I am teaching a theology course to some amazing people at our church on Wednesday nights. We offer four different “Deep Dive” courses and the one I am currently teaching is Deep Dive: The Story of God which walks through the Bible as one overarching Story. At the end of each session, I do a…
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What is Most Important for a Church Guest Services Team?
I was invited to speak at the online First Impressions Conference, a conference designed to help churches think about the experience first time guests have when they visit a church. It is an important topic so I was honored to speak, and speaking at the conference caused me to think once again about what is…
The Anxiety of (Perpetual) Yearbook Day
In his book Permission to Feel, scientist Dr. Mark Brackett cites research of interviews with 22,000 teenagers about their feelings related to school and 3/4ths of the words were negative: tired, bored, and stressed topping the list. He also cites a report by UNICEF that says American teenagers rank in the bottom quarter of developed…
8 Reasons We Have Delayed (Even Further) Getting Our Daughters Phones
Four years ago, I wrote a post about the wrestle of giving a kid a phone, of social media among teenagers, and what Kaye and I were planning our approach would be with our daughters. Kaye and I were in the midst of reading and researching and talking with other parents. Our daughters were 10…
Seeing People and Three Types of Leaders
Leaders are typically driven. They have a deep burden and that burden becomes a vision that compels them to consistent action. But conviction towards a goal without deep love for people can ruin a leader and result in people not being cared for. At the same time leaders will be hurt as leading others is…
When to NOT Ask Your Predecessor to Stay on the Team
Over three years ago I made the decision to ask my predecessor, Kenton Beshore, to stay on our staff and teaching team. While there are many reasons to consider asking your predecessor to stay, there are times when it is unwise to do so. There are times when it is best for the new leader,…
10 Reasons to Consider Asking Your Predecessor to Stay Involved
When I became the senior pastor of Mariners Church over three years ago, I made the decision to ask Kenton Beshore (my predecessor and long-time pastor of Mariners) to stay on staff and to be on our teaching team. One of the most common thread of questions I receive from other ministry leaders is around…
Fire, Momentum, and Three Questions Leaders Should Ask
When we lived in Nashville, our favorite place to hang out as a family was the outdoor fireplace in our backyard. I loved gathering sticks and picking up firewood with my daughters. We often enjoyed the warmth of the fire on a cool evening and the conversations around the fire were rich. To maximize our…
Pastors and the Paradox of Being Resented and Revered
We are reading through the book of Acts as a life group. In Acts 14 we see a glaring paradox in the lives of apostles Paul and Barnabas. They were despised by some. “The unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.” And “an attempt was made to mistreat and…
Receiving and Keeping the Freedom to Work Hard AND Protect Your Schedule
Whenever I have shared the principle with leaders that “it is not how much you work but when you work,” I am inevitably asked how to enjoy such a freedom. In my last three roles (executive and teaching pastor, senior vice-president, and senior pastor), I have been honored with the gift to live by the…