In 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 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 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 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.
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.”
Read MoreI was privileged to lead a wonderful church for nearly 35 years. That I was able to do so, however, is tragically rare. The majority of those who shared my vocation did not share my celebration. Indeed, the median tenure of pastors is 6 years. It’s not just that pastors move on from their churches. Many of them move out of ministry completely.
The fact is, pastors today are in peril.
Read MoreEvery pastor knows the feeling. The news may have come via email, phone, or second-hand conversation. A key family is leaving your church. They may already have found another church, or they may just be beginning the search process.
Read MoreAfter 40 years of pastoral ministry, I’ve come to see that these two realities are inevitable: 1. People will leave the church. 2. It will hurt when they leave.
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 MoreIn my previous post, I noted that the data is in regarding the current state of the American church and it’s not pretty. Among the results reported were the following: While the number of admirers of Jesus is growing, the number of attenders at church is shrinking.
Read MoreIn my last blog, I focused on “The Costs of Consumerism.” If you sensed some passion in that post, it’s because I faced those costs first-hand in the church I led for 35+ years. Allow me a bit of history.
Read MoreThe data is in and it’s not pretty. The number of admirers of Jesus are growing while the number of church attenders are shrinking. For those who do attend, determining factors for church choice are based on what is offered to and expected from its membership rather than what is expected from its membership. Convenience is prioritized while commitment is minimized.
Read MoreIn my previous blog post, “Living in Three Dimensions,” we noted that Jesus oriented His life around 3 relational dimensions. Luke 6:12-19 records them:
First of all, JESUS LOOKED UP. This speaks to His relationship with His Father. The key to Jesus’ fruitfulness was His commitment to this vertical dimension.
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