Author name: Charles Stone

What Mac & Cheese Taught me about the Needs of Others

A very successful businessman inadvertently taught me a lesson about paying attention to other people’s needs … with macaroni and cheese. Several years ago I ate breakfast at my favorite diner with one of our church’s key leaders. He owned a flourishing business and gave quite generously to our church. As I enjoyed the blue plate special of eggs, […]

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The Litmus Test for Successful Ministry: Always Up and to the Right?

What defines ministry success? How do you know if your ministry or church is really successful? I’ve served six churches, three in associate leadership positions and three as the senior pastor. In my first senior pastor position I started a church in a suburb of Atlanta. I envisioned myself as the south’s Rick Warren, a

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7 Mistakes Pastors Make in a New Church Job

Getting a new church job can be scary. And pastors often overlook pitfalls in those new jobs. In this post, adapted from my book on on-boarding for pastors, I list 7 pitfalls pastors must avoid in a new church job. A quaint story circulated among Methodists describes a young pastor fresh out of seminary who

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