How Are You Thinking About Re-opening Church?
One of the most common questions ministry leaders are asking one another in this crazy season is around “re-opening church gatherings.” While none of us can really answer with any certainty “when” we can re-open church gatherings, we can think about “how” we will re-open church gatherings. As leaders, we cannot know when things “will […]
One Thing Church and Marketplace Leaders Can Learn from Each Other
Last Friday I spoke for my friend John Townsend at a leadership event he hosted for leaders in his network. After my presentation, I fielded some questions for a few moments and was asked (I am paraphrasing), “Because you have led in both marketplace and local church contexts, what is one thing you think those […]
3 Possible “Vanity Metrics” in Ministry
A “vanity metric” is a metric a leader or team focuses on that has no relation to organizational health. In fact, it can be a cover for a lack of health. Ministry leaders must be aware of the lure of vanity metrics. Metrics in ministry!? What!? Yes, some ministry leaders hold disdain for all metrics, […]
Research on Fandom, Small Groups, and 3 Implications for Church Leaders
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld has a funny bit where he pokes fun at us sport’s fans. He says that because players are constantly changing teams, we are not really loyal to players as much as we are loyal to the clothes the players are wearing. Sport’s fans are essentially rooting for laundry, that we are standing […]
Pastors: Shepherd and Lead “the Teacher in You”
Kenton Beshore (my predecessor and pastor emeritus at our church) and I meet every other week for lunch, and I always learn something. Recently Kenton shared some helpful insight about managing the multiple responsibilities of a senior pastor. They would likely apply to other roles too. I am paraphrasing, but he essentially said: “You are […]
4 Systems Church Leaders Should Care About
Some church leaders resist systems because systems can feel “unspiritual” or “corporate.” I have heard the critique for years. Yet church leaders who are critical of systems enjoy their systematic theology textbooks while blood flows through circulatory system and the sun is held in perfect distance from the earth in the solar system. In other […]
3 Essentials for Leadership Development
In his book The Leadership Code Dave Ulrich articulates that being a “human capital developer” is an essential role of being a leader. According to Ulrich, with personal integrity as the indispensable and foundational characteristic of a leader, there are four other essential characteristics of leadership: strategist, executor, talent manager, and human capital developer. After […]
4 Practical Ways to Have Fewer Announcements in Your Worship Services
Earlier this week I lamented the existence of lots of “announcement time” in church services because of the ineffectiveness of the announcements and the disruption the announcements bring to the arc or flow of the service. I acknowledge that the desire to give announcements comes from a good place – a place of wanting to […]
5 Reasons Not to Give Announcements in Worship Service
Several years ago my former boss and wise sage, Thom Rainer, made the observation that large churches (700 and up in average worship attendance) are highly unlikely to have announcements as a part of the worship service. Thom always has a keen sense of what is happening in large number of churches, so while many […]
The Only Way To Rejoice Always
I have been thinking about the command to “Rejoice Always” a lot over the last five weeks for two reasons. First, I have been preparing for a teaching series on God’s will in the Scripture “rejoicing always” is clearly His desire for us. The apostle Paul wrote: “Rejoice always. Pray constantly, give thanks in everything; […]