One 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 don’t know where I read it, but this statement has stuck with me for, literally, years. “Every great sermon is a function of both inspiration and perspiration.” The inspiration is God’s business. He provides the material. The perspiration is our business. We have to communicate that material.
Read MoreOne of the ongoing challenges of being a pastor is the never-ending demand of preaching. Though in my 3 ½ decades of church leadership I never tired of the privilege of preaching, I found myself all too often struggling with the responsibilities of preaching.
Read MoreMistakes are a painful part of life. To be human means to mess up once in a while. Being a leader doesn’t make you immune from this. In fact, good leaders often make more mistakes than others because of the amount and impact of the decisions they make.
Read MoreA Whack on the Side of the Head – now that’s an interesting book title! One might be tempted to buy it for the title alone. Apparently many did. The publication has been read by millions, translated into eleven languages, and used in seminars around the world.
Read MoreIt’s one thing to dream of changing a culture – it’s another thing to see it happen.
We’ve all seen how even the most noble of ideas can fail to launch successfully. (Believe me, I can testify to literally scores of “great strategies” that I launched from the Cape Canaveral of my imagination over the years – all too many of which ended up sputtering into the Atlantic Ocean of failure.)
Read MoreHere we are on the cusp of yet another highly anticipated holiday. Preparations have been made. Presentations have been prepared. People have been invited. Everything seems to be stanced for success. All should go well.
Expect for that uninvited guest, Mr. Murphy.
Read MoreWhile the holidays are typically times for your congregation to enjoy special opportunities at the church, they can be draining times for the church staff that creates and manages those opportunities….
What can you do to recognize the efforts of your team?
Read MoreIt’s been said that you only have one chance to make a good first impression.
As Easter weekend approaches, churches around the world are preparing to make a positive impression not only on regular attendees, but especially on visitors.
Read MoreIt’s happened again. Another horrific terrorist attack has taken place. This time it’s in New Zealand. 50 Muslim worshippers gunned down while in prayer. Your Sunday gathering is just hours away. What do you do? Do you ignore it or do you address it? And if you address it, how?
As pastors, we’ve all faced those moments. Wise leaders recognize that these special moments cannot be ignored.
Read MoreYour church staff has a culture whether you know it or not. You can have a positive culture where there’s a corporate sense of “us” that lends itself to mutual celebration or you can have a negative culture where there is a siloed sense of “me” that lends itself to selfish pride.
If the culture is healthy, amazing things happen. People love being there. Great leaders come and stay.
If the culture is unhealthy, destructive things happen. People endure being there. Great leaders look for ways to leave.
Read MoreOne of the most dog-eared books in my personal library has been in my possession for nearly 40 years. I’ve read it through multiple times and returned to it for points of reference scores of other times.
J. Oswald Sanders’ 1967 classic, Spiritual Leadership, has marked not only my life, but thousands of other pastors as well. The book is a treasure-trove, filled with wise counsel that is timeless.
Read MoreDefining what a disciple is has been debated long and hard. However, when you consider that Scripture uses the Greek word mathetes for “disciple,” the meaning is pretty straightforward. The word simply means learner.
In other words, disciples are people who learn to be like Jesus was and learn to do what Jesus did.
Read MoreOkay, you are a pastor. That’s your title. But what is your job?
My guess is that you were given an official job description when you were hired. It details what the expectations are of you and to whom you are responsible. But, at the end of the day…in a sentence…what are you supposed to be doing? What you are you to be about?
Read MoreWelcome to “The Everyday Pastor.” This is the first installment of a blog targeted to ordinary leaders of ordinary churches that slog out their ministry every day.
Believe me, after nearly 40 years of ministry I know what that’s like.
Read More
