Ministry challenges can often rob our joy. Mounting problems, unhappy people, and never ending ministry demands often leave us with little emotional reserve to appreciate the good. What do we do when that happens? While not sticking our head in the sand about our problems, how can we bring joy back into our leadership? I believe becoming […]
4 Ways to Become a More Grateful Leader Read More »
Jesus once performed an amazing mass healing when he healed 10 lepers all at once (Luke 17.11-19). However, what amazed Jesus most was that only one leper came back to thank him. The responses these lepers gave so astounded Jesus that Luke records three questions He asked out loud after the healing. “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are
Are you a Grateful Leader? 3 Key Indicators Read More »
The Bible says a lot about gratefulness. Answer these six questions to rank how grateful you are. Gratefulness Test: Do you say “thank you” less than once a day or 2-3 times a day? Do you often spend time wishing/dreaming that things would be different or do you often thank God even in difficult circumstances?
Take the Gratefulness Test to Find out how Grateful you are Read More »
I lived in Canada when we celebrated Thanksgiving in October. The U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving in November. Although a few other countries celebrate similar holidays, Canada and the U.S. make a big deal of it. Many people in both countries approach Thanksgiving with a desire to be more grateful, at least on those holidays. It’s great
Gratitude: The Brain’s Amazing Fertilizer Read More »
On the whole, I believe pastors are a pretty smart bunch. We earn advanced degrees, study biblical languages, go to conferences to learn, and constantly challenge our brains when we prepare messages and talks. I’ve earned two theology degrees and consider myself a relatively smart guy. But, brain smarts won’t guarantee ministry fruitfulness. Our walk
The Dumbest Mistake I Ever Made as a Pastor Read More »
Several years ago I attended an old fashioned Gospel sing at a church near our home. It was out of my comfort zone because the last 30 plus years I’ve served in churches that primarily used contemporary worship music in their services. Yet, from toddler age through college I attended churches that primarily used hymns. When
Hymns in a Contemporary Church: Bury them or Resurrect them? Read More »
Some time back our church staff held our annual in-house evaluation retreat when we reviewed the prior year’s goals and plans. God had given us a good year and we wanted not only to discuss how we could improve, but rejoice in His blessings. After we prayed, we did a simple exercise that infused life
A Simple Exercise that will Infuse Life into your Staff Read More »
An aviation term called a death spiral describes what can happen to a plane in nighttime or poor flying conditions when a pilot loses his sense of the plane’s horizontal orientation. The plane can begin to spin uncontrollable. Unless the pilot pulls out, he can spiral out of control and crash. In ministry, leaders can
When a Leader Spirals Downward Read More »
Two experiences several years ago caused me one day to pause not only my body, but my mind as well. So often as a pastor I get stuck on ‘hurry’ mode which makes me miss moments in life God intended that I pay attention to. Here are those two sobering experiences and what I learned.
Are you a Pastor Stuck on Hurry? Read More »
Pain and ministry go together like peanut butter and jelly. Once you make a PB&J sandwich, there’s no separating the two ingredients. Neither can we isolate successful ministry from the pain it inevitably brings. I don’t like rejection, disappointment, or criticism. I don’t know any pastor who does. Sometimes, however, I do everything I can
A Counter-intuitive Way to Manage Ministry Pain Read More »
I help leaders lead and live smarter, better, and healthier with biblically-sound, brain-based solutions. If you need an outside voice with fresh eyes to spur you, your church, or ministry to a new level of effectiveness, start a conversation with me today.
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