The Super Bowl is history. As usual, the team that won the “time of possession” battle won the game – not by much, but they did win it. The Bible gives us plenty of excuses for using the language of military conquest and athletic competition. We are to endure hardship, to storm the gates of […]
Pastors Turning Inward: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
“Now go out and encourage your men. I swear by the LORD that if you don’t go out, not a man will be left with you by nightfall.” Secretary of Defense Joab, to King David, in II Samuel 19:7 “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at […]
Seven Marks Of The Closed-System Church
Let’s get right to it. In the business world, a closed-system at the leadership level means that the senior leaders are listening to themselves and each other, but to no one else. Those in production are shut out of the decision-making process, as are the front-line workers, as are the customers. These companies go from […]
The Pastor’s Salary: An Alternative View
Note: My thoughts below relate to Senior or “solo” (the only one the church has) pastors. Another note: This is a hard subject for pastors to talk about. Now that I’m no longer a pastor of a congregation, I can share my thoughts on the subject freely. My viewpoint is quite different from that of […]
How Fast Can My Church Change?
A pastor whose church is experiencing vibrant health and growth recently asked me this great question. Would that more church leaders – the world over – had cause to be asking this! As I write these words, his congregation is growing and significant changes are being made to accommodate and catalyze that growth, and it’s […]
How Fast Can My Church Change? Three More Factors
Last week I wrote about a happy question put to me by the pastor of a growing church: “How fast can my church change?” I noted that there’s probably no simple answer available, but I noted several factors, which, considered together, should help a leadership team determine how fast their church can change. BTW: The […]
Why Pastors Go Away Mad
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest – I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.” Psalm 55:7,8 Last week I wrote about the sad phenomenon of […]
Surviving Those “No-Win” Pastoral Situations
I imagine that people in other professions also experience “no-win” situations. It just so happens that, having been a pastor for many years, and working with many of them now in coaching and consulting relationships, I’m tuned in to the dilemmas in which the leaders of churches sometimes find themselves. Such as: A beloved staff […]
Surviving Those No-Win Pastoral Situations, Part Two
“I am greatly encouraged. In all our troubles, my joy knows no bounds.” […]
Brian’s “Peace Verses”
Psalm 3:5,6 “I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.” (NIV) Psalm 4:7,8 “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound. I will lie down and sleep […]
What We Can Learn From “New Pastor Revivals”
Many years ago, my wife and I observed that churches with new pastors frequently experience new excitement, new enthusiasm and new growth. At some point we coined the term, “new pastor revival.” Of course, it’s not usually “revival” in the historic sense of a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit among a group of Christians […]
Solo Pastors: Here Are 7 Ways To Keep Your Church From Killing You
I’m not trying to be sensational: honest. Nor am I suggesting that churches deliberately, literally, kill their solo pastors. I am saying that churches with solo pastors often, inadvertently, “kill” their pastors, in the sense of rendering them unable to continue effectively in local church ministry. Here’s one line of evidence for this: health insurance. […]
Solo Pastors: Here Are The Rest Of Those Ways To Keep Your Church From Killing You
I wasn’t trying to be sensational last week when I wrote about how churches with solo pastors often “kill” their pastors, in the sense of rendering them unable to continue effectively in local church ministry. I wasn’t trying to be confusing either, but it would have been better if I had clarified that I was […]
Please, Ask For Help, Early
“There’s no cure for stupidity.” I don’t know who said it first, but a lot of people have said it since. There are even some takeoffs on the original observation: “There’s no vaccine for stupidity.” “Stupidity is terminal.” “You can’t fix stupid.” “Stupidity is the only universal, capital crime.” I think you get the idea. […]
The Year in Review of the Pastor’s Ministry
Brian’s note: My friend, Dr. Randy M. Keeley, creator of my favorite church health evaluation, the Ministry Mapping Survey, has created this great tool for the oftentimes difficult task of pastoral performance reviews. It looks like it should lead to some great, in-depth discussions. You’ll find Dr. Keeley’s bio at www.randywkeeley@weebly.com Dr. Keeley’s email address […]
“I trust that everything’s okay with you?”
Just between you and me, I hate that question. It’s almost as thoughtless as the “How ya doin’?” question you get on the way into the convenience store from perfect strangers who have no intention of waiting to hear your answer. Worse yet, “I trust that everything’s okay with you?” – usually spoken with more […]
How To Not Get Fired Next Time
This is going to be a long post. I know it’s not for everybody but it might be for you, or someone you love, so please read the next paragraph. A couple of weeks ago I read a new post by Thom Rainer, founder and CEO of Church Answers and the author of over 40 […]
The Advantages Of Getting Old And Tired
I don’t want to sound pathetic. I’m not that old and I’m not that tired either, but I’m older than I used to be (and so are you) and I’m less energetic than I used to be (and you probably are too). This world which we all live in views this as tragic. Youth is […]
Taking On The Crowd: 23 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Rebuking Your Congregation
Sooner or later, most pastors will sense that it’s time to “take on,” confront, rebuke or correct their congregation. Some combination of (1) his people’s words or behaviors (2) a compelling teaching of the Bible (3) the constraint or leadership of the Holy Spirit, or (4) the pastor’s own impassioned spirit, will convince him that […]
Lame Ducks Can Still Fly – Twelve Projects Retiring Pastors Can Work On
There’s something happening in a church near you: the pastor is moving toward retirement. I’m told that the average age of pastors in America has risen to about sixty. While many pastors continue on in full-time ministry way past the typical retirement age of sixty-five, pastors at sixty are usually at least thinking about it. […]
Twenty Ways To Redeem Your Pastoral Retirement
Like finally reaching Wally World and finding it decrepit and closed, retirement is a profound disappointment to so many hard-working people who were led to see it as the exciting destination at the end of their labors. I was young and naïve when I heard that my Uncle Fred had just retired and was driving […]
