Six Questions on Men and Women Serving Together
I gather on a monthly basis with all the managers in the division that I lead for a time of training. A few months ago I asked Faith Whatley, our director of adult ministry, to train and offer insights on men and women serving alongside one another. Faith has been serving at LifeWay for 20+ […]
3 Ways To Finish Well
A great player on our team finished his time with us this week. Matt Capps, who served as The Gospel Project brand manager, is beginning his new ministry assignment as senior pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Apex, NC. I told Matt when we hired him from a church staff position that I would give […]
How Leaders Can Cultivate Godliness
The following is a guest post by Dr. Nathan Finn. Nathan serves as director of the Center for Spiritual Formation and Evangelical Spirituality at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he teaches courses in church history and historical theology. He also serves as one of the pastors at First Baptist Church of Durham, North Carolina. For this reason […]
Don’t Let Strategy Trump the Vision of Discipleship
The following is a guest post by Michael Kelley, director of discipleship at LifeWay Christian Resources. Antione de Saint-Exupery, the French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator, once said, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to […]
Diagnosing Ministry Phase in Your Context
The Lord used Nehemiah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and Nehemiah is often recognized for being a strong and focused leader. It is important to note that he did not merely show up in Jerusalem, after arriving from serving under the Persian king in captivity, and declare a direction. Before he articulated a vision […]
A New Role? Consider the Push and the Pull
When leaders ask me about pursuing or considering a new ministry role, I ask them about the “push” and the “pull.” The “push” is those things that cause you to want to leave the role you are currently in. The “pull” is what excites you about the new opportunity. Lessons I have learned about the […]
10 Signs You Have a Silo Leader
Wise leaders are often repulsed by the idea of a ministry or organizational silo. A silo is, by definition, “a system or department that is isolated from others.” Silos can cause ministries or organizations to move in a plethora of disparate directions. Thus, a silo sucks funding from the overall mission, causes confusion as to […]
4 Reasons Great Leaders Struggle to Stay
Over the last several years I have had numerous conversations with great leaders who are struggling to stay in their current ministry assignment. Though not perfect, these leaders have faithfully led, have remained above reproach, and have enjoyed significant impact in their respective ministries. They are well respected, serve in churches that are generous to […]
What happens when your discipleship pastor goes missing?
Leaders and organizations make decisions all the time. They choose a direction, allocate resources, and execute. Often there are unintended implications, sometimes good and sometimes bad. The unintended implications don’t necessarily reveal themselves immediately but are often more understood as time passes. In the last 6-8 years, the role of “minister of education” or “discipleship […]
13 Business/Leadership Books Church Leaders Should Consider
I am frequently asked about what business/leadership books I think are helpful for church leaders to read. I think there are two polar opposites that need to be avoided when believers who lead ministries consider adding “leadership and business books” to their reading diet. On one extreme, there are people who consider it unspiritual and […]