A Leader’s Heart: 5 Questions You Should Ask Yourself
The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10.25-37), one of Jesus’ most famous stories, describes the power of true love. In this story, Jesus contrasts those with big heads (the priest and the levite who had heads full of Bible knowledge) with one who had a big heart, the Samaritan. This story also offers clues about leaders with
Is This the Most Important Time on Sundays for a Pastor?
I’ve been in full-time vocational ministry 35 years and have always believed that the most important use of my time on Sunday was when I brought the message. I still believe that, but now also believe that the second most important time is right before and right after the service. I call it my ‘ministry of presence.’ My high visibility as
Are you a Pastor Stuck on Hurry?
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.
Reprimand at the Moment or Look for a Teachable Moment?
If you lead people in any way … in a church, a business, or a team, those you lead will screw up, fail, and often disappoint you. When that happens, and that employee or team member needs correction, when is the best time to correct? In the past, when a staff person who reported to me made
Do these 4 Steps Lead to a Pastor’s Moral Failure?
Each year it seems that another famous pastor steps down due to moral failure. As I’ve read about these falls, I’ve often wondered if there are threads common to these falls. Several years ago H. B. London interviewed Archibald Hart, author and Dean Emeritus at Fuller seminary, on this subject. He suggested four steps that lead
3 Simple Questions that Can Make or Break Leadership Effectiveness
Sometimes leaders can view their role only encompassing the big-picture, long-term, and strategic kind of stuff. I’ve learned, however, that how I treat simple one-on-one encounters with others may impact my leadership and my church in greater ways than my big-picture stuff. I suggest silently asking yourself these three questions when you’re with another person at your church or organization. 3 Key Questions
Is this the Holy Grail for Effective Leadership?
The term ‘holy grail’ is often used to describe something highly sought after or earnestly pursued and perhaps when we think of leadership. Whether you are a leader in a ministry environment or a business environment, great leaders are always looking for ways to lead better. But is there such thing as a ‘holy grail’
Stress is NOT your Biggest Problem: Perspective is
The Power of Perspective What if stress isn’t your biggest problem? What if how you see stress is? In neuroscience, there’s a concept called reappraisal. It means reframing a stressful situation in a new light—seeing it not as a threat, but as a challenge, or even a growth opportunity. Scripture calls it “renewing your mind” (Romans 12:2). In
A Powerful Tool to Help Create Change in your Church
Change in every church is difficult, but necessary. Things that are alive, change. One powerful tool that can help move change forward in your church is storytelling. I’ve excerpted a brief portion of my fourth book Brain-Savvy Leaders, the Science of Significant Ministry below that describes the power of storytelling to create change. Narrative persuasion is a
