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 […]
A Greek Class that Left Me in Awe of God as Father
J. I. Packer wrote that the heart of the New Testament is the glorious news that God has adopted us as children through Christ. He stated: “You sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s Holy Father. If you want to judge how well […]
Church Leaders: 5 Items on the Top of Your List as 2019 Ends
For several reasons the last six weeks of the calendar year is an important time in local church ministry. The Christmas season gives a church many opportunities to serve the local community. The Christmas worship services are a time where people new to the faith or curious about the faith are willing to come if […]
Urban Meyer, Oswald Sanders, and the Pain Leadership Can Bring Your Family
Urban Meyer coached his last game for the Ohio State Buckeyes on New Year’s Day. He is respected as one of the greatest coaches in the game, having won multiple national championships with two teams. Because he is only 54, which he admits is relatively young, he is definitely walking away from the profession earlier […]
The Cure for Dysfunctional Families
Some Christians long for “the good ole days” when family values were celebrated in our culture. We complain about the shows on TV and wish there were more sitcoms focused on the perfect lives of nuclear families, whose problems can be resolved in thirty minutes or less. But the truth is families have always been sinful and dysfunctional. Because of sin, families have always shifted blame, reversed roles, and rebelled against God. It was true after the Fall, and it is still true today. Parents and the teenagers they parent both know this to be true.
3 Reasons Why “Quality Time over Quantity Time” Is Not True for Parents (and Leaders)
I have only been a dad for ten years so I have a lot to learn, but one thing I have already learned is that “quality time over quantity time” is not true. Many have used the cliché to encourage busy parents (like me) not to feel guilty about the lack of time with our […]
Ministry Leaders: When Values Collide, Make the Right Choice
Values don’t have to collide, but when they do, leaders must decide and declare which value wins. For example, a ministry can value excellence and leadership development. But beneath the surface the values can be at odds with one another. A children’s teacher struggles to hand responsibility to another because “it won’t be excellent enough.” […]
3 Ways to Recognize Workaholism in Ministry
Ministry can attract workaholics because working non-stop in ministry can feel holy and attract applause. But being a workaholic in any role is never holy, and it always leaves one hollow. Families suffer. Relationships are harmed. No one wins. Ministry leaders, like all leaders, are prone to either laziness or workaholism. On your worst days, […]
10 Characteristics of Magnetic Team Leaders
This is a post by Rick Howerton. Rick is a Discipleship and Small Groups Specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources. This post originally appeared at LifeWay Church Leaders. Oftentimes, when we think of a church leader we think of the ultimate human leader leading the church, the senior pastor. Below the senior pastor on the flow […]
Paul (and The Godfather) on Leading at Home
The Godfather trilogy gives us a glimpse of two very different husbands and fathers from the same family. Don (Vito) Corleone was married to the same woman and had children that adored him. Michael, his son, struggled in his marriage and with his family. His wife would rather have an abortion than bring another “one of […]