Most 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 MoreYou’ve probably encountered plenty of management theories and you might have your own ideas about an effective management style. However, a key part of being a good leader/manager is being in touch with your subordinates.
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 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 MoreI have worked with scores of board members during my 30+ years of pastoral leadership. In the early years, they were deacons who represented a particular area of ministry (missions, facility, finance, etc.). Later on, when we added staff to oversee those ministries, we moved to an elder board.
Read MoreOne of the occupational hazards of being a leader is receiving criticism. It just comes with the territory. Indeed, I believe that the leader who does anything different, worthwhile or visionary can count on criticism.
Read MoreThe old adage is still true: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. I’ve seen this in spades recently. As part of my new role, I am visiting more churches than I ever have before. I am experiencing first-hand what it’s like to be a first-time attender. I’m also discovering the insecurity and confusion that goes with that
Read MoreSuicide is a tragedy that is increasingly common in our day. It is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. for all ages and the 2nd leading cause of death in the world for those aged 15-24 years. There is one death by suicide every ten minutes. It takes the lives of nearly 45,000 every year. The loss of those lives is incalculable.
Read MoreWe’ve all heard of “worship wars” in the church. They’re usually about musical styles – those who want contemporary music vs. those that prefer the traditional. They can be contentious and divisive. But perhaps even more costly to the life of a church are the “worship wars” that often take place between the senior pastor and the worship leader.
Read MoreIt happens in every church and it impacts every leader. A long-time volunteer tells you he needs a break and wants to step down. Your most dependable leader in the nursery says she’s interested in moving to another ministry area. A faithful worker quits without any explanation.
Read MoreAsk any pastor about the importance of discipleship and you’ll get a vigorous nod accompanied by passionate words: “Absolutely what we’re to be about”… ”The bottom line by which to measure success”… ”Jesus’ marching orders couldn’t be clearer.” That being the case, why do we see discipleship languishing in the vast majority of churches?
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 MoreI was asked in a recent coaching group about how to deal with the tension found in many churches between those who want to remember the past and those who want to dream of the future.
Read MoreIn my three-and-a half decades of pastoral leadership, I was blessed to witness a church grow from 50 to 2300. While in the early days I was able to lead the church with a staff of one (me!), it wasn’t long before I discovered that the demands and responsibilities of a growing church had moved beyond my capacity. That meant hiring staff.
Read MoreOne of the greatest privileges of pastoring is the opportunity to say “yes” to folks. Good things. God things. And because of that, I want to say yes to everyone. They are so eager for my time. They so value my attention. They so seek my counsel. I hate saying “No” to any of them.
Read MoreOne of the greatest joys in ministry is working with a great staff. But if there are challenging staff situations, it can also be one of the biggest frustrations in church leadership.
Read MoreI look at this picture and wonder, “Who were those kids?!” Hard to believe that was us – Gwen and me – on our wedding day 42 years ago. We just celebrated another anniversary and the occasion prompted me to do some reflecting on lessons we’ve learned along the way that have helped our marriage not only survive but thrive.
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