BiblicalLeadership.com writer profile: Charles Stone
Tell us a little about yourself.
I've been married to Sherryl for 40 years. We have three grown kids and three grandkids. My church is WestPark Church in London, Ontario. My hobby is learning about neuroscience.
Describe what kind of work you do, and what you've done in the past.
I am the lead pastor at WestPark, a multi-cultural church of 1,000. I also am and writer and have written 6 books, and I blog at www.charlesstone.com.
What was your first-ever leadership role?
I was a Boy Scout (and the Boy Scouts are vastly different today) and was a senior patrol leader for several years.
How has God grown you as a leader over the years?
Early on I focused too much on talking. Now I focus more on listening. Early on I felt that I could arrive at the 'solution' quicker than others. As a result, people felt excluded from my decisions. Now I focus on including others in the decision process. Early on I didn't take care of my emotional life. Now I realize how important emotional health is to leadership effectiveness. Therefore, I'm now more intentional about my emotional health.
What's the hardest leadership lesson you've ever learned?
Years ago I attended a church growth conference at a megachurch. I came back from the conference brimming with great ideas that I just knew we needed to implement in our church. So, about a month later I have my sermon that outlined all the changes we would be making. In a year we lost 100 people. That was really tough because we were not a large church. The lesson I learned: creating a plan to communicate change is almost as important as the plan to bring about change.
What advice would you give to Christian leaders?
God created us body, soul, and spirit. Oftentimes we pastors do a great job of learning about and teaching the Bible, yet neglect true soul and body care. I would encourage every leader to take a few hours to map out a specific plan on body andsoul care. In that plan I'd encourage that leader to recruit loving accountability partners who would help them keep those plans. That group might include a doctor, a psychologist, another pastor, or even a dietician. A team approach to self-care increases the chances that self-care really happens.
Most meaningful Scripture:
The noble man makes noble plans and by noble deeds he stands. ~Isaiah 32.8
 | Charles Stone coaches and equips pastors and teams to effectively navigate the unique challenges ministry brings. By blending biblical principles with cutting-edge brain-based practices he helps them enhance their leadership abilities, elevate their preaching/ teaching skills, and prioritize self-care. A pastor for over 42 years, he has served as a lead pastor, associate pastor, and church planter. He published seven books, and over 300 of his articles have appeared on various Christian leadership websites. He holds four earned academic degrees, including a D.Min. and a Ph.D. Learn More » |
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