Conversations with God

Leadership

Do you ever have conversations with God where he talks back? I do sometimes. I’m not always certain that it’s God, but these conversations are usually highly instructive for me regardless. A number of years ago, I was reciting to God all the reasons why I wasn’t best...

Pyramid principle

Leadership

One of my principles for doing ministry– especially with new or small churches– is this: We only do as much ministry as we have leadership to support. One of the problems new churches face is adding more and more ministries (usually in an attempt to meet...

Developing people to their fullest potential

Developing, Leadership

If you give people the answers, you truncate their growth. That’s why I prefer asking them questions. If you want to develop people to their fullest potential, ask them questions that they have to wrestle with, think about, and answer. If you take the time to dialogue...

Catch the seashore vision

Coaching, Leadership, Visionizing

As a young church planter, knocking on doors in the 70s and struggling to get a new church up and running, I had a vision that has since directed the rest of my life. In my vision I was standing at the seashore in southern California. I was joined by other church...

One of my favorite stories

Leadership

Some of you who have heard me speak may have heard me share one of my very favorite discipleship and church planting stories. It’s out of Honduras, and goes to illustrate how effective ministry can be with almost no resourcing, no technology, no telephones, no...