Leo Tolstoy: Youth Group President?
In many student ministries, Leo Tolstoy would be viewed as a hero, a model for moral discipline and Christian virtue. Tolstoy was a famous Russian philosopher and author in the mid-1800s, best known for his novel War and Peace. He pursued moralistic perfection in his faith, a task that many viewed as noble. He set […]
McDonald’s, Jonathan Edwards, and Holy Affections
When I was in elementary school, I craved McDonald’s. When my parents let me pick the meal for the night, McDonald’s was the choice. If you had told me that I could eat McDonald’s every day of my life, I would have thought you were describing heaven. I enjoyed Big Mac’s and number 3 combo […]
Even to Death on a Cross…
While studying Philippians 2:5-11 for the Easter message I was honored to preach at two Christ Fellowship Miami campuses, the Lord stirred my heart. I thought I would share a few thoughts from the one phrase “even to death on a cross.” Jesus displayed deep humility in His birth as well as in life, from […]
Our Hunger for Story
Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you’ve heard of the movie The Hunger Games. The movie is actually based on a book series that I’ve not read—probably because I am not a 13-year-old girl. I don’t want to ruin the movie for you, so I will stop where the trailer does, but the movie […]
Ministry Calling: What, Who, and Where
Through my years in ministry, I have noticed people describe their commitment or calling to a specific place of ministry differently. Some speak of a calling to a specific task or role, such as “I am called to preach” or “I am called to work with teenagers.” These are the “what” leaders who focus on “what” […]
Anywhere but Nineveh
When the Lord called me into ministry, I told Him I would go anywhere He asked. When Kaye and I married and discussed where the Lord would possibly put us, we committed that we would go wherever He sent us. When we graduated seminary and were asked to fill out a form to indicate where […]
Have You Tried the Roof?
One of my favorite stories in the gospels is the story of the four men who carry a paralyzed man to Jesus [Mark 2:1-12]. Imagine the details surrounding the narrative. Jesus is talking to a huge crowd crammed in and around Peter’s house. Hearing a loud noise on the roof, people begin to look up. […]
Ambidextrous Ministry
An article entitled “The Ambidextrous Organization” from Harvard Business Review has really resonated with me as a leader in a large traditional organization. “Ambidextrous,” in this case, means exactly what you would think it means: managing new initiatives and established ones at the same time. While reading, I noted many implications for ministry leaders in […]
Bullets Before Cannonballs
The most helpful teaching metaphor I grabbed from Jim Collins’ newest book, Great by Choice, is the concept of “bullets before cannonballs.” Collins discovered that the most effective leaders and companies test new initiatives as “bullets” before over-investing, radically altering their strategy, or changing their offerings to customers. According to Collins, effective leaders explore incrementally […]
The danger of “hiring the best”
The longer I lead, the more I realize how essential the right leaders are to the success of a team, ministry, or organization. While the right leaders will overcome insufficient systems and processes, great processes and systems can never overcome ineffective leaders. The right leaders are not necessarily the “best” leaders. The “best” leaders when […]