4 Cultural Realities Ministry Leaders Must Be Prepared For 

I recently spoke in a faculty forum at Biola University on the changing cultural context ministry leaders who graduate college and seminary are entering. I did not speak from the vantage point of a scholar or educator (there were scholars and educators in the gathering) but from the vantage point of a pastor who observes […]

Character First, But Is Chemistry or Competence Next?

Several years ago William Vanderbloemen and I had a conversation where he asked me to force-rank important qualities to consider when bringing a new person on the team. Many leaders have used three our four C’s as a helpful alliterated tool to describe essential characteristics when interviewing potential team members. You have likely heard the […]

Adam Sandler’s Sermon on Happiness

OK – it wasn’t actually a sermon. Sandler’s message came in the form of a funny sketch, but it is loaded with much truth. Adam Sandler recently hosted Saturday Night Live and starred in a sketch as a tour guide warning people against using his tours to Italy to make them happy.   Romano tours […]

3 Things That May Be True if People Are Constantly Complaining to You

In my first full-time ministry position, right out of college, I learned so much because I served with a leader who loved me enough to confront me and tell me the truth. He coached me on developing other leaders for ministry, and he encouraged me in my personal development. And I still remember one interaction […]

Buildings and Other Things That Leaders Shape … That Shape the Orgs They Lead

The great (and true) quote that “we shape our buildings and our buildings shape us” is credited to Winston Churchill. Other less insightful quotes are credited to him on the Internet as well, but this quote is really good because it is so true. As I shared in this post, leaders form their organizations by […]

How to Uncover the Values in Your Culture

While serving alongside the Auxano team, I learned the important distinction between vision, mission, strategy, and values. Well-intentioned leaders can confuse those and mix and match them in a way that actually harms clarity. Mission is the what. Your mission is what your organization or ministry is on the planet to do. Strategy is the […]

Culture Is the Hardest and the Last Thing Changed

Every ministry, every organization, every team has a culture. There have been numerous illustrations to try and capture what culture is and what culture means. Some have said that the culture is the DNA of an organization. And that just as every living organism has self-replicating material, every organization has a culture that will self-replicate. […]

6 Important and Impactful Quotes from Leaders

I recently offered my five most favorite leadership quotes. They are not from modern leaders, writers, or thinkers but from leaders, theologians, and philosophers whose writings and sayings have endured the times. This is not to say that only old, dead thinkers have the best quotes. And to prove it, here are six important and […]

3 Cultural Paradoxes Ministry Leaders Should Know and Respond to

Ministry leaders serve and lead within a cultural context. And we should understand the language of the culture and utilize the tools of the culture to serve and reach people. At the same time, there are cultural norms we must challenge and not embrace, cultural realities that must be overcome to effectively serve people well. […]

4 Painful Results of Insecure Leadership

Insecurity must not be confused with humility. Insecurity, like pride, is a focus on your self. Humility comes when you have a proper view of yourself in light of the Lord who is holy and above all. Humility comes from understanding that we are not God but we are loved by Him. When leaders lead […]