I have worked with scores of board members during my 30+ years of pastoral leadership.  In the early years, they were deacons who represented a particular area of ministry (missions, facility, finance, etc.). Later on, when we added staff to oversee those ministries, we moved to an elder board.

One of the occupational hazards of being a leader is receiving criticism.  It just comes with the territory.  Indeed, I believe that the leader who does anything different, worthwhile or visionary can count on criticism.

The old adage is still true: You never get a second chance to make a first impression.  I’ve seen this in spades recently. As part of my new role, I am visiting more churches than I ever have before. I am experiencing first-hand what it’s like to be a first-time attender. I’m also discovering the insecurity and confusion that goes with that

Suicide is a tragedy that is increasingly common in our day. It is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. for all ages and the 2nd leading cause of death in the world for those aged 15-24 years. There is one death by suicide every ten minutes. It takes the lives of nearly 45,000 every year. The loss of those lives is incalculable.

We’ve all heard of “worship wars” in the church.  They’re usually about musical styles – those who want contemporary music vs. those that prefer the traditional. They can be contentious and divisive. But perhaps even more costly to the life of a church are the “worship wars” that often take place between the senior pastor and the worship leader. 

It happens in every church and it impacts every leader.  A long-time volunteer tells you he needs a break and wants to step down. Your most dependable leader in the nursery says she’s interested in moving to another ministry area. A faithful worker quits without any explanation.

Ask any pastor about the importance of discipleship and you’ll get a vigorous nod accompanied by passionate words: “Absolutely what we’re to be about”… ”The bottom line by which to measure success”… ”Jesus’ marching orders couldn’t be clearer.” That being the case, why do we see discipleship languishing in the vast majority of churches?

In reflecting back on nearly forty years in the pulpit, I am painfully aware that there were many things I got wrong.  Everything from preaching what was trendy to pleasing special interest groups. Or the occasions when I allowed my desire to be seen as “deep” overtake the need to be heard as “practical.” But I got a few things right.  Here are some that come to mind: