Six Ways Jesus Led His Disciples After the Resurrection
Jesus’ teaching and ministry began with a small group of unlearned, ordinary men and then turned into a movement that rapidly spread and is still spreading across the world. After rising from the dead, Jesus handed over the ministry to the disciples He invested in. I have written before about how Jesus developed His disciples […]
Three Ways Ministry Leaders Think Strategically
Marissa Mayer, the CEO of Yahoo and former VP at Google, has told a great story about a phrase that greatly impacted her. The summer after her senior year of high school, she attended the National Youth Science Camp and was impressed by guest lecturer Zune Nguyen. As the students were discussing their awe of […]
Three Types of Friends Every Leader Needs
Some have lamented that leadership is lonely. The unique pressure and responsibilities that leaders face can push some leaders to isolation. But wise leaders reject the temptation to remove themselves from others. Great leaders know they need others for both encouragement and wisdom. Here are three types of friends that every leader needs: 1. A […]
Three Things You Should Communicate to Your Leader
Managing the boss is an essential leadership characteristic. John Kotter popularized the phrase in a seminal article, Managing Your Boss, first published in Harvard Business Review in 1980. In the article Kotter encourages leaders to ensure the boss has the right amount of visibility without being overwhelmed in details. Leaders must be proactive in helping […]
Three Resources Leaders Must Steward Wisely
Jack Welch stated, “At its simplest, strategy is merely resource allocation.” A ministry or organization has a limited amount of resources to deploy. Where these resources are invested reveals the strategy, or the lack of one. When there is a clear strategy, leaders have declared what is critical and most important, and resources are invested […]
Three Thoughts on Discipleship and Jesus’ Method
Jesus could have chosen any method to ensure the world would hear of His gracious sacrifice for them, to ensure that the message would be shared around the globe. The world is His, so all resources are at His disposal and none of His plans can be thwarted. He could have designed a means to […]
Two Contradictory Leadership Traits and Learning to Embrace the Paradox
There are two seemingly contradictory traits I have seen in great leaders. 1. Great leaders need new challenges. Leaders need challenges to grow and develop. A healthy sense of being overwhelmed can push leaders to expand their capacity, learn new skills, and discover new ideas. Without new challenges, leaders can grow apathetic. At the same […]
Three Essentials in Developing a Team
When leading a team, many leaders think about what the team does but fail to think enough about the who, the why, and the how. Wise leaders care not only about what people do but whom they serve alongside, why they serve, and how they serve. More than developing job descriptions, wise leaders develop the […]
A Church’s Behavior Must Be Rooted in Its Beliefs
Thoughtful leaders know that both beliefs and behavior reside within an organizational or ministry culture. Culture is continually formed as the shared beliefs and values are actually lived out in the culture. In a healthy church culture, there is harmony between the beliefs and the behaviors, between what the church says they believe and how […]
Three More Thoughts on Developing a Theology of Programming
Instead of viewing church programs as necessary evils, wise church leaders seek to utilize the church’s programs to help fulfill the mission of making disciples. Yesterday, I offered three thoughts on discipleship and programming. I will list those and continue with three more thoughts on discipleship and programming. View programs as tools. Program based on […]