I taught at a Vineyard conference recently and I noticed their practice of looking for multiple confirmations. They’re not looking for just one person to say, “Hey, I think we should do x, y, or z.” They’re looking for multiple indicators pointing in the same...
As you plant a church, you need to help people understand what it means to follow Jesus based on the DNA you disciple into them. Obviously, this is harder with people who have previous church experience than with those who come to faith through your ministry....
When you are in the role of a pastor/shepherd, and you see someone off-balance in their life, how directive should you be? This is an issue I am continuing to think through. I’ve realized that as I decide when to step in and when to step back, I’m operating...
… is knowing what you’re trying to accomplish. If you want to develop leaders—and know that you’re being successful in that endeavor—you need to get more concrete and specific about what you’re aiming for. What does a leader look like? How do you know if you have one?...
Years ago when I was teaching a class, one of my students had a friend in town and he asked if his friend and the friend’s wife could sit in on my class that afternoon. I said sure. Just recently I saw that student again and he said, “What you did during that time...
On one of Paul’s missionary journeys we was heading into the province of Asia, fully intending to preach the gospel there and plant churches as he had done in other places—a fine goal. But an odd thing happened at the border of Mysia: “They tried to enter Bithynia,...
Pastor Al wants to get his church involved in serving their neighborhood more missionally. All his people agree– in theory– but he can’t get them to take even the smallest action in that direction. How can he fight passive resistance? Reverend...
Too often we are afraid to dream for fear of not being able to make the dream reality. But something within us needs to dream, even with the reality is far off down the road. Without those dreams it’s impossible to get there—with them it’s just hard. But there are...
One theme that seems to come up with many missional leaders is they think in terms of all or nothing. They want to move their whole ministry missional/incarnational, but they can’t get everyone to go there. I’ve talked with a lot of these leaders lately. They feel...
