Leadership
CNLP 150: Rural Multisite: Overcoming All The Odds To Create Vibrant Churches in Small Towns and Villages with Chad Merrell, Paul Smith and Philip Thurman
Ten years ago, most people would have said multisite only works in large suburban centers. Chad Merrell, Paul Smith and Philip Thurman have proved the experts wrong and built thriving mutisite churches in villages as small as 2000 people. In this honest interview, they share how they overcame the odds and isolate the principles to…
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No More Email: A Productivity Experiment That’s Paying Off
How are you doing, really? I think if you really drilled down, you’re likely more tired, stressed and frustrated than you even realize. I get there as a leader, and as regular readers know, 11 years ago I burned out. Since then, I’ve been on a passionate quest first, to live in a way today…
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How to Respond to a Culture You Don’t Like Anymore
Ever feel like the culture is changing so much you really don’t like it? You’re not alone. The culture around us is changing. You can debate when the collapse of Christendom in the West began, but there is little doubt we are witnessing a massive shift away from the cultural consensus that existed even a…
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Why Attending Church No Longer Makes Sense
The trend is practically universal: fewer people are attending church every year. You might have even asked the question yourself. Why bother? There are many reasons why that’s happening (I outline 10 here), but I think it’s increasingly evident that it no longer makes sense to attend church. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a huge…
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5 Ways To Become a Better Leader…Today
Sometimes leadership can seem so overwhelming. In reality, though, leadership is simpler than it first appears. In many ways, great leaders master some very basic things that other people miss. The advice in this post is so simple you might be thinking “well, my mother used to tell me to do that”. Maybe that’s the…
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CNLP 148: Jim Wideman on Staffing the Hardest (and Most Important) Position in Your Church
Where do you get your people? It’s one of the top questions leaders of growing churches get asked. After the senior pastor, one of the most important positions in any church these days is actually a surprise. Jim Wideman explains what staffing is in high demand and why. Welcome to Episode 148 of the podcast.…
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5 Mistakes Most Preachers Make
So maybe you’re a preacher, or you listen to preachers (or stopped listening to preachers). Almost everyone has a perspective on what makes or doesn’t make for a great sermon. I’ve been preaching regularly for over 25 years, so I know a little bit about the head games preachers play with themselves. What you do…
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5 Honest Struggles Most Church Leaders Don’t Want To Admit
Most of us who get into full-time ministry do so because we sense a calling, not because it was a ‘career path’. Chances are you got in this because you love God, deeply, right? So it’s always a bit surprising and unusual then when ministry leaders find themselves struggling with the very God who called…
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CNLP 147: Terry Linhart on How to Become a More Emotionally Intelligent, Self-Aware Leader
What’s the difference between an effective leader and an ineffective one? Often it’s self-awareness, and the willingness and desire to become a more emotionally intelligent leader. Terry Linhart shares from years of experience as a pastor and now professor on how to grow your EI and self-awareness as a leader. Welcome to Episode 147 of…
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3 Ways Great Leaders Handle Tough Circumstances Differently
Circumstances. You face them every day, you are always reacting to them–positively or negatively. Think about it. What situations in your life do you wish would change right now? A different work environment that doesn’t suck the life out of you Better health A happier marriage A closer connection with God A more understanding boss Less…
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