“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may […]
Why Pastor Johnny Can’t Lead
In 1955, author and writing consultant, Rudolph Flesch published what would become his most provocative book, Why Johnny Can’t Read: And What You Can Do About It. The volume was a critique of the “look-say” method for teaching reading and compared reading education in the US unfavorably to other advanced countries. In 1976, leadership guru […]
Book Review: Hit The Bullseye
It’s not every day that I would review a fifteen year old book, but Paul Borden’s Hit The Bullseye: How Denominations Can Aim The Congregation At The Mission Field, is as timely, or even more timely, than when the author penned it. The former Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of the West, renamed […]
Five Observations About The Turn Inward
Sometimes a wrong turn can be tragic, sending a ship to the bottom of the sea, a motorist onto the wrong lane of the highway or a passenger jet onto the wrong runway. In churches it’s often the turn inward which sends the congregation on a one way journey to obscurity. Here are five […]
Book Review: The Unstuck Church
As a new pastor I was given a big set of cassette tapes which told me exactly what I wanted to hear. As a gifted teacher it was music to my ears to hear from a superstar pastor that all I needed to do was to study the Bible all week, pausing a few times […]
Five Facts About Leadership Coupons
We’re all familiar with coupons. In my case, my wife clips them, hands them to me, and expects me to use them. I’m not a big fan of them. Too often, the extremely fine print says that they’re outdated or only apply in certain stores, from three to four AM, or when there’s a full […]
Book Review: Designed To Lead
What? Another book on leadership? Yes it is, but Designed to Lead (The Church and Leadership Development) has a different take on the subject. As the subtitle suggests, Eric Geiger and Kevin Peck’s 2016 book focuses on the place of the local church in developing leaders for the whole wide world. Their thesis is that […]
The Importance Of Love In Leadership
In secular society, the words “leadership” and “love” are not usually found in the same sentence, unless someone is telling you that “they love to do leadership.” But Christian leadership is different. It’s different in its purpose, as Christian leaders lead for the glory of God and the good of their followers. The servant leader […]
Eight Ways To Choose A Focus Group
The congregation’s leadership team worked through the delicate discussion about the wisdom of choosing a target or focus group. As usual, some good people reacted to the concept of seeking to identify a God-chosen demographic group for their church to focus on reaching for Christ. The objections centered around fairness, exclusivity, prejudice (or “respect of […]
Three Advantages To Choosing A Focus Group
In my experiences of helping churches with strategic planning tasks – clarifying their mission, ideal disciple, values, vision and strategy – the most controversial part of the process has always been the possible choice of a target or focus group. A focus group is a demographic niche which a church deliberately decides to concentrate on […]
A Great Opportunity For Older Pastors
Many pastors in their fifties and sixties are facing a similar scenario: They sense that they are nearing the end of their current pastorates and they are highly uncertain regarding the future. They know that most congregations don’t want pastors who are over sixty, and, in fact, many don’t want pastors who are over fifty. […]
A Different Way To Download A Vision
Just about everybody knows that vision is important. It gets us dreaming and praying and moving in the same direction. When a Christian ministry believes it has received a vision from God, it’s very powerful. The “catch” of course, is how we get this vision from God. There are innumerable opinions on the subject as […]
Three Dangers In Mixing Politics And Religion
It’s easy to mix a little politics in with our Christianity. As evangelicals, we avoid the old “social gospel” like the plague, as well we should. The social gospel is what the Apostle Paul would call, “another gospel which is not another,” (Galatians 1:6) for it confuses the good news that Christ came to die […]
Book Review: Working With Emotional Intelligence
We shouldn’t need this book, but we do. As evangelical Christian leaders, we should have already cornered the market on emotional intelligence. We should be the experts, the icons, the poster children for this important quality. Before going any further, let’s return to author Daniel Goleman’s definition of emotional intelligence – known since the author’s […]
God Doesn’t Offer Stock Options
Many corporations offer stock options to their employees. It works out pretty well for everyone. Employees get a piece of the company. Employers get increased dedication from their employees. Sadly, many Christian workers make the mistake of assuming that they are earning shares in the ministries they work for through their hard work and dedication. […]
Book Review: I Once Was Lost
Delightful. That’s my one word review of the book by Presbyterian pastor Don Everts and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship coordinator, Doug Schaupp (IVP Books). The two have extensive experience in leading college-age postmodern skeptics to faith in Christ; more than two thousand of them, in fact. Their book is based on a great deal of listening […]
Four Ways Great Churches Keep It Simple
“Out of complexity, find simplicity.” Albert Einstein Not everything in life is simple, of course. There’s doing your taxes. Or getting your new computer up and running. Sigh. But the longer I live, the more I value the genius and the hard work which it takes to arrive at the elegant simplicity that is on […]
Three Ways Great Churches Focus On Action
“Words! Words! I get words all day through; First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do?” Eliza Doolittle singing “Show Me” in Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s “My Fair Lady” It sounds simplistic but I believe it’s true. Mediocre churches focus on words; great churches focus on actions. Here’s what […]
Six Ways Leading A Worship Team Is Like Leading A Church
It had been over ten years since I’d led a worship team while also leading the church. I had vowed to not do that again, but in a time of need, I broke my pledge. To my pleasant surprise, the task has been immensely enjoyable for me. I think it’s been helpful to our church […]
Three Challenges To The Traditional Search Committee
Congregational churches have traditionally replaced their pastors with the help of “search” or “pulpit” committees, made up of a combination of board members and non-board representatives of the congregation. The non-board members of the group are, in some churches, chosen by the church’s leaders, but are more typically elected by the congregation. In the worst […]
Ten Suggestions For Improving Our Small Groups And Bible Studies
Almost all of our evangelical churches have small groups and Bible studies of various kinds and configurations. Many of them are excellent. Some of them are…not so much. All of them could stand some improvement. Our wonderful God is ready and willing to help us if we want to make them better. Pastors or other […]
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