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 […]
5 Ways to Lead in Ministry When Your Leader Is Not Leading
To be clear upfront, this post is not prompted by my context or personal experience as I am honored to serve under great leaders. However, I am commonly asked questions around the theme of “Help, my leader is not really leading.” Examples include: How can I design a discipleship process when my leader does not […]
4 Ways Confrontation Must Happen in Christian Community
For almost fifteen years, you have likely been exposed to “If you see something, say something” messaging. An ad agency developed the messaging shortly after the horrific terrorism and tragedies of September 11, 2001. While some federal agencies rejected the campaign, the NYC Transportation Authority adopted it to encourage residents and tourists to report any […]
Young Leaders, Believe in Your Church
Throughout history God has greatly used young leaders to challenge and lead His people, and the Scripture gives us the sense that a church should believe in young leaders. A church that does not believe in young leaders is a church that has drifted from our great history. Because of this, I have challenged churches […]
Church, Believe in Young Leaders
Churches often struggle with empowering younger leaders, with handing significant responsibility to the next generation. Yet the Scripture gives us the sense that a church should believe in young leaders. The apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to “Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, […]
3 Reasons Some Churches Struggle to Empower Younger Leaders
Intuitively church folks know that their churches must empower younger leaders. Simply stated, if a church fails to engage new generations, the church will eventually die. Yet while people know a church must empower younger leaders, some churches struggle to do so. They struggle to hand significant responsibility to younger leaders, to empower younger leaders […]
5 Ways to Lose Your Ministry
It is deeply tragic when ministry leaders lose their ministry, when sin sidelines them for a season. Not only is it painful for the leader, but also it is painful for the people who have been impacted and influenced through their leadership. Because sin is always crouching at the door and because Satan prowls around […]
Pain Motivates the Body to Act
“Pain is good. This is good, Eric.” I remember a friend of mine, who is a chiropractor, telling me that when I was sitting on his table in intense pain. I really wanted him to adjust me as quickly as possible to relieve the pain, but he wanted to talk to me about my health […]
3 Savvy Ways to Bury a Church Event
When a church starts, typically the church focuses on doing a few things. But if a strategy for making disciples is not established, a church quickly drifts to complexity. When there is a clearly defined discipleship process, church leaders can focus resources, time, and energy on that which most helps people mature and develop. If […]