Clarity on the destination of discipleship
Knowing your destination in the journey of discipleship is important. You need to have clarity in terms of where you’re trying to go—it’s a necessary step for getting there. Like Alice, everyone ends up somewhere eventually if they keep walking, but not...
Leadership: recognized, not appointed
During my time in Honduras, I found the way that handle leadership fascinating. Leaders are not appointed– they are recognized through results. One of their titles of leadership is “extension chain teacher.” That title indicates someone who has raised up 10...
If you don’t learn, you don’t teach
When I was in Honduras, I discovered that they define “learning” as something you actually put into practice, not as knowledge. That’s how they structure their training: 75% is practice, while only 25% is input. They figure– rightly, I think– that it’s...
Considering the long-term impact of our decisions
We need to regularly ask the questions: “What are the long-term effects of this decision?” and, “What might be the unintended consequences of this decision?” For example, if you try to solve your shortage of church planters by recruiting, it has the long-term (and...
The Practices of a Barnabas
I talk about Barnabas a lot. He’s one of my favorite biblical characters… probably because he functions as a behind-the-scenes coach empowering others. I heard a talk that Bubba Justice gave on the practices of a Barnabas, taken from his study of the book of Acts....
Taking the long view
We’ve all heard the expression, “We overestimate what we can do in one year and significantly underestimate what can be accomplished in three years.” We tend to be overly ambitious for what can happen in a year. We raise expectations– our own and those of...
Investing in the future when in supervisory positions
It continues to be amazing to me how people in supervisory positions tend to focus on what they themselves are trying to do and not so much on how they can develop their staff. They are focused on what they can do, not on what they can develop their staff to do. I...