3 Reasons (Some) Churches Don’t Value Equipping
The biblical model for local church ministry is not that pastors would “do ministry” but that they would “equip others for ministry” (Ephesians 4:11-13). Sadly, many churches do not recognize or act on the assignment God has given pastors. For example, peruse the typical job descriptions churches give for their pastors. In many churches, you […]
3 Reasons (Some) Pastors Don’t Equip
The role of pastor is divinely designed to prepare others for ministry, not to perform all the duties in ministry. Pastors are not called to “do ministry” but to “equip believers” to minister to one another (Ephesians 4:11-13). Yet some pastors prefer to hoard ministry to themselves rather than equip others. Some pastors are like […]
The Most Important Leadership Characteristic
In their landmark leadership book The Leadership Challenge, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner share that the most important leadership characteristic is credibility. Based on extensive research over two decades, they boldly claim that “more than anything, we want leaders who are credible. People must be able to believe in their leaders.” To Kouzes and Posner, […]
5 Crucial Steps for New Leaders
The following is a guest post by Selma Wilson. Selma is one of the vice presidents of LifeWay, leading our B&H Publishing Group. I am honored to serve alongside Selma and consider her to be an incredible leader. Congratulations on your new leadership role. Whatever the process that got you to this point, and no matter the […]
The Power of Consistency
The following is a guest post by Michael Kelley, director of discipleship at LifeWay Christian Resources. Imagine a leaky faucet. Regardless of how you hard you twist the knob, it still drips. One drop at a time. Incessantly – drip, drip, drip. The consistency becomes an annoyance pretty quickly. But put in the right environment […]
4 Questions to Plan Your Development
Jesus grew in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). If we look to His development as an example, we will desire mental, physical, spiritual, and relational health. We don’t seek to grow in order to earn His love, grace, or favor. His perfection is already ours, already freely given […]
4 Spheres of Personal Development
Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people [Luke 2:52] Jesus’ teenage years are essentially summed up in the above verse. He grew in wisdom, physically, relationally with people, and in favor with God. Christian educators have referenced the verse to show how we grow and develop across multiple spheres: […]
13 Business/Leadership Books Church Leaders Should Consider
I am frequently asked about what business/leadership books I think are helpful for church leaders to read. I think there are two polar opposites that need to be avoided when believers who lead ministries consider adding “leadership and business books” to their reading diet. On one extreme, there are people who consider it unspiritual and […]
Your Leadership Shelf Life
Leadership is always a temporary assignment—always. It is a temporary assignment because leaders do not ultimately own the teams, ministries, or organizations that they lead. They simply steward what the Lord has entrusted to their care for a season. Wise leaders embrace the temporal reality of leading, and they prepare the ministry for the future. […]
Mapping, Making, and Meshing in Ministry
In his book Die Empty, Todd Henry provides a helpful framework to plan, execute, and develop yourself as you work. He divides work into three broad categories: 1) Making: This is what many consider the actual work. It is the doing of the work. 2) Mapping: This is the planning of the work, the necessary strategic thinking that happens before […]