You Love Ministry More Than God If…
Ministry is thrilling. Yes, there are deep and painful challenges, but we get to see the Lord change people’s lives. Ministry allows us to enjoy a front row seat to people grasping the gospel, to people being sent out on mission, and to the beauty of Christian community. Yes, there are plenty of people who […]
5 Types of Goals Ministry Leaders Must Avoid
“Should ministry leaders set goals?” is a question I am often asked. The question is about ministry leaders setting a target for something they want to see the ministry achieve collectively. “Yes, they should” is my typical response, but that response deserves an asterisk. Actually five asterisks. Here are five big mistakes ministry leaders make […]
3 Reasons Why Ministry Leaders Choose to Be Isolated
It is not uncommon for ministry leaders to preach on community while living in isolation. While we can preach on community for everyone else, ministry leaders are often tempted to live in isolation. Why do ministry leaders often choose isolation? What pulls them away from community and away from being vulnerable with others? While there […]
3 Warning Signs a Leader Is Growing Numb
Because leadership is challenging and never-ending, many leaders are prone to exhaustion and burnout. There is always more to do, always more to accomplish, and always people disappointed. To fight the pains of leadership, wise leaders take time to continually care for their own health and their own souls. And when burnout creeps in, wise […]
Leaders, Don’t Get Numb
When did you go from being burned out to being numb? How long did it take to digress from burned out to numb? Did he just get numb and stop caring? Those are questions I have asked in conversations with leaders, and those alongside them, who have taken themselves out of leading or have been […]
4 Ways to Handle Your “Boring Job”
Since being in ministry for the last twenty years, I have heard comments from people with “regular jobs” comparing the significance of what I “get to do” with what they “have to do.” Some have commented that “their job doesn’t matter as much” or “isn’t as spiritual” as those in vocational ministry. I am always […]
Why Board Games Are Back and What It Means for the Church
In The Revenge of Analog, David Sax chronicles how a hunger for tangible things is causing a resurgence in many industries, such as print, vinyl, and board games. In the midst of a digital revolution where more and more people are joining social media platforms and electronic gaming is getting more and more impressive, board […]
Civil Conflict and Battles That Don’t Matter
The head coach of UConn’s football team attempted to declare a rivalry against University of Central Florida and named it the “Civil ConFLiCT” (notice the FL and CT are capitalized for Florida and Connecticut). The two teams play in the AAC conference, with UConn playing in the North and UCF playing in the South (thus […]
100 Points in a Game and a Leader’s Willingness to Look Foolish
On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain’s NY Knicks beat the Philadelphia Warriors 169-147 in a professional basketball game, and Wilt himself scored 100 points. The closest anyone has come to that unbelievable feat is Kobe Bryant, who scored 81 points in 2006. One of the fascinating subplots in the storied 100-point game is that Chamberlain […]
4 Wins of a Consistent Mission Lens
It is one thing to have a mission and quite another to have a mission lens, where all activity is viewed through the lens of that mission, where all decision-making is filtered through the lens of the mission. It is one thing to have a mission hanging on the wall and another to work hard […]