How I Lead with Priesthood Blessings | An Interview With Mike Novakovich

Mike Novakovich currently serves as elders quorum president in his ward in Orem, Utah. He has served in the bishopric, as a gospel doctrine teacher "more times than I have fingers on my hand", and has taught Seminary and Institute for many years. He claims to have been fired as a membership clerk after the bishop realized his talent was in teaching and not keeping records. Mike is originally from Alaska and works as a consultant for commercial roofing systems and enjoys marching to the beat of a different drummer in entrepreneurial endeavors. He has served as president of various school boards on local, county, and state levels, and has a passion for finding what doesn’t work and thinking outside the box to make it function. He believes change always requires someone to stand up and face the headwinds—usually alone—until others see the positive results and rise to join them. Highlights 02:15 Introduction and Mike’s background 04:30 How Leading Saints has impacted Mike and helped him in his calling. 08:10 Mike explains and shares his experience of how he implemented what he learned from Leading Saints in elders quorum. He was able to create unity and provide Priesthood blessings to men right in elders quorum meeting. 16:50 Creating unity in elders quorum. 19:00 Implementing new things and uncomfortable changes. 20:20 Elders quorum is not another Sunday school class. Making it different. 21:30 Mike shares a personal experience. He teaches us about using the church’s tools but with our own flavor. 26:10 Do you know what your gift of the spirit is? Find your gift and use it. 27:00 Mike shares more on giving blessings during elders quorum 29:00 Mike starts elders quorum every time with 30 seconds of introspection and the opportunity for anyone to receive a blessing and share what they are going through 31:00 Let’s get rid of the concept of oversharing in our faith. It’s not a bad thing. 33:00 In Mike’s quorum there are no instructors and never have a lesson planned. The meeting is more discussion based. 34:50 We’ve been given this Ferrari of priesthood power but many don’t know exactly how to drive it 36:00 Mike’s tips for starting a discussion in elders quorum instead of a very structured lesson. Ways to teach a conference talk without just rereading it. 40:15 Discussion creates a brotherhood and a quorum feeling rather than a formal instruction. Plan topics and some questions to start a discussion. 43:15 Besides just talking about gospel topics in quorum, they talk about and bring up other topics that need to be discussed. For example, talking about specific people that need help. 44:30 How to deal with helping move people. Mike’s ward has constant move ins and outs. He has had to come up with solutions so that his quorum doesn’t feel overworked and under pressure to help every single Saturday. 47:00 Mike’s unique approach to ministering and including the quorum in the assignments. His overall goal is to remove the guilt. Everyone needs something different out of ministering and he gives everyone a voice to say what they need and want. 49:45 Mike collects all the information and knowledge about his quorum and then takes it to the Lord. He doesn’t rely solely on getting inspiration without getting to know the members of his quorum first. 53:50 Mike shares his final thoughts and testimony of being a leader Links Is Elders Quorum Working? Read the TRANSCRIPT of this podcast Listen on YouTube Get 14-day access to the Core Leader Library The Leading Saints Podcast has ranked in the top 20 Christianity podcasts in iTunes, gets over 500,000 listens each month, and has over 10 million total downloads as part of nonprofit Leading Saints' mission to help latter-day saints be better prepared to lead. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox,