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.
Intentional Neglect
I recently received this birthday greeting on Facebook from my friend Christian Schwarz: “Happy birthday! Let this year become your most focused ever, full of courage for intentional neglect to get even more powerful & empowering than before.” It felt like a word...
Moving the critical node outward
When you have a system that is multiplying disciples, groups, leaders or churches, it’s common to see a slowing of momentum at the 3rd or 4th generation. One solution that is often helpful is to intentionally move a stronger leader out from the center of the system to...
Never do ministry alone
It’s interesting that after the time when the Apostle Paul found himself in Athens all alone, we start seeing a much greater emphasis on team-based ministry. I suspect that Paul learned some things about the value of a team during his time in Athens. Teams encourage...
Needs and opportunities
As you’re praying and listening to God for what he would have you do, he will likely show you areas where—if you invested time or energy—the results could be very fruitful. These are the opportunities. Often in ministry we are accustomed to looking only at the needs…...
How to pray for leaders
As we pray for the development of leaders, our motivation should reflect that of Jesus: the harvest fields themselves. We need to allow our heart to break for the harvest. 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the...
Every year, a new challenge
Whenever I have overseen people, I have tried to manage them in such a way that not only benefits the organization but also develops the person. When I was a senior pastor, I would think of a new challenge every year for each person I oversaw. I’d think, “What do they...
The Three Colors of Leadership
God uses “special” people. Jacob was a cheater; Peter had a temper; David had an affair; Noah got drunk; Jonah ran from God; Paul was a murderer; Gideon was insecure; Miriam was a gossiper; Martha was a worrier; Thomas was a doubter; Sara was impatient; Elijah was...
A theology of mañana
An associate of mine who serves in a challenging area of Mexico City has developed what he calls “a theology of mañana.” It basically means that—in the midst of all the crazy ups and downs and unforeseens that can happen in ministry—we believe that God is in control....
What frustrates you about discipleship efforts?
I ran a poll recently in a webinar asking people what issues were blocking them in their discipleship efforts. I asked people to check as many as applied, so the percentages below don’t total 100%, but represent the percentage of responders who struggle with each of...
Triage plan
When disaster strikes, the first responders begin with triage. They assess the situation and determine where to start, what needs to be done, and what order to do it in. When you come into a room full of wounded people, you have a choice. Do you start with the one who...
New construction or renovation?
Building a new house is a lot of work. You need to dig a hole, lay the foundation, construct the frame, then there’s roofing and drywall and windows and paint. There are a lot of steps and stages. Yet in many ways, new construction is a lot easier and more...
The key to leadership development…
… 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?...