How contemplative are you? The person who gives focused thought and reflection to his or her life lives, learns, adjusts, and improves going forward.
Perhaps you've even heard people talking about things they don't like about the church you serve, but no one connects the symptoms to the underlying causes.
Jesus’ example gives me courage to not just cast a vision, but to risk for it, and to reject passivity.
What is God asking you to do today that totally doesn't make sense?
The idea of the "fearless leader" owes more to myth than it does to leadership reality. The goal is not to be fearless, the goal is to be courageous.
I don't actually have signs on my desk, but I feel like I should have a few. Every day, I make mental notes to remind myself (seemingly again and again) of some basic things I keep forgetting as a leader.
We must be people of integrity. The world is watching how we respond to the tests and trials in our lives. We either draw people to Jesus or repel them with our lack of integrity.
More than ever, we must learn to cultivate times of silence and solitude so we can slow down, reflect, and listen to the voice of God.
We've become fast-food customers of leadership. We eat, eat, eat with little time to digest what we've consumed.
The parable of the sower in Matthew 13 helps prepare church leaders for the sad reality that not all Christians will remain faithful.
Being a pastor is a high calling, yet they often face loneliness and discouragement.
If we were to reword priesthood of all believers to pastorhood of all believers, we would likely have a better understanding of the meaning of this idea for today.
Maybe you are generous and loving, but you always looked at your work as second class compared to being a pastor or missionary.
Effective church communication is all about scratching itches (or helping them scratch the itch).
In today's turbulent times, leaders are being called upon to lead with more courage than ever before. But how can you lead courageously, when you're just not feeling particularly brave?
In a recent conversation with a leader we work with, a concern he raised really caught my attention. He said, "My team seems to be doing the best they can, but I don't get a sense that they're flourishing."
"I'm not getting fed." It's one of the most common complaints of church members looking for excuses to leave a church.
When they came to me with an idea, I applauded them for their idea and then shared with them two or more things that would add horsepower to their plan.
Giving up your preferences and reminding your congregation to do the same is not an easy road, but it is worth it for the sake of the gospel.
This book stretched me. I found it very helpful as I have been attempting to think through the proper use of the Old Testament today.
