Leadership
Holistic Leadership Development
You want to develop leaders who will do what Jesus called us to do, leaders who can take the church forward into the 21st century. You look to the fields and see them, as Jesus does, ready for harvest — and you know that’s where your ministry needs to concentrate.
What’s needed is holistic leadership development — the kind of leadership development that comes from the harvest and leads people back into the harvest, resulting in subsequent generations of new believers and new leaders living as Jesus called us to live.
We can help you develop leaders the kind of leaders you need in a way that is both relational and intentional… and ultimately effective in helping your church accomplish its mission.
Volunteers: Slot filling vs people developing
I’ve been involved many times in the early stages of new churches that are trying to incorporate people. Most often, there’s far more concern about filling all of the necessary slots for volunteers to run the program than there is about developing people into their...
Leading through crisis well
Are you looking for a breath of fresh air in the midst of all the intensity? How about some hope for the future and inspiration for leading through crisis well? Leadership in times of crisis requires being grounded and maintaining perspective. A key element of leading...
Common mistakes in taking church online: What gets lost in translation?
Churches are temporarily transitioning to online ministry. In live-streaming worship services, we’re transporting the big group experience right into people’s living rooms. Yet like all ministry, contextualization is essential. You know the phrase "You had to have...
Lenten Series Week 5- Barnabas and Asking Good Questions
A Barnabas is someone who asks good questions and sometimes that makes all the difference. I was listening to someone recently who was upset about a particular situation. He’d been venting for a while, when I asked, “What do you want?” “What I want is for [coworker]...
Lenten Series Week 4- Barnabas—an Active Listener
Barnabas moved people toward maturity rather than dependence. Instead of simply telling people what to do, he helped people mature in making their own godly decisions. In this way, people grew in responsibility and in leadership. Paul casts a beautiful vision for this...
The church: An amazingly adaptable organism
The banning of large gatherings doesn’t stop us from being the church and living as the church. As of now, some are still able to gather in small groups while practicing social distancing, but everyone with a smartphone, tablet, or computer is able to meet with others...
Lenten Series Week 3- Barnabas for Discipleship
A Barnabas assumes that God has different plans for different people. What one person is supposed to do isn’t necessarily the same as what another person is supposed to do. Barnabas recognized this as he helped establish Paul among the apostles (Acts 9:26-28). We also...
Lenten Series Week 2- The Impact of Coach Barnabas
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). Each person is responsible before God, yet we live in community. In healthy, faith-based relationships, we can honor one another and hold one another accountable. Barnabas did this for Paul and...
Lenten Series Week 1- Who is Barnabas?
Welcome to a six-week series on Barnabas, one of my favorite people in the Bible. During this Lenten season, we can engage together in this devotional series that includes scriptural insights, food for thought, and points of action. Often overlooked but deeply...
Treating people with dignity in times of transition
Transition is something we are almost always uncomfortable with. Change is hard for everyone. It's no different in ministry. At the same time, it’s inevitable for growth and progress. If a ministry is alive, it will change. Yet one casualty of change can be...
4 reasons teams bring maximum results and development
One group I’ve been working with appoints co-leaders for all roles in their missions work. I think that’s a great idea and it seems to be working well for them. The idea of ministry teams isn’t new. Jesus gave us the example when he sent out ministry pairs in Luke 10!...
Who will succeed you?
No matter who we are, none of us is indispensable. Yet many leaders have not put much time or thought into considering who else could step into our shoes in the event of sickness, death, or other unforeseen events. Reflect on your own situation. Who could take on your...