Personal Growth
How to Become a Pastor: A Step-by-Step Guide
So you want to learn how to become a pastor. You might feel a deep, persistent tug on your heart. Maybe you’ve sensed God calling you to ministry, or others have affirmed a pastoral gift in you. Either way, stepping…
The View From 60: Hard-Won Life Lessons for Younger Leaders
As you get older, you get wiser, right? Well, I hope so, and that’s what this video is about. I turn sixty this month. On the one hand, that sounds impossible to believe. On the other hand, of course, I’m…
7 Qualities Christian Leaders NEED to Have
How do you know you’re a leader worth following? And what qualities make a Christian leader worth listening to? By definition, that’s what a leader is: a person who others follow. (If no one is following you, you’re probably not…
What I Learned from My Social Media Fast
So I feel like I emerged from a cave yesterday when I came out of a five-day social media fast. How do I feel? Like the rest of the world gets around by sports car, and I got handed a…
Why Your Weaknesses Don't Disqualify You From Leadership
In fact, your weaknesses might make you a better leader. Let me explain. I realize that’s somewhat counter-intuitive. If there’s an adjective that describes what most of us consider to be good leadership, it’s ‘strong.’ Strong leaders affect change and…
Rethinking What it Means to be Called to Ministry
Chances are you’re likely struggling with the same issue almost every church leader is—a lack of truly great leaders for ministry. Whether I talk to megachurch leaders or leaders of churches of 50 people, they say the same thing: they…
Trusting in God: Are You Trusting In God Or Being Foolish?
One of the most perplexing questions a Christian and, to be sure, a Christian leader will face when it comes to risk is this: “Am I trusting in God, or am I simply being foolish?”“What does trusting in God look…
9 Simple but Effective Strategies to Get Through a Bad Day
Ever have a bad day? Of course you do. You’re human. As much as you don’t like days like that (does anybody?), they’re inevitable in leadership. It happens. When I began in leadership, days like that often cost me more deeply than they had…
7 Early Warning Signs of a Hard Heart (+ 5 Ways to Heal)
I don’t know about you, but as for me, the longer I serve in leadership, the more intentional I have to be in keeping my heart open and fully alive. That’s a polite way of saying that the longer I’m…
21 Things All Great Leaders Do
Ever asked yourself: What do great leaders do that other leaders (average and, well, poor) don’t? Greatness in leadership is, in part, born, but it’s also learned. Just because you have the instincts for leadership doesn’t make you a great leader.…
5 Ways For a Church Member to Leave a Church Well
Sometimes people remember how you arrived. They almost always remember how you left. Especially if you leave poorly. This is true when people come to your church and when they leave, as some inevitably do. I was out driving through…
The Top 10 Things Pharisees Say Today
Chances are that if you’re a Christian, your desire is to be more like Christ. That’s great. But are you?How would you know? A Barna study done a few years ago owned me. The survey revealed that 51% of the North…