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.
Front doors and side doors
No matter how incarnational and organic your ministry is, if you have a public worship service of any kind, you do have a front door as well as a side door. And if you have one, you do have to pay some attention to the “attractional” issues. If people are wandering...
What kind of missional are you?
Missional has become a popular word used more and more frequently. Once considered an antonym of attractional, missional has begun to be used by churches that are still primarily attractional—geared toward reaching people through inviting them to experience the...
5 ways to do something about urban poverty
The following “5 ways” are from Comunidad Mosáico, an organization in Mexico City, but could be applied to any ministry working with the urban poor. TELL: Expose your friends, neighbors, classmates, coworkers, relatives, and more about the issue of urban poverty. Let...
Comunidad Mosáico: A mosaic of ministry
Comunidad Mosáico (the Mosaic Community) in Mexico City is a ministry that works toward justice and transformation in the midst of urban poverty. Here’s what they have to say about what they do and why they do it: Having seen the enormity of injustice, poverty and...
Three critical components for ongoing ministry success
My wife, a very wise woman, keeps in mind three important strategies for maintaining long-term success in ministry. These apply no matter what kind of ministry you’re involved in, whether you’re leading a network of churches, organizing a small group service project,...
Evaluating your pilot project
In yesterday’s blog entry, I outlined some of the advantages of pilot projects—starting small to test a ministry idea. Let’s say you do that. How do you know if it’s working? Here are a few ways to evaluate the success of your pilot project. Goal achievement. That...
Seven advantages of pilot projects
When you have a great idea, start small and see if it works. Here’s why: Trying something on a smaller scale educates you about what works and what doesn’t without the same level of risk that a bigger project would. It’s much easier to get permission for smaller pilot...
The road to dreaming big
God often tests the quality of our commitment to a vision by asking us to humbly accept a smaller initial role. If you’re not willing to mop the floor, you shouldn’t be the senior pastor. Before God provides great resources, he asks for faithfulness with what he has...
Check your vital signs
In medicine vital signs are key indicators of health. They readily provide a red flag for various types of problems—pulse, respiration, blood pressure, body temperature. What are the vital signs for your ministry? Most ministries have financial vital signs. That...
Seven principles for training your team members
The process of training is one of your most important challenges. What is the most effective way to train team members? How do you impart skills as well as deal with the broader issues of discipling? Here are seven principles to bear in mind: Mentoring: Successful...
The five tests of a godly vision
Is your vision godly? Measure it in light of these benchmarks. A godly vision… Is right for the times Promotes faith rather than fear Motivates people to action Requires some risk-taking Glorifies God, not people
The value of selectivity
Almost always, when volunteer-based ministries are formed, we say to the Lord, “We’ll take anyone you bring us.” Then whoever shows up is automatically a part of the team. At that point, we stop searching for new team members and start using whoever we’ve got to try...