3 Steps in a Language Audit
When we lived in Miami, several times my wife, Kaye, was asked in Spanish, “Como se llama?” which means, “What is your name?” Since she knows a little Spanish, she responded appropriately, “Kaye.” If you know Spanish at all, you know that “Kaye” sounds like “Que,” and that “Que” means “What?” So the person would […]
Would we have Tozer, Wesley, or Luther if Twitter were around?
I have been preaching through Galatians at the church where I serve as interim pastor, and lately I have wondered if I would be benefiting from Martin Luther’s commentary on Galatians if Twitter were around when he served the church. When you look at all Luther said, clearly not everything he said was great. In […]
Fragility of a Church; Strength of the Church
Churches are more fragile than we often realize. Leaders stumble and struggle. Pastors get sick. Natural disasters strike. Relationships go awry. Communities rapidly change. Local church fragility is not limited to struggling churches. Even healthy churches are fragile. Even churches that are built on the Word and not a personality or program are more delicate […]
How Leaders Can Cultivate Godliness
The following is a guest post by Dr. Nathan Finn. Nathan serves as director of the Center for Spiritual Formation and Evangelical Spirituality at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he teaches courses in church history and historical theology. He also serves as one of the pastors at First Baptist Church of Durham, North Carolina. For this reason […]
The Heart Behind a Viral Christmas Video
Last week a Christmas commercial went viral. The embedded video is from Sainsbury’s, a retailer in the United Kingdom. The commercial depicts the story of the famous Christmas Truce of 1914. The First World War had only begun months before, and the fighting between the Germans and the Allies was very fierce. Hope for a […]
4 Principles for Building a High-Performing Team
The following is a guest post by Faith Whatley. Faith serves on our team in the Church Resources Division at LifeWay and is the director of adult ministry. She is an incredible leader and it is an honor to serve churches alongside her. While some of her articles on our leadership channel are directed to women […]
4 Tasks of a Senior Leader
My friend Steve Graves recently met with some of our leadership team and shared four tasks of a senior leader. I found his framework helpful and challenging, and in sharing it with you, I have added some of my own thoughts. So, here are the four tasks that every senior leader must be preoccupied with and […]
The First 11 Minutes at Your Church
If you ever check out multiple churches in a short period of time, you will likely be surprised by the differences in hospitality expressed to first-time guests. In some churches a guest knows exactly where to park, is graciously welcomed, escorted to the children’s area to drop off kids, and introduced to several helpful people. […]
7 Reasons a Leader Feels Insecure
The following comes from Pastor Johnny Hunt. Johnny M. Hunt is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Ga., and author of several books, including Building Your Leadership Resume. Since my mid-twenties, Pastor Johnny has been a role model and encourager to me. He loves the Church and loves pastors. I am grateful for his faithfulness, […]
30 Really Important Seconds in Your Church
When I first entered local church ministry, I heard leaders describe the importance of the first few moments of a first-time guest’s experience at a church. Because many guests decide in those few moments if they will return, it is important for a church to express hospitality to guests. We want to welcome others because […]