6 Reasons You Should Say “Yes” When Asked to Lead in Your Church

As summer approaches, ministry leaders in many churches will spend time recruiting and training new leaders to serve in their church’s kids ministry, the youth ministry, and to lead groups and classes for adults. If you are approached and asked, here are six reasons you should say yes: 1. You will learn more deeply. If […]

4 Reasons Ministry Leaders Don’t Get “The Real World”

I was 27 years old, serving as an executive pastor and working with a team of people in the church on updating our personnel policy handbook—a necessary thing to do but not one that will change the world or breathe life back into your soul. One gentleman recommended we change the church office hours to […]

1 Big Question Church Leaders Must Ask About Leadership Development

When ministry leaders start to consider an intentional plan for developing leaders, inevitably they get to this question. The answer to the question will dramatically impact how they execute leadership development. Here is the big question about leadership development for church leaders: What will be centralized? Some churches centralize everything. They appoint someone to oversees […]

3 Misconceptions About Joining Church/Ministry Staff

Often godly marketplace leaders have wondered what a transition to some type of ministry role would look like. In the last decade I have had countless conversations with these leaders who have wondered what their lives would look like if they transitioned to a church staff or other ministry role. When I served as an […]

Who We Are

In Unfolded, the men’s Bible study I was honored to write, we walk through the Story of the Bible in eight weeks. Each week there are daily devotions, along the storyline of Scripture, that dive into different passages. Here is one of the devotions from week seven. Persecution of Christians was very intense during the […]

3 Common Ways Churches Overcomplicate Their Calendars

A busy church calendar can keep people at church and away from the broader culture. Not only is mission thwarted but people also have a difficult time navigating what their next step at the church is. When there is a plethora of programs/events on the calendar, it is hard to know which ones are really […]

3 Major Downsides of a Busy Church Calendar

Busy church calendar

Adrian Rogers is quoted with the pithy statement, “If Satan cannot make you bad, he will make you busy.” There is much wisdom in the statement, as cluttered lives are typically not Christ-centered lives. The Lord encourages us to “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). According to the Lord, there is […]

5 Things Pastors Dread Hearing After Preaching a Sermon

Preaching is simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting. Though I am not sure how it could be proven, some have articulated that preaching one sermon is as emotionally and psychologically taxing as an eight-hour workday. If you are like me, you know you should rest in the promise that His Word does not return void, yet you […]

5 Steps to Simplifying Your Church’s Schedule

Church over-programming

For many good reasons, church leaders often desire to simplify their schedules. They know too many programs is paralyzing for new people, as the next step is unclear. They know that it is impossible for their church to do everything well. They see leaders exhausted and they know activity does not equate with transformation. They […]

3 Important Ways Ministry Leaders Care for People

Without love for people, ministry leaders are merely clanging cymbals, making noise without making an impact. People need to be loved, to receive care. The apostle Peter challenged pastors to willingly and freely shepherd God’s people (1 Peter 5:2). A loving shepherd is burdened to ensure the sheep are attended to and receive care and […]