For most of my years as a Senior Pastor, I took time off during the month of July to rest, think, pray, and plan. In addition to allowing me to slow down and engage in personal renewal, I also used this time to do long-range sermon planning and study.
Read MoreTom Hanks is, hands down, my favorite actor. My guess is that many of you appreciate him as well for his portrayals in such iconic films as “Saving Private Ryan,” “Forrest Gump,” “Cast Away,” and “The Green Mile” to name just a few. However, this month Hanks has a new movie coming out in which he plays a surprising character: Fred Rogers. Depending upon your age, you more likely know him as Mister Rogers.
Read MorePastor and author John Ortberg describes an interview he heard on the radio with a woman who ran the largest speaker bureau in the world. Her job was to identify and represent world-class communicators. She was asked, “What is the #1 thing you look for in a speaker?”
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreOne 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.
Read MoreThe 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
Read MoreSuicide 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.
Read MoreWe’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.
Read MoreIt 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.
Read MoreAsk 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?
Read MoreIn 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:
Read MoreIn an interview conducted by The Christian Standard, college president Bryce Jessup said that the key to his stellar run as a leader boiled down to one line: “Dream a dream and build a team.”
Read MoreIt was a special opportunity to go fishing with an old friend. As we shared our time on the water, he brought me up to speed on his battle with prostate cancer. “Right now the numbers are good,” he said. “But soon I will have received all the radiation and hormone treatment that is allowable. Things might well change then.”
Read MoreI read the following recently: Life is made up of moments .| Moments create days. | Days create months. | Months create years. | Years create life. | Lose the moment and you lose Life.
Read MoreHere in Indiana, the NFL is big. To be sure, there are a fair share of Bears fans. And on any given Sunday you’ll see some Packers jerseys or Steelers hats dotting the worship gathering. But, by far, the dominant colors are blue and white. This is Colts country. And our “favorite son” is still Peyton Manning.
Read MoreI’m old enough to remember the classic TV show, I've Got a Secret. Running on CBS television from 1952-1967, it featured a panel of celebrities who tried to determine a contestant’s “secret” – something that was unusual, amazing, or humorous about the person. The show is long gone, but keeping secrets is not a game.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreI was asked in a recent coaching group about how to deal with the tension found in many churches between those who want to remember the past and those who want to dream of the future.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreOne of the greatest privileges of pastoring is the opportunity to say “yes” to folks. Good things. God things. And because of that, I want to say yes to everyone. They are so eager for my time. They so value my attention. They so seek my counsel. I hate saying “No” to any of them.
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