3 Reasons Your Church Must Care About Groups This Fall
While one person can make a significant impact on each of us, we tend to be much more influenced by groups of people. Here is a fascinating example: The Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona has often faced a crisis as people can steal petrified wood at an alarming rate. Some researchers tested what message […]
2 Pitfalls of Too Many Programs in Your Church
My mother recently reminded me that when I landed my first full-time job, I declared I was excited to have more money for two things: (1) athletic shoes and (2) more frequent haircuts. I like shoes, and I was pretty excited this summer to customize two pairs of converse Chuck Taylors—one for me and one […]
Ministry: A Haven for the Lazy and the Workaholic
One of my pastors once told me, “Sadly, ministry can be a great place to hide out and a great place to burn out.” He made the statement based on years of observing other ministry leaders. He is right. Ministry can be a haven for the lazy and the workaholic. We sin differently, but all […]
3 Reasons You MUST Regularly Think About Succession
With the team I lead at LifeWay, I regularly discuss succession with those on my team. Props goes to Earl Roberson, the associate VP in our division, for encouraging me in this several years ago, setting the example, and operationalizing the practice with our team. We have discussions about who would be ready to move […]
5 Ways to Lead in Ministry When Your Leader Is Not Leading
To be clear upfront, this post is not prompted by my context or personal experience as I am honored to serve under great leaders. However, I am commonly asked questions around the theme of “Help, my leader is not really leading.” Examples include: How can I design a discipleship process when my leader does not […]
4 Types of People Leaders Must Not Listen To
Wise leaders listen to wise people. Because the people we listen to impact our decisions, our attitudes, and our perceptions, it is critical that we listen to the right people. A leader who listens to the wrong people is just as foolish as a leader who doesn’t listen at all. Here are four types of […]
Olympic Swimming, Excellence, and Your Mundane Week
As the Olympics are in full swing, swimming takes its every four years turn at being on the forefront of our collective sports’ attention. And it should. One of my favorite sports moments is the 2008 relay, in which the U.S. men’s swim team came from behind on the back of Jason Lezak’s incredible race […]
4 Ways Confrontation Must Happen in Christian Community
For almost fifteen years, you have likely been exposed to “If you see something, say something” messaging. An ad agency developed the messaging shortly after the horrific terrorism and tragedies of September 11, 2001. While some federal agencies rejected the campaign, the NYC Transportation Authority adopted it to encourage residents and tourists to report any […]
Young Leaders, Believe in Your Church
Throughout history God has greatly used young leaders to challenge and lead His people, and the Scripture gives us the sense that a church should believe in young leaders. A church that does not believe in young leaders is a church that has drifted from our great history. Because of this, I have challenged churches […]
Church, Believe in Young Leaders
Churches often struggle with empowering younger leaders, with handing significant responsibility to the next generation. Yet the Scripture gives us the sense that a church should believe in young leaders. The apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to “Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, […]