Tucked away in the book of Ecclesiastes are these words: “Not only was the Teacher wise, but he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched and set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true. The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by one Shepherd.” Ecclesiastes 12:9-11
Read MoreI’m asked quite often, “What is the discipleship method that you have found to be the most effective?” When I hear that, I know what the individual is looking for. They’re hoping to find a neatly packaged program that they can implement in their church to dramatic results.
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 MoreAt a gathering of pastors I attended in this last year, one of the liveliest topics discussed was whether a church should have a security team. I was intrigued that nearly every leader was in favor of it. In fact, most of them had specific situations as to how having a security team served them well. While these pastors led large churches, the situations they described are common to churches of all sizes.
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 MoreLooking back at 35 years of preaching, there were some themes that deserved an annual emphasis. Some of these were holiday-based – Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, New Year’s. But I also came to see that there was another theme that also needed to be addressed every year. Money. Surprised?
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 MoreAs I have the privilege of talking to young pastors, one of the topics that always comes up is their children. They want to know, “How do I raise my kids in the fishbowl of the pastorate so that they won’t grow up to resent the church? Or even worse, reject the faith?”
Read MoreAt this time of year, many pastors recognize that in addition to the regular preaching rotation, there’s an added responsibility: Christmas Eve services. They have held their popularity over the years and continue to be a cherished part of people’s holiday celebrations. While it’s always a challenge to come up with a fresh way to share that familiar old story, the effort is worth it because of the incredible opportunity this service brings.
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 MoreFundamentally, effective leadership is based upon an invitation to relationship and a challenge to change. As seen in Jesus’ example, when skillfully calibrated, the result is transformation from the inside out. This is true not only for individuals, it’s also true for churches.
Read MoreMonty Roberts spent his youth in the western prairies rounding up wild mustangs. He observed the typical method of “breaking horses,” as they were ridden by “bronco busters” until exhaustion or tied to a post and beaten until the animal’s will was broken. Watching this happen, Monty began to think that there had to be another way…a less barbaric way…a more natural way.
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 MorePastor and author John Ortberg describes an interview he heard on the radio with a woman who ran the largest speaker bureau in the world. Her job was to identify and represent world-class communicators. She was asked, “What is the #1 thing you look for in a speaker?”
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.
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