10 Ways You Can Start Leading Today—Kent Ingle Change doesn’t take place unless someone acts. Having been a leader in a variety of settings from business to nonprofits and now to education, I can safely say that more people like to talk a big game when it comes to change than to do the work…
Ministry
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.”…
You Love Ministry More Than God If…
Ministry is thrilling. Yes, there are deep and painful challenges, but we get to see the Lord change people’s lives. Ministry allows us to enjoy a front row seat to people grasping the gospel, to people being sent out on mission, and to the beauty of Christian community. Yes, there are plenty of people who…
What Are You Really Saying When You Call Something a “Sacred Cow”?
If you have been serving on the staff of a local church, you have likely heard and even used the phrase “sacred cow.” This was the topic of a recent Five Leadership Questions podcast, where I joined Todd Adkins and Barnabas Piper to discuss how to navigate “sacred cows” in ministry. As we began, we…
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,…
4 Ways to Fight Laziness in Ministry
If it is true, as some pastors have warned, that “ministry can be a great place to hide out and a great place to burn out,” then ministry attracts both the workaholic and the lazy. Because all of us are prone to idolatry, we are likely more prone to one expression of sin than the…
4 Ways to Fight Being a Ministry Workaholic
Work is a gift, and work ethic resides in men and women of character, but in our idolatry, we can easily make work our god. Pastors have warned me, “Ministry can be a great place to hide out and a great place to burn out.” Ministry can be a haven for the workaholic. In most…
Martyn Lloyd-Jones and the Cure for Ministry Idolatry
Ministry leaders are often tempted to love ministry more than Jesus. For this reason, we must continually guard our hearts from loving the work of the Lord more than the Lord of the work. Ministry idolatry is common and it crushes ministry leaders as they run feverishly to achieve more and more in hopes of…
2 Pitfalls of Too Many Programs in Your Church
My mother recently reminded me that when I landed my first full-time job, I declared I was excited to have more money for two things: (1) athletic shoes and (2) more frequent haircuts. I like shoes, and I was pretty excited this summer to customize two pairs of converse Chuck Taylors—one for me and one…
Ministry: A Haven for the Lazy and the Workaholic
One of my pastors once told me, “Sadly, ministry can be a great place to hide out and a great place to burn out.” He made the statement based on years of observing other ministry leaders. He is right. Ministry can be a haven for the lazy and the workaholic. We sin differently, but all…