The phrase “diagnosed with disconnection” comes from a compelling story in Johann Hari’s book Lost Connections. He tells the story of a psychiatrist, Dr. Derek Summerfield, who traveled to Cambodia to learn about the mental health of the Cambodians. The Cambodians realized there were people who struggled with deep sadness and pointed to this one…
5 Warning Signs a Leader is Leading at “Too High” a Level
Leaders are often encouraged to lead “at a high level.” “Lead higher” is a helpful way to describe rising above the details and the day-to-day operations so a leader can look to the future. By “leading higher,” a leader is able to set direction, remind people of the why beneath the work, clarify mission and…
New Year, Already New
As a new decade has begun we are bombarded with messages encouraging us to adopt new habits, try new diets, commit to new exercises, and make new commitments. While many of these new commitments can be good, the whole “new year, new you” message can be rather exhausting. A few weeks in, and we can…
Research on Fandom, Small Groups, and 3 Implications for Church Leaders
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has a funny bit where he pokes fun at us sport’s fans. He says that because players are constantly changing teams, we are not really loyal to players as much as we are loyal to the clothes the players are wearing. Sport’s fans are essentially rooting for laundry, that we are standing…
Popeyes, Our Fascination With “New,” and the Exhaustion of Climbing
Because I grew up in the New Orleans area I grew up eating and loving Popeye’s Chicken (Popeyes started in New Orleans). As a kid, my parents would drive us by Al Copeland’s house at Christmas, the founder of Popeyes, because of the incredible Christmas lights he put up each year. My childhood nostalgia had…
5 Ways You (and the People in your Church) Will Grow This Year
When God wrestled with Jacob (Genesis 32), God won Jacob to Himself by making Himself weak. In His love for Jacob, He withheld His power as even a slight touch to Jacob’s hip dislocated it. God has won us to Himself through weakness too. He emptied Himself, took on human flesh, and submitted Himself to…
4 Ways to Set Effective Goals for 2020
It is a new year and many people will take time to set new goals or make new resolutions. Goals can be helpful as they cause us to evaluate our lives, consider what is important to us, and decide what changes we need to make. Setting goals has also proven to be fruitful, as research…
4 Important Lessons From Marathon Runners About Your New Year Goals
As a new year begins there will be a lot of new goals set: physical goals about exercise or weight loss, financial goals about paying off debt or making more money, and relational goals about more time with loved ones. Setting goals can be very helpful because they force conversations about what is going to…
“Christmas Makes me Sad/Glad” and 3 Reminders for Us Preachers
Christmas season tends to bring out emotions in all of us – some emotions of sadness and some of gladness. A recent Google search of “Christmas makes me sad” turned up 347 million results with lots of articles telling us why Christmas makes us sad. Psychologist Ken Duckworth commented “Holidays are a great example of…
Merry Christmas From Genesis 3 (and 3 Reasons It Is Important)
The Christmas story does not begin in a manger; it begins in a Garden. Genesis 2 ends with Adam and Eve in perfect paradise where they “felt no shame.” Then after surrendering to the temptation from the evil one, they immediately feel shame, attempt to cover themselves with fig leaves, and hide from the Lord….