The Illusion of a Strategy
The illusion of a strategy is worse than not having a strategy. For the person who wants to lose weight, the illusion of a diet/exercise plan is worse than not having one. Because when you don’t have one, you at least know you don’t have one. For the person attempting to save for retirement, the […]
The Role of Leadership
For a simple process to become a part of the culture of the church, it first must be woven into the leadership culture. The discussion must begin with the leadership of the church. The simple process must become part of their vocabulary. It must roll off their tongues with ease. It must make its way […]
Leadership or Micromanagement?
What some people call micromanagement is really leadership providing necessary accountability. And what some leaders call leadership is really micromanagement. For example–when meeting with staff teams, I have often heard conflicting statements from both leaders and those they lead. A leader will say, “I wish I had people I could trust with greater leadership,” while […]
Measure the Process
Preseason NFL games are boring to watch, even for serious fans. Seriously, Sportscenter on ESPN barely mentions preseason games. The anchors even poke fun at how little the games matter. The best players are not in the game at critical times. It is basically a practice with real referees. It just seems that no one really […]
Serving Is Greatness
One of the reasons bondservants chose to stay with their master was because life was so much better in the master’s care. Perhaps sometimes bondservants would reflect on how life was before. They could remember how miserable the nights were hoping someone would let them stay in their home. They could recall how painful it […]
Illustrate the Process
Illustrating your church’s process is vital. If you want your church members to see your simple process clearly, you must illustrate it. The simple process is more likely to resonate with each person if it is visual. People are more likely to remember it. Consequently, people are more likely to experience the reality of the […]
Let “Philadelphia” Continue
“Love one another with brotherly affection.” Jesus-centered community is genuine and abhors evil. It is also filled with “brotherly affection.” This is much deeper than sitting in a small group, drinking sweet tea, eating Doritos, and going home, all the while talking about how great our community is because we’ve spent a few minutes with each […]
How Can I Make a Bigger Impact?
Some of the most common questions I have received from people who first enter vocational church ministry relate to their desire to make a big impact in advancing God’s kingdom. Many younger people in ministry are filled with a holy ambition to do great things for the Lord. And while the desire can become an […]
Three Problems with Small Goals
If you lead a team, you don’t serve the team or the individuals well if you offer them easy or boring goals. Even worse if you offer them no goals at all. If you fail to rally them around a God-inspired, overarching vision, you fail to lead them well. Here are three problems with small […]
The Pain of Disunity
One of the greatest hindrances to a church making an impact on the community around her is a lack of unity—a lack of Christian love and passion focused together in the same direction. Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). […]