The 7 C’s of Great Ministry Leaders
I recently read a great article by Brad Powell on the 7 C’s of great ministry leaders. I’ve heard of the three C’s before, but his 7 captured the essence of great leaders. Here are his 7 C’s. Calling: we must have a sense of God’s call where we currently serve Character: perhaps the most important,
Not Motivated? Try a Simple Pleasure.
Every day we need something called motivation to accomplish what we need to do that day. Some tasks come with built-in motivation. I don’t need much motivation to eat thin-crust Canadian bacon pizza or watch the reality show ALONE (I admit I’m hooked). But many tasks feel daunting and don’t look enticing, like doing your
What NOT to Say to Someone in Pain
Several years ago at a physical therapy appointment I was getting some kinks worked out of my back. As the therapist torqued my left leg into a pretzel, she told me about a friend who recently got news about a life threatening medical condition. As my therapist shared, she felt unsure about what to say to her friend
Is this Leadership’s Missing Ingredient? (hint: neuroleadership)
Whether we lead a church ministry, a para-church organization, or run a business, Christian leaders want to lead at our best. Books, leadership seminars, coaching, and mentoring can all help us grow our skills. I’ve used all three to develop mine. Recently, though, I’ve realized an emerging and rapidly growing field is filling a gap
4 Insights about Leadership I Learned from a Bunch of Creatives
My vocational call is a pastor. But I also write books. I’ve written six with a seventh coming this fall (intersects Jesus’ teaching principles with the neuroscience of teaching). To improve my writing, a few years ago was a part of a coaching group led by a really smart book marketer, Chad Cannon. I also attended an
Gratitude: Why every Leader Needs it
Gratitude: do leaders need it? I’m sitting in a restaurant as I write this blog (this happened a few years ago) and am stirred by two people I notice. One is an elderly gentleman who sits across from his wife. As he grips his coffee cup, his hands shake as fast as a drummer’s
Pastors Who Lack Close Friends: 5 Reasons Why
Barna Research discovered that 61% of pastors are lonely and have few close friends. The loneliest people in churches are often pastors. Why is this so? The experts say that five key factors inhibit pastors from developing close friendships. lack of formative modeling: in families of origin some weren’t close to their parents and/or their parents never modeling for
Stop Multitasking: it Makes you Dumber (and 4 Ways to Improve)
Productivity for leaders demands wise time management. But will multi-tasking make us better time managers? This study says no. A study done at the University of London found that constant emailing and text-messaging reduces mental capability by an average of ten points on an IQ test. It was five points for women, and fifteen points for
6 Neuroscience Insights that can Make a Pastor’s Sermons Stickier
I received an executive master’s degree in the neuroscience of leadership a few years ago and learned so much. I just completed a graduate certificate in Mind, Brain, and Teaching from Johns Hopkins University and learned a boatload there. Christian leaders and pastors can learn much from the latest neuroscience discoveries about the brain. Neuroscientists have discovered that
Mr. Rogers’ Advice to Discouraged Pastors
Do the Best You Can and Leave the Results to God… That phrase may seem trite and a bit worn to discouraged pastors, but it’s filled with truth. In Christ’s parable of the talents, the master, representing God, gave responsibility to the servants, us, based on individual ability.[1] The story implies that some pastors have greater
