5 Reminders on Different Seasons in Leadership
The Apostle Paul gave three different metaphors when he wrote to Timothy about ministry leadership: the athlete, the soldier, and the farmer (2 Timothy 2:1-7). When Paul wrote to Christians in Corinth, he used a farming metaphor and spoke of the different roles ministry leaders played, planting and watering, while pointing out God as the […]
2 Inabilities of Position Papers in a Ministry Context
There is a growing importance for ministries, whether a local church or a Christ-centered non-profit, to develop position papers on key theological questions and cultural issues. The reality is that many doctrinal statements do not address some of the cultural issues facing ministry leaders today. Without articulated positions, it is challenging to offer clarity with […]
4 Benefits of Developing Position Papers in a Ministry Context
Throughout 2022, I led our church staff and elders through an intentional process of ensuring our positions on several topics and cultural issues were documented for the sake of consistency and clarity. We already had a statement of faith that captures the core doctrines of our church, a beautiful statement that originated with John Stott, […]
4 Upside-Down Actions as You Gather at Church this Easter Weekend
In our Resurrected King’s Kingdom, the values are often opposite of this world. We have been included in what many refer to as an upside-down Kingdom where the weak are strong, the first are last, and the servants are the greatest among us. As we celebrate our King’s defeat of death this Easter weekend at […]
3 Reminders about Grace and Truth After Teaching on “Challenging Topics”
I recently concluded a teaching series at our church called On the Table, where we put major questions Christians are often asked on the table. Some of the questions felt more theological such as “How can we trust the Bible?” and “Is Jesus the only way?” Some of the questions felt more cultural such as […]
3 Differences in Local Church Ministry that Impact Training of Ministry Leaders
Recently I shared four cultural changes that are impacting ministry leaders and thus should impact how we train and develop ministry leaders. The article came from a lecture I gave to professors at Biola University about preparing students and future leaders for the changing cultural context. Not only has the culture surrounding the local church […]
4 Cultural Realities Ministry Leaders Must Be Prepared For
I recently spoke in a faculty forum at Biola University on the changing cultural context ministry leaders who graduate college and seminary are entering. I did not speak from the vantage point of a scholar or educator (there were scholars and educators in the gathering) but from the vantage point of a pastor who observes […]
Church Leaders Must Think Flock Strategy and Sheep Strategy
Over ten years ago, I worked closely with Thom Rainer and Ed Stetzer to evaluate the research behind Transformational Church—a book that came from a massive study across many churches where we sought to discover characteristics that God was using in the churches to bring about transformation in the lives of the people they served. […]
Strategy and the Local Church: What Must We Remember and What Can We Learn
In the book, Your Strategy Needs a Strategy, the authors evaluate different approaches to strategy and encourage leaders to employ the approach that matches their context. The five approaches to strategy, according to the authors, are: Classical: Build a plan and execute it rigorously. (Companies with robust strategic plans and operational excellence, such as Wal-Mart, […]
4 Common Fears and How to Fight Them
Psychologists make a distinction between healthy and unhealthy fear. Healthy fear helps us make wise decisions such as preparing for a test or wearing a seatbelt. Unhealthy fear can paralyze a leader from making decisions or cause someone to be untrusting of others. Below are the four common and unhealthy fears I have seen. I […]