What Should Pastors Do with Personal Pain?
Every leader carries personal pain and baggage not only from his or her family of origin, but also from previous ministry experiences. For some, that baggage may feel like a light daypack. For others, it may feel like a 100-pound duffle bag. What we do with it affects our personal well being and the well being of
Introverts Don’t Make Good Pastors
Or, maybe they do. I’m a pastor and an introvert. I get energy from being alone. Being with people for long periods of time drains me, although I have strong people skills. I love to read. I go on silent retreats. After church every Sunday I need to spend time without high people interaction. Did
The Life Model for Spiritual Health
Today I’ve invited my friend, Michael Sullivant, to be by guest. He’s the director of Relational Networks for Life Model Works. This organization, founded by my neurothologian friend, Dr. Jim Wilder, has helped thousands of people become more spiritually and emotionally whole by combined the Truth of Scripture with insight about the brain. Dr. Wilder
When People Compare Pastors
Many pastors secretly struggle with measuring up to very successful pastors and churches. It’s tough, but it comes with the ministry. It’s especially true now with more church people viewing online services of very large churches due to covid. And, people will compare their current pastor to the best of the best online. In this post
6 Keys to Mastering Change in the Church
Leading change is difficult in churches. I’m always looking for fresh insight on how to effect change. I’ve found great insight from this author. Kevin Cashman wrote the book Leadership from the Inside Out: Becoming a Leader for Life which I highly recommend. In one chapter he writes about mastering change in an organization. His insight applies to churches as
The Millionaire Pastor – an Oxymoron?
Some time back I listened to the audio book The Millionaire Messenger by Brendon Burchard. He’s authored two New York Times Bestsellers, speaks to thousands, and offers a plethora of training materials. He became a multi-millionaire before he turned 30. His inspiring book (even for pastors) challengers its readers to become experts in their field and become millionaires
5 Signs You’re a Leader who Talks too Much
Nobody likes to talk to others who monopolize conversations and drone on about themselves. Healthy conversations should be two-way streets but science tells us that we tend to spend 60% of our conversations talking about ourselves. And unfortunately, leaders can talk too much, not necessarily by monopolizing conversations, but by giving too many answers. So, how do
5 Dumb Leadership Assumptions You Never Learned in Seminary
After two seminary degrees and 40 years in ministry, I’ve gleaned a few insights I wish I’d learned long ago. Although my seminary profs never directly taught me to question the dumb leadership assumptions I’ve listed below, even if they had I wonder if in my youthful enthusiasm I would have listened. Unfortunately it often
10 Ways NOT to Grow a Church
We often read posts about ways we can grow our churches. But seldom do we read about ways that DON’T grow our churches. Consider these 10 ways NOT to grow a church. How not to grow a church. Never say, “No.” Please everybody. Don’t take a vacation. Strategize first, pray later. Act like you have it
6 Faith Qualities Every Leader should Embody
Hebrews 11, one of the greatest chapters in all the Bible, lists several faith heroes from the past and includes details about their lives that evidence great faith. We often refer to this chapter as the ‘faith’ chapter. It offers leaders profound insight about faith that we must believe and embody to effectively lead. I suggest these 6
