Archive for the ‘Leadership’ Category
Are you intentionally looking for people who will speak challenging truth into your life? This is one of the most effective ways to grow: Cultivate real relationships with people you trust who will tell it to you the way it is. We need those who will say, “you really blew […]
Read More...Most churches I know have a great volunteer challenge. It takes a high percentage of volunteer workers in order for everyone to be served well within a given structure. But, season-by-season, those workers are hard to come by, and sometimes even harder to keep. Most mature believers will step up […]
Read More...The other day I had an honest conversation with a dear friend of mine. It was good—I was challenged in just the right places to think through some of my assumptions. I left without taking any offence whatsoever; if anything, I was encouraged to grow to be a better leader. […]
Read More...The story found in the first few chapters of 1 Samuel both encourages me and makes me ill every time I read it. I’m encouraged because what happens to young Samuel has many parallels to my hopes and prayers for my own kids: I pray that my children would “grow […]
Read More...This week I was reading my Bible alone in a Starbucks and I kept being distracted by an exchange that was taking place at the next table. There was a new Starbucks partner (employee) being trained by a more seasoned worker. Binders were out and conversation was flowing. They were […]
Read More...Seeing the commercials for the ‘return of Jay Leno’ over the last couple of weeks has made me think… Five years ago, NBC announced that half a decade later Conan would sit in Jay’s chair hosting the legacy Tonight Show. At the time I was impressed. Here was a network […]
Read More...One of my favorite writers on organizational dynamics is Patrick Lencioni, author of such business fables as The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. He’s a sharp, engaging thinker and writer. He’s also a fellow Christ-follower, and many of his principles are Biblically […]
Read More...My friend Charles Lee is starting a sermon series on the Book of Acts at the church he pastors. As a part of his presentation, he included the following video that briefly explains the Missional Church. I saw it tonight and I like it. Though I’m not certain whether it can […]
Read More...As a pastor I’ve always loved Exodus 18 and Acts 6 because of the wise and practical action that the leaders took to distribute the work of the ministry. I just think it makes good organizational and strategic sense to do this, and I’ve regularly revisited these passages to rethink […]
Read More...I recently ran across a powerful quote about friendship: “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words” (Donna Roberts). I have friends that fill that role in my life. These are people who know […]
Read More...Groups of people (companies, organizations, churches, etc,) develop traditions that are based on strong values, but the tradition may continue long after the underlying value is forgotten. This can become a problem; when traditions start to conflict with values, then we have trouble my friend (“with a capital “T”). Eleven […]
Read More...Continued from Part 1 If the church is a reflection of an infinitely creative and original God, then how does a congregation manifest that creativity? How do we start to climb out of the boxes we’ve learned to live in? I think it starts with an understanding. We can choose […]
Read More...“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…” (Acts 17:6) Equilibrium (def.): A condition…resulting in a stable, balanced, unchanging system. It’s common for church leaders to work very hard to maintain constant equilibrium in their congregations. They try not to upset anyone, especially anyone with […]
Read More...Many of us find it nearly impossible to stay still. “If you’re not moving, you are dying”; sometimes that seems like the battle cry of our culture. We feel we must maintain momentum—the big MO—in personal and organizational life at all costs. To sit still and wait is a vice; […]
Read More...A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of speaking in the pulpit of East Hill Church in Gresham, Oregon. This Church means a lot to me, as its last three leaders are men of God who I respect. Jerry Cook is, in my opinion, a rock star (though […]
Read More...