When Should Leaders Change Their Minds?
The following is a guest post by Dr. Jeff Iorg. Jeff Iorg is president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Seasons of a Leader’s Life, The Painful Side of Leadership, and Unscripted. Iorg, and his wife Ann have three children and live in Mill Valley, Calif. His hobbies include […]
Machiavelli, the Godfather, and Our Upside-Down Kingdom
Which is more important for a leader, to be loved or to be feared? The question has existed and has been debated for centuries. For example, the famous philosopher Machiavelli believed that it is rare to be both feared and loved, and if a leader were confronted with choosing one over the other, then the […]
Robin Williams and Holy Repetition
Since Robin Williams’ tragic death, many have remembered his greatest acting scenes. Williams was an incredibly gifted actor who entertained, provoked, and challenged us with his craft. We laughed, cried, and reflected. Many have pointed to a scene in the movie Good Will Hunting as one of his greatest. In the scene, Will Hunting, played […]
Offer a Map, Not a Menu
Some church leaders offer the people in their churches a menu—a menu of all the programs, studies, activities, and events that the church programmatically offers. Essentially the message is “Here is what we have; choose what you want.” With this approach, churches have expanding menus as something can always be added. Churches with menus grow […]
15 Tips for Successful Leadership
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 […]
2 Leadership Imperatives in a Difficult Season
You will lead through a challenging and difficult season. You are a leader in your context precisely because there are challenging seasons in your ministry or organization. In some sense, leaders are not really necessary if there are not challenges and difficult seasons. Leaders are both developed and revealed in the trials of a difficult […]
The Apostle Paul and the Curse of God
Twice in Scripture the apostle Paul paints a picture of a time when he should or would experience the curse of God. In both cases he uses the strong word anathema, which speaks to the curse of God, the wrath of God. In his letter to the churches of Galatia, Paul boldly declares that if […]
2 Thoughts on Circumcision, Church Identity, and Mission
We must understand the difference between preserving the gospel and advancing the gospel. A preserved gospel always advances, as people in awe of the gospel always want to advance it. But it is possible to advance a pseudo-gospel, another message in place of the real thing. Just as there is a distinction between the gospel […]
When a Church Stops Reaching Its Community
The following is a guest post by Dr. Thom Rainer. Thom Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, and my boss. Other than leading LifeWay, he is a respected researcher, former pastor, and author of more than 20 books, including many best sellers, such as I Am a Church Member and his […]
What NOT to Get Your Pastor for Pastor Appreciation Month
October is fast approaching, which means so is “Pastor Appreciation Month.” Very few folks celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month, and I am not pushing for it to become a more prominent holiday on our calendars. As I shared last week, pastors should be appreciated all the time, and not just one month a year. Pray for […]