In his fine book, Canoeing the Mountains, Tod Bolsinger describes the outstanding leadership of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as they led their Corps of Discovery in search of a northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean
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Nothing will slow down a growing church faster than a toxic staff member. What makes a person toxic? One definition is that it’s an individual who is unsupportive, negative, or even abusive.
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The best organizations have a clear sense of culture. The Apple way… the Chik-fil-a way…the Disney way. Having that stated culture sets the bar for expected behavior.
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The term “Celtic Church” is used to describe one of the earliest forms of Christianity in the British Isles. Dating from around the year 400 A.D., the Celtic Church established itself as the most successful evangelistic movement ever seen in the countries of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
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In the course of my ministry life, I have met many people who claim never to have received a prompting or sense a whisper from God. Not even once. Yet, when I probe a bit deeper, I discover that the reason why is that they have not positioned themselves to be able to hear from God.
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In my two previous posts, I tried to make the point that our relationship with the Lord is more than theoretical – it’s real. And any loving relationship has at its heart communication.
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If there is such a thing as a biblical understatement, “God spoke to our ancestors…at many times and in various ways” (Hebrews 1:1) qualifies. Consider the following Old Testament examples.
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I’m sometimes asked by those I coach, “What’s the best advice you could give me about being a good leader?” My answer often surprises them. “It’s being a good follower.”
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I have a bad habit. Okay…who am I kidding? I have a bunch of bad habits. But one of my worst is my tendency to interrupt others. They begin to share something and then I butt in.
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One of the most interesting New Testament characters, to my way of thinking, is Timothy. This young man, the son of a Jewish mother who had become a believer and a Greek father (who apparently had not) met Paul…
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As we emerge from the pandemic and all of its implications, many churches are looking to make strategic hires.
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One of the challenges of leadership is to know when an idea has buy-in from your team, be it a church staff, an elder board, or key team members.
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A few years back, Maria Konnikova wrote an article in the New York Times titled, “The Lost Art of the Unsent Angry Letter.” The idea is that if you’re upset at something or someone, you write a detailed, unedited response – and then you stick it in a drawer until you’ve cooled off.
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According to a Barna report that came out a few years back, the aspect of ministry that pastors love most - by far - is preaching/teaching. To their way of thinking, nothing beats addressing the crowd.
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Nolan Bushnell, the father of electronic gaming, creator of the Atari video game system, and founder of Chuck E. Cheese once stated, “Everyone who’s ever taken a shower has had an idea.”
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I was quite surprised to read that, according to a recent Gallop poll, 87% of Americans say they believe in God. This is not to say that they are religious, much less churchgoers. They probably aren’t.
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One of the most common questions being asked by church leaders these days is, “When will all of our Sunday morning attendees come back?” Put another way, “When will all of our scattered sheep return to the fold?”
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In looking back at my years of being a lead pastor, one of the hardest issues to handle was when an individual or family would leave.
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Screens dominate our lives. TV screens, computer screens, smartphone screens, tablet screens, gaming screens, video conference screens. We are screened like no other generation in history.
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I came across a quote from a pastor named J.D. Greear recently that powerfully gripped me: “Those who care about the future of the Great Commission will devote themselves to multiplying and sending, not gathering and counting.”
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