5 Reasons Your Team Should Use Case Studies
Several years ago, the team I lead at LifeWay started using case studies to learn, adjust, and grow. The idea did not originate with the team or me. Plenty of others use this approach to learn and hone critical thinking skills. For example, Harvard famously uses a “case study approach” in their MBA programs. We […]
3 Common Ways Churches Overcomplicate Their Calendars
A busy church calendar can keep people at church and away from the broader culture. Not only is mission thwarted but people also have a difficult time navigating what their next step at the church is. When there is a plethora of programs/events on the calendar, it is hard to know which ones are really […]
5 Reasons Leaders and Creators Need Routines
The myth on creativity is that creativity hates routines, that creativity is stifled by a schedule or plan. In reality, leaders and creators thrive in routines. Mason Currey, in his book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work, chronicles the daily rituals and habits of many of the world’s most influential artists, authors, poets, and composers. What […]
Are You Grateful? (Grading Your Gratitude)
Though you may not use the terms, you are familiar with “direct” and “inverse” relationships. In a “direct” relationship, when X rises, Y rises as well. For example, when the number of people visiting a city rises, so does the cost of hotel rooms. When the number of Alabama football victories increases, more bandwagon fans […]
3 Ways to Crush the Idol of Innovation
In ministry, innovation can be a great thing when utilized to reach and serve people. But like all great things, innovation can become an idol—something that ministry leaders seek as an end in itself. When innovation becomes the goal, it has moved from tool for reaching people to an object of affection. How do we […]
4 Ways to Fight Laziness in Ministry
If it is true, as some pastors have warned, that “ministry can be a great place to hide out and a great place to burn out,” then ministry attracts both the workaholic and the lazy. Because all of us are prone to idolatry, we are likely more prone to one expression of sin than the […]
4 Ways to Fight Being a Ministry Workaholic
Work is a gift, and work ethic resides in men and women of character, but in our idolatry, we can easily make work our god. Pastors have warned me, “Ministry can be a great place to hide out and a great place to burn out.” Ministry can be a haven for the workaholic. In most […]
How NOT to Find a Mentor
The origins of the word mentor come from Homer’s Odyssey. When Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, went off to war, he entrusted his son to Mentor. Mentor taught and oversaw the son—Telemachus. In the Scriptures, we see examples of older leaders pouring into younger leaders. Moses invested in Joshua. Jesus invested in His disciples. Paul […]
20 Reasons I’m Thankful for Kaye on Our 20th Anniversary
Kaye and I were married very young, as a junior and sophomore in college. When people have asked me why I married Kaye when we were soooooo young, I have jokingly responded with one of two answers: (1) “It is better to marry than burn with passion” or (2) “She fell for me and I […]
3 Reasons Execution May Be Suffering on Your Team
Peter Drucker quipped, “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” The hard work of execution requires more than just you, and even more than just your team.