3 Practical Ways to Crush Meetings without Crushing the People in Them
There is a big difference between crushing a meeting and crushing people in the meeting. I first heard that phrase from Carey Nieuwhof when Todd Adkins and I joined Carey for a recent podcast. Leaders must learn to crush meetings, to lead them effectively. They must utilize them to communicate clearly, to ensure the team […]
The Good and the Bad of Our Fascination with Implosions
We are fascinated with implosions, with buildings falling. People come from miles around to watch them topple, tune into live television, and watch replays in slow motion. A video of a bus blocking the implosion view of the Georgia Dome went viral in 2017. How dare a bus driver continue his daily routine and disturb […]
3 Reasons a Humble Leader Is an Effective Leader
According to research, the most effective leaders are the most humble leaders. Research led by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman discovered that leaders who underrate themselves are more effective than those who rate themselves high on self-assessments. These results are no surprise to Christians. One of the greatest leaders in our collective story is Moses, […]
3 Cultural Paradoxes Ministry Leaders Should Know and Respond to
Ministry leaders serve and lead within a cultural context. And we should understand the language of the culture and utilize the tools of the culture to serve and reach people. At the same time, there are cultural norms we must challenge and not embrace, cultural realities that must be overcome to effectively serve people well. […]
To Phone or Not to Phone—and When?
In previous generations, when parents gathered for dinner and compared parenting notes, a pressing question was “When are you going to let your teenager get a driver’s license?” Comments would be made about how hauling the kid around was proving to be less and less practical, about the high cost of insurance, about safety implications, […]
3 Downsides of Thinking You Are Better Than You Are
Most speakers think they are better speakers than they actually are. Most leaders think they are better leaders than reality says they are. And most professional football players, according to John Madden, think they are better than they actually are. John Madden played, coached, and commentated professional football, but he is perhaps most known for […]
6 Thoughts on Leading an iGen’er for Parents and Ministry Leaders
I took my first church staff role when I was a few weeks from turning nineteen; I became the youth pastor at a church in Ruston, Louisiana, where I attended college. Though my roles have changed, I have been committed to leading and discipling kids and students through the local church ever since. Our kids […]
12 Observations on the iGeneration
While the name iGeneration is not yet the agreed upon official name for those who are currently 6 to 23 years old, it is a sticky name that describes a generation that is growing up constantly connected, digitally native, and surrounded by screens. In her book iGen, Jean Twenge shares insightful research on the generation […]
Who Are the iGeneration and What Does Research Tell Us?
Boomers. Generation X. Millenials. You have likely read research and descriptions on each generation. While generational generalities cannot adequately or specifically describe individuals, generational names and descriptions endure because they are helpful in understanding the influences and the commonalities in a generation of people. Thus parents, ministry leaders, and educators are wise to pay attention […]
Research on Suicide in Our Churches and 3 Reasons Churches Must Be Concerned about Mental Health
Famous YouTuber Logan Paul recently walked into Aokigahara forest near Mount Fuji, a forest known as Suicide Forest because of the number of suicides attempted there each year. He discovered a body hanging from a tree and disrespectfully continued to film and make comments. The video was received with significant backlash, and Paul has issued […]