The great general Napoleon Bonaparte is credited with saying: “The role of the leader is to define reality and give hope.” While true at all times, this is especially true during times of severe crisis – such as the one we’re currently facing. This is when leaders need to balance realism with optimism.
Read MoreThese are dark days. The threat of the COVID-19 pandemic is growing more and more serious. The infection rate is soaring. Hospitals are being overwhelmed. The death rate is advancing. For those of us in church leadership, this Easter will be unlike any other in our lives.
Read MoreWhat an unbelievable time we’re living in! The other day, my wife quietly observed, “It’s almost surreal. This can’t be happening.” Yet it is. As a pastor or church leader you’ve faced crises before, but none like this.
Read MoreAs a leader, I recognize that I carry a heavy responsibility. I need to be the direction-finder, the pacesetter, and the problem-solver. And when challenges arise like the one we’re currently facing with COVID-19, I also need to be the decision-maker.
Read MoreMost of the young leaders that I’m coaching began their ministry as an associate pastor. Many were youth pastors. Others were small group pastors. Then, the opportunity arose for them to move into the left seat of the cockpit and become the lead pilot for the ministry plane.
Read MoreThe Old Testament is filled with illustrations of great leaders: Moses, Joshua, Esther, David, Hezekiah, Josiah, etc. I love to read of their exploits and marvel at their victories. Yet there’s another who is right at the top of my list of favorites. It’s the son of King Saul – Jonathan.
Read MoreMany pastors have very few true friends. Frankly, it’s made many of those in the ministry among the most lonely of people. In part one of “The Friendless Pastor,” I offered some of the reasons why pastors struggle in this area. However, having identified those, how do we change that situation?
Read MoreIt's ironic that pastors, those who talk the most about the need for community, often experience it the least. Our days and nights are filled with calls, meetings, and interactions. But despite lots of people contact, we have few trusted peers.
Read MorePastors traffic daily in books. Of course, we preach the Book and as such, it should lead any list. But beyond that, we are on an endless search for other books that will encourage and equip us in ministry.
Read MoreFor many, work slows down during the Christmas season. Children are off school. College students are on semester break. Some businesses actually shut down in the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Many individuals simply use vacation or personal days. Pastors don’t have that opportunity.
Read MoreWhen most people think of leadership, they think of character traits like vision, confidence, strength, passion, and persuasiveness. One trait that doesn’t often make the list is gratitude.
Read MoreTom Hanks is, hands down, my favorite actor. My guess is that many of you appreciate him as well for his portrayals in such iconic films as “Saving Private Ryan,” “Forrest Gump,” “Cast Away,” and “The Green Mile” to name just a few. However, this month Hanks has a new movie coming out in which he plays a surprising character: Fred Rogers. Depending upon your age, you more likely know him as Mister Rogers.
Read MoreIn an interview conducted by The Christian Standard, college president Bryce Jessup said that the key to his stellar run as a leader boiled down to one line: “Dream a dream and build a team.”
Read MoreIt was a special opportunity to go fishing with an old friend. As we shared our time on the water, he brought me up to speed on his battle with prostate cancer. “Right now the numbers are good,” he said. “But soon I will have received all the radiation and hormone treatment that is allowable. Things might well change then.”
Read MoreI read the following recently: Life is made up of moments .| Moments create days. | Days create months. | Months create years. | Years create life. | Lose the moment and you lose Life.
Read MoreI’m old enough to remember the classic TV show, I've Got a Secret. Running on CBS television from 1952-1967, it featured a panel of celebrities who tried to determine a contestant’s “secret” – something that was unusual, amazing, or humorous about the person. The show is long gone, but keeping secrets is not a game.
Read MoreIn my previous post I outlined some characteristics of an unteachable person. Now I’d like to offer the flip side to that and provide some characteristics of a teachable person.
To begin with, teachability is not so much about competence and mental capacity as it is about attitude. It is the desire to listen, learn, and apply. It is the hunger to discover and grow.
Read MoreWhen it comes to leadership, the debate often rages between nature and nurture. That is, are leaders born or made?
I’m of the opinion that, while there may not be an actual “leadership gene,” there are some men and women who seem to be naturally predisposed to lead.
Read MoreSo, it’s really going to happen! Your church board has okayed it and you’re actually going get an extended time off for a study and renewal break. Now what? Let me offer you some thoughts that have come out of my own experience.
Read MorePeriodically I’m asked what the “secret” was to my 35-year run as pastor of Fellowship Missionary Church. And, to be sure, my first response is always, “It was by God’s grace. I had no greater vision than most, and I had no greater strength than most.”
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