)

Out of Weakness, Made Strong Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
	“ Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father? But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows". (Matthew 10:29-31). Do you feel overwhelmed by the news of the day? Has your life been thrown into a tailspin by the circumstances? Are you worried, fearful, apprehensive about the future? Are you wondering: When will this situation end? LEADERSHIP CORNER-Invest in Relational Chemistry All good leadership is based on relationships. People won’t go along with you if they can’t get along with you. It is the leader’s job to connect with the people they lead. The reality is that some leaders do little to connect with the people they lead. As a leader, you must take it upon yourself to connect, not only with the people you lead, but also with the person who leads you. please click here for more information (PDF file)

“Let Down Your Nets for a Catch” Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
	“ In Luke 5:1-6, we read of the miraculous catch of fish (after the disciples had toiled all night and caught nothing). I noticed a few lessons from this story that can help (us) as we face the challenges of life. Be faithful in our duties. Though disappointed, Peter kept working. He was faithful and diligent in his duty, washing the nets to be ready for the next trip out, most likely the following night. LEADERSHIP CORNER -Become a Go-To Player If you found yourself in a situation at work where you were on a deadline and trying to finish a project that was critical for the success of the organization, and then suddenly, with almost no time left, you were handed another critical task that had to be completed at the same time, what would you do? In this case, let’s assume that delaying the deadline beyond today was not a possibility. It’s do or die. How do you respond? If you’re like most good leaders, you hand one of the tasks to a go-to player. please click here for more information (PDF file)

“Let Nothing Be Wasted” Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
	“ Jesus said, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted”. If anyone understands the current challenges of our lives and land, it is Jesus. This well-known story in St. John 6 shows a very high point in Jesus’ ministry. People were following him in great numbers, latching on to his manifesto. But in this story, we see a predicament. Jesus’ budget can’t meet the demands. The people come in droves; they have needs, but the resources available cannot meet the needs. Isn’t that what Phillip says? “Eight months of wages would not be enough to feed this crowd”. LEADERSHIP CORNER- Transfer the Vision Let’s say that you’re doing a good job leading effectively. You’re modelling the way. You’re developing relationships with your people and building them up. You’ve trained them. You’re developing them and plan to continue doing so. Now what do you do? You aim at the bull’s-eye. In the area of leadership, that means transferring the vision. If you are the leader at the top of theorganization, you will be transferring your own vision. If you are a leader in the middle of the organization, you will be transferring what is primarily the vision of others. please click here for more information (PDF file)

CONTAGIOUS PRAISE!! Wednesday Jun 10, 2020
	“ We are living in the midst of a contagious virus—one which has impacted almost every facet of our lives and living. Some things, like COVID-19, are contagious - the emotions of joy, laughter, fear, anger and disappointment. The bible, through the book of the Psalter, identifies one contagious principle - the principle of praise. My question is: Have you caught it? LEADERSHIP CORNER- Let the Best Idea Win If you desire to become a great leader, then you need to resist idea when it’s not the best idea. Why? Because good ideas are too important to the organization. Harvey Firestone said, “Capital isn’t so important in business. Experience isn’t so important. You can get both of these. What is important is ideas. If you have ideas, you have the main asset you need, and there isn’t any limit to what you can do with your organization and your life.” Great organizations possess leaders throughout the organization who produce great ideas. That is how they become great. The progress they make and the innovations they create don’t come down from on high. Their creative sessions are not dominated by top-down leaders. Nor does every meeting become a kind of wrestling match to see who can dominate everyone else. People come together as teams, peers work together, and they make progress because they want the best ideas to win. Leaders who help to surface good ideas are creating what an organization needs most. please click here for more information (PDF file)

The Source of Our Security During the Storm Wednesday Jun 03, 2020
	“ In the passage of scripture, Mark 4:35- 40, we observe Jesus and His disciples who went into a boat with the intention of going to the other side of the lake, surrounded by hills. It is said that winds blowing across the land intensify close to the sea, and often cause violent and unexpected storms. The disciples, who were with Jesus, were seasoned fishermen, who no doubt spent many years fishing in that lake. So with their vast fishing experience in these types of waters, one would think that, upon seeing the storm, the disciples would have been better able to handle it; but instead, when they saw that high waves were breaking into the boat, filling it with water, they became fearful and shouted to Jesus (who was sleeping) that they were going to drown. LEADERSHIP CORNER-Be a Friend We often consider ourselves to be many things to the people who work alongside us -co-workers, team-mates, contributors, competitors but we often forget to be the one thing that every person wants: a friend. please click here for more information (PDF file)