Recently I shared four cultural changes that are impacting ministry leaders and thus should impact how we train and develop ministry leaders. The article came from a lecture I gave to professors at Biola University about preparing students and future leaders for the changing cultural context. Not only has the culture surrounding the local church…
Leadership Development
Succession Planning Is NOT Leadership Development (But It Is One Result)
Leaders sometimes equate succession planning with leadership development and even speak of them interchangeably. They are both important, but they are not the same. Don’t confuse succession with leadership development. Succession is not leadership development, but it is one result of leadership development. If leadership development is the root, wise succession planning is one of…
4 Qualities of a Leader Ready for Succession
Over four years ago I became the Senior Pastor of Mariners Church, succeeding Kenton Beshore who faithfully served our church with integrity and skill for 35 years as Senior Pastor. Over the last four years, Kenton and I have fielded many calls from Senior Pastors, elder boards, leadership teams, and potential successors—all asking important questions…
10 Axioms About Leadership and Feedback
A leader’s relationship with feedback will greatly impact the leader’s effectiveness and the growth of the team. While it is natural to resist receiving feedback, and some struggle to offer feedback, both receiving and giving feedback are critical in leadership. Here are ten axioms or truths about feedback and leadership: 1. Your growth is hampered…
5 Steps to Plan Annual Training for Your Team
Teachers have a plan for what and how they will be teaching their students this year. Coaches have a plan for the play packages they will immerse their teams in. Leaders should have a plan for how they will use meetings with their teams to develop them. Meetings are not the only or the best…
When to NOT Ask Your Predecessor to Stay on the Team
Over three years ago I made the decision to ask my predecessor, Kenton Beshore, to stay on our staff and teaching team. While there are many reasons to consider asking your predecessor to stay, there are times when it is unwise to do so. There are times when it is best for the new leader,…
10 Reasons to Consider Asking Your Predecessor to Stay Involved
When I became the senior pastor of Mariners Church over three years ago, I made the decision to ask Kenton Beshore (my predecessor and long-time pastor of Mariners) to stay on staff and to be on our teaching team. One of the most common thread of questions I receive from other ministry leaders is around…
How Do You Invest in Your Family AND Work Hard in Your Role?
I am leading the pastors at Mariners Church through the classic book Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders. A few weeks ago, as we discussed his chapter entitled “The Leader and Time,” I shared some of the lessons I have learned about stewarding time and fielded some wise and insightful questions from our pastors. One of…
Where Leadership Development Fails and 3 Ways to Overcome
In his book Leadership Pipeline, Ram Charan articulates the biggest reason leadership development efforts fail in organizations. It is a big claim to make, to say that there is one overarching reason leadership development, as a practice, fails. And here is what Charan claims is the culprit: Leaders are trained for their current roles and…
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…