5 Benefits of Working Outside the Office
Although I’ve been a pastor 35 years, only in the last few years have I discovered the value of studying/working outside my church and home office. I’ll either go to McDonalds (cheap food) or when I lived in Chicago, Panera (good atmosphere and the place I preferred). Both provide free Wi-Fi. While I don’t advocate spending
What Drew 1200 New People to our Church on a Monday
I serve a great church of about 750 in Southern Ontario in Canada, West Park Church. Unlike in the U.S. where our church would be considered a medium sized church, here in Canada we are considered a large church, though not a mega-church. We’re in a growing area in the city of London and are
Leading Well for the Long Haul
Larry Osborne, one of today’s most influential pastors and author of many books is my guest blogger today. He’s one of the most unassuming guys you’ll ever meet, but very wise and a great leader. You’ll enjoy this post. Everybody wants to leave a legacy. But the reality is we can’t control the impact or
A Millennial’s Search for Finding His Sweet Spot
I’ve been following one of the most influential leadership bloggers who is in his 20’s, Paul Sohn. He is an award-winning writer, speaker and executive coach. His new book, “Quarter-Life Calling: How to Find Your Sweet Spot In Your Twenties” is out today and I highly recommend it. I asked Paul to share a bit
Are you an Anonymous Leader?
I love reading books on leadership. And recently, The Anonymous Leader: An Unambitious Pursuit of Influence by Ralph Mayhew, a pastor in Australia came across my desk. It is an excellent and convicting book about being a biblical leader, from a fresh angle. I asked Ralph to be my guest blogger today. His post gives
The iPhone App that Improved my Ability to Concentrate
One of the most precious commodities a pastor has is time. Ministry always beckons us to do more than time permits. I once heard a researcher state that most people have 35 hours of unfinished work ahead of them. However, if we use the time we have most effectively, we’ll become more fruitful for the
4 Questions Leaders Should Ask to Avoid Burnout
For my second book I commissioned Barna Research, Lifeway Research, and Christianity Today to survey almost 2,000 pastors to discover what issues can cause a ministry or a leader’s passion for ministry to die. I based my book on those findings. Out of those findings, four key questions emerged that every spiritual leader should ask him or herself at
5 Reasons Churches should Often Celebrate Wins
Several years ago the church where I served celebrated its 25th year anniversary and we planned a big celebration. I’ve shared below what we did and then some key learnings about the importance of celebration. What we did… Our creative arts team created a fantastic experience that told the story of the last 25 years in all
3 Lessons I Learned from 75 Cuban Pastors
In mid-October I experienced one of the most difficult yet rewarding weeks of ministry in my 35 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 three days.
The Original Jesus
My friend Daniel Darling just released his latest book, The Original Jesus: Trading the Myths We Create for the Savior Who Is. Daniel is a great writer and provides an insightful look at the myths we create about Jesus. I highly recommend it. I’ve included an excerpt below. Who is Jesus? The answer to this