Posts tagged character
The Importance of Unlearning

Pastor and author Mark Batterson got my attention in a big way when he wrote, “Half of learning is learning. The other half of learning is unlearning. Unfortunately, unlearning is twice as hard as learning.”

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What I Wish I Would Have Known as a Young Pastor

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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5 Top Tips for Hiring

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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Needed: Humble Leaders

Without a doubt, 2020 been one of the most challenging years our country has faced. A pandemic with over 100,000 dead in just 10 weeks. Economic upheaval leaving millions jobless. And now protests in the streets decrying racism and police brutality against African Americans. These are days when leadership is desperately needed.

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The Master's Plan for Discipleship

Jesus was the greatest leader who ever lived. He inspired multitudes with His teaching. He performed miracles before thousands. Yet, for all of His interaction with large numbers of people, His primary investment was with a small group of individuals.

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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Tom 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.

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5 Filters for Hiring Staff

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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Discipleship Distilled Down

Defining what a disciple is has been debated long and hard.  However, when you consider that Scripture uses the Greek word mathetes for “disciple,” the meaning is pretty straightforward.  The word simply means learner. 

In other words, disciples are people who learn to be like Jesus was and learn to do what Jesus did. 

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