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.
Spiritual breathing
Teach new believers “spiritual breathing.” Exhaling: The confession of sin is necessary for a disciple to learn and grow. Without confession, there is no cleansing. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all...
What to do with New Christians
Here’s what to do with new believers right after they come to faith, preferably within the first two days: Baptize as quickly and as publicly as you can. Have the new believer bring as many friends and family members as is possible to the baptism. Extend the offer to...
To imprint God as parent
How you treat new believers is especially important within the first 24-48 hours after their conversion. There is a type of bonding that must occur early and only with God. It is the same as feeding a newborn baby. We need to imprint God as the parent, not ourselves...
Belonging before believing
God is already at work in the people around us, even those who are not yet followers of Jesus. People hear God’s voice before they accept him. When we disciple others, that discipleship relationship actually begins before a life transformation or conversion. Our role...
Person of Peace
When God is at work in starting a new gathering of believers, he often lays the foundation within a “person of peace.” They are a bridge person who brings the message of Jesus into their own community. This person can be the first domino in a chain reaction among a...
Good soil doesn’t always look like we expect
Who is most receptive to the gospel? In Jesus’ day, it was tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers, beggars, etc. Not a lot has changed. “Nice people” are often more out of touch with their need for God. •“Bad” people make good soil, there is a lot of fertilizer in their...
Who’s in your oikos?
Oikos is the Greek word for household. It is the fundamental unit of society involving families, friends, neighbors, and associates. The New Testament describes churches meeting in the oikos, and it teaches that believers belong to the “household” of God. The spread...
Where to start?
As Christians, we often see so many lost people around us that we don’t know where to start. Even though many seeds are planted, they don’t all produce a crop. Some seeds are taken up by the birds, some have no root and some are crushed by thorns. Where are the most...
Creating a supervision/coaching rhythm
Part of the challenge within many churches that implement coaching for their staff is that they often don't have the luxury of separating the coaching and the supervision functions. In many churches the supervisor is the one who is providing the coaching. That can be...
Pastor to the Community: Discernment
By guest blogger Randy Lovejoy, part 2 of 2. As I open the door and walk in I feel the cool air hit my face. It is 8:20am and it is already beginning to heat up in the Echo Park community in Los Angeles. But the air conditioning combined with the sepia colored...
The Final Step of Redevelopment
By guest blogger Randy Lovejoy, part 1 of 2. "He must increase and I must decrease." -- John 3:30 NASB It is Sunday morning. I am at home. No pressure. No adrenaline. I have stepped down. Sunday mornings are usually a time of action. I would get up early, shower and...
Five good questions for focusing a ministry position
I was recently coaching someone who had a staff member leave their position. Instead of immediately looking for someone to fill the empty position, he took the opportunity to think through more clearly what was actually needed. These were the five questions I used to...