3 Lessons I Learned from 75 Cuban Pastors
A few years ago I experienced one of the most difficult yet rewarding weeks of ministry in my 39 years as a pastor. I trained 75 pastor-leaders in Cuba and I will never forget it. The group I trained is pictured below. I spoke 22 times in 5 days, 19 of those times crammed into
7 Holes that Can Swallow Ministry
I have four earned degrees and my toughest by far was an industrial engineering degree from Ga Tech. That degree taught me to think systematically. In addition, I’ve added to my competency tool box many books on church planning plus two churches where I’ve served have engaged in year-long visioning processes with church consultants. So, I’m
7 Thinking Errors that Hinder Church Growth
My first degree, industrial engineering, taught me to think systematically which has in turn benefited my pastoral leadership. Since then I’ve read many books on church planning and been certified through Ministry Advantage and Auxano, two strategic planning/pastoral coaching organizations. I’ve also led three churches where I’ve served through a year-long strategic planning process. So, I’m well-versed
What I Learned from Kids who Survived Cancer
My youngest daughter, Tiffany, has survived a brain tumor and multiple brain surgeries. As a result, she has a heart for hurting people. A few times a month she took her dog LuLu to hospice care to visit patients, before LuLu passed away last year. A few years ago for several summers she served as a counselor at a camp
The Leadership Paradox: Trusting God or Trusting Others?
Every church leader (or Christian for that matter) faces a common paradox. We’re expected to trust God for our personal and ministry needs. Yet, we need the help of others. Leading is not a solo effort. So, ho do we strike the balance between trusting God and trusting others? Recently I noticed that same paradox reflected in the
The Most Productive 4 Hours of my Week
I received an undergrad degree in industrial and systems engineering. IE’s, as they are called, are sometimes referred to as efficiency experts. Whether that’s true or not, the training I received from my degree has force me think about leadership productivity. In this post I describe my most productive four-hour time block each week, what I do, and why
How to Pray According to Your Enneagram Personality
Prayer isn’t the easiest thing we do. Life is full and finding time and the words to say and the words to hear can be challenging. Yet, a very popular personality tool, called the Enneagram, can give us some insight on prayer. Today’s post is by my friend, Ryan Lui, an accredited practitioner of the Enneagram.
The Post-Easter Church Lull: 4 ways a pastor can prepare for it
For many churches, Easter is the highest attended service(s) of the year. Leading up that weekend church leaders log extra hours to plan Easter egg hunts, prepare for extra services, create invitation fliers, and spruce up the building. Yet, the inevitable happens, the post-easter lull. The following Sunday attendance and energy usually drops precipitously. At
If You Like Podcasts…
Many of you listen to podcasts. They’re a way to quickly learn some great stuff about the topics you enjoy. As many of you know, Moody Publishing recently released my latest book on mindfulness for Christians, called Holy Noticing: The Bible, Your Brain, and the Mindful Space Between Moments. It’s a guide that intersects Scripture
What Ben Franklin Teaches us about Productivity
A few years ago I earned an executive masters in the neuroscience of leadership and one of my primary profs was a super smart (and really nice) Ph.D., Josh Davis who wrote the book Two Awesome Hours. You can learn more about his book here. If you want to up your productivity game, this is the book