As well as having been a preacher for over four decades, I also have been privileged to be a teacher of preachers, having served as an adjunct professor in two universities.
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When Gwen and I were seeking to discern what it was that God was calling us to in this season of our lives, these concepts were really helpful to us and eventually led us to launch Dave DeSelm Ministries. I think these truths are transferrable to all of us
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Vision is a key component of leadership. However, as author Ray Pritchard once said, “Good leaders have a vision; better leaders share a vision; the best leaders invite others to join them in spreading this vision.”
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One of the most painful aspects of the post-pandemic church has been its numerical contraction. Attendance is down across the board. And with that, giving is down across the board.
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The best organizations have a clear sense of culture. The Apple way… the Chik-fil-a way…the Disney way. Having that stated culture sets the bar for expected behavior.
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Let’s be honest. Most of us don’t love staff meetings. They are often boring, too long, and sometimes even irrelevant. And yet, we all know that staff meetings are a must if our teams are going to have any chance of staying on the same page.
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Thirty-eight years ago this month I was installed as senior pastor at Fellowship Missionary Church. The church was a small plant and met in a YMCA. And I was as green as grass!
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One of the surprising things that I’m hearing from pastors these days is that they are sensing the need to hire more staff to meet the new needs that have surfaced in this season. And by shifting around their church budgets, some dollars have been freed up to do so.
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The thought comes to every pastor sooner or later. Should I stay in my current role in my current church or is it time for me to go?
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Most of the young leaders that I’m coaching began their ministry as an associate pastor. Many were youth pastors. Others were small group pastors. Then, the opportunity arose for them to move into the left seat of the cockpit and become the lead pilot for the ministry plane.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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:
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In a recent coaching group I asked the participants what topics they’d like to discuss. While there was much interest in addressing major themes such as casting a compelling vision and leading cultural change, there were also requests for the more mundane yet essential subjects. Things like hiring/firing, staff reviews, working with a board, and budgeting.
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In my three-and-a half decades of pastoral leadership, I was blessed to witness a church grow from 50 to 2300. While in the early days I was able to lead the church with a staff of one (me!), it wasn’t long before I discovered that the demands and responsibilities of a growing church had moved beyond my capacity. That meant hiring staff.
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One of the ongoing challenges of being a pastor is the never-ending demand of preaching. Though in my 3 ½ decades of church leadership I never tired of the privilege of preaching, I found myself all too often struggling with the responsibilities of preaching.
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After 40 years of pastoral ministry, I’ve come to see that these two realities are inevitable: 1. People will leave the church. 2. It will hurt when they leave.
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Your church staff has a culture whether you know it or not. You can have a positive culture where there’s a corporate sense of “us” that lends itself to mutual celebration or you can have a negative culture where there is a siloed sense of “me” that lends itself to selfish pride.
If the culture is healthy, amazing things happen. People love being there. Great leaders come and stay.
If the culture is unhealthy, destructive things happen. People endure being there. Great leaders look for ways to leave.
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