It seems nearly every week that a ministry or marketplace leader asks me about the blog, and how it works, not the technical aspects but the regular rhythm of sending out new content nearly every day. It took me more than a year of writing a blog to get into a good rhythm, but typically…
Archives for June 2018
Links for Leaders 6/22/18
How the Best Leaders Develop Self-Control—Dan Reiland Without self-control, a leader will be sidelined, derailed, or perhaps taken out of ministry. You may need self-control to win over anger, discouragement or speaking too quickly. Another leader may need self-control for their thought life, managing money or how they use their authority. None of us escape…
5 Lessons in Seven Years of Serving the “Capital C” Church
Nearly seven years ago I stepped out of serving one local church and into a role designed to serve the broader Church, as one of the vice-presidents at LifeWay Christian Resources. Each year we serve 60,000 plus churches with some type of resource. It has been a deep honor to be in this role and…
The Cure for Dysfunctional Families
Some Christians long for “the good ole days” when family values were celebrated in our culture. We complain about the shows on TV and wish there were more sitcoms focused on the perfect lives of nuclear families, whose problems can be resolved in thirty minutes or less. But the truth is families have always been sinful and dysfunctional. Because of sin, families have always shifted blame, reversed roles, and rebelled against God. It was true after the Fall, and it is still true today. Parents and the teenagers they parent both know this to be true.
If You Have to Choose Between Clarity and Creativity…
Clarity and creativity are both admirable qualities. People seek both when creating a resource, when delivering a message, when leading a team, and when designing ministry strategy. Authors, artists, song writers, communicators, ministry leaders, and a plethora of other people desire for their work to be both clear and creative. But if you have to…
2 Reasons We Ignore Our Weaknesses Instead of Addressing Them
The common leadership counsel to focus on your strengths is wise, with one important caveat. Your weaknesses must be addressed and brought to an acceptable norm or they will overshadow your strengths. Yes, focus on your strengths, but your weaknesses cannot be so overwhelming as to debilitate your leadership credibility. In his book, The Leadership…
Links for Leaders 6/15/18
Snorkeling and the Shallow Soul—Josh Patterson One of the challenges before all of us in striving to live in gospel-centered community is certainly our natural proclivity to stay in safe waters. So often we look like a group of snorkelers who are bunched up together peering into the deeper waters but hesitant to dive below….
3 Common Blind Spots in Leaders
One of my mentors, Brad Waggoner, has regularly quipped, “Most people struggle with self-awareness, so why would I think I am somehow different from everyone else?” He is right. Everyone struggles with self-awareness to a degree, and we are foolish if we think we are immune. Our lack of self-awareness in life and leadership is…
The Shared Values of Leadership Development by Todd Adkins
So how do you develop people? Through skills and style of training. You must identify core competencies required for every leadership level of your pipeline. For example, a small group leader and a parking team leader should be equipped in conflict management. Core competencies are universal, but skills also include role-specific skills unique to each ministry area.
How Being a Father Helps You Know the Father
In the Geiger house there is a moment on Father’s Day that is one of my favorite moments each year. Kaye started the tradition ten years ago when she gave me the “Daddy book,” a book each daughter gives me and adds to each year. They add pictures, list their favorite memories from the year,…