Links for Leaders 9/22/17

Why Control Freaks Rarely Lead Large Churches Or Organizations—Carey Nieuwhof

If you insist on controlling everything, you will eventually hit a wall in which the size of your church or organization shrinks back to the size of your personal span of care. Until you let go.

In other words, if you want to limit your church’s growth, attempt to control everything.

6 Traits of an Excellent Worker—Steve Graves

For me, one of the most compelling aspects of the Bible has always been its timelessness. By this I mean how God crafted messages that spoke truth into the lives of first century Jewish converts under Roman rule, and yet those same messages still speak truth into my life today.

Most of you, like me, aren’t a farmer, soldier, or athlete, and you certainly aren’t a first century farmer, soldier, or athlete. Regardless, I hope you will take five minutes and wash these six virtues through your life and work.

How to Survive the Busy Season of Ministry—Courtney L. Moore

If you’re a pastor’s wife, you know how time consuming ministry can be for your husband. This busyness usually comes in seasons. Right now your husband may be stretched thin responding to hurricane relief, or perhaps he’s heavily engaged in a specific church-wide emphasis that needs attention. Whatever it is, his ministry workload can often result in his unavailability at home.

If it happens regularly, this absence from home can be hard for pastors’ wives. Not only do we wives enjoy having our husbands around, but we also depend upon them to help make family life run more smoothly. If we’re not careful, it’s tempting to become bitter toward the church for those long work hours or evening phone calls.

Defining Healthy in a Church Leadership Culture—Ron Edmondson

But, local churches are made of people. And, some of those people, even well-meaning as they may be sometimes, work together to form unhealthy environments. Others work together for the common good of honoring Christ and form healthy environments. I’ve seen and been a part of both.

I’m often asked questions such as this – on how we know when something is healthy. This is always subjective, but I have certainly learned you know when something is unhealthy. I don’t know if I can define healthy in a single definition, but I’ve given the issue some thought as it relates to the working environment.

God’s Glorious Name Drives Our Prayers—Steve Gaines

Jesus taught that as His followers pray, our priority should be the recognition and reverence of God’s name in the whole earth. Although we might grow in our commitment to this aim even as we pray for it, we can also be assured that God Himself is committed to the glory of His own name throughout the world.

The pages of Scripture are replete with acknowledgments of the glory of God and exhortations to glorify Him.