Yesterday over 50 pastors and their wives attended the first of our three 1-day pastor’s conferences. I was humbled by their presence. These pastors serve small churches (50 people or less), are very poor, and don’t own transportation beyond a bike. The night before (Sunday night) a deluge of rain washed out the road that

I learned an odd thing about Nicaragua today. Insomniac roosters live here. At about 3 am this morning a rooster decided to flex his vocal chords, repeatedly for 4 straight hours. He is continuing his display even as I write this blog. Fried pollo (chicken in Spanish) will be quite tasty for lunch. I recruited

Do your best and leave the results to God. That phrase may seem a bit worn, but it’s well worth heeding. 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 us that some pastors (and people)  have greater competencies than others.

The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book, 5 Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them. Although written with church leaders in mind, it’s applicable to anyone facing difficulty. Circumstances beyond our control (demographics or a location that hinders growth), an uncooperative board (they say no to an important initiative), or even family issues

Recently we added a Saturday night service. As a result, I’ve seen my preaching improve. My staff has even remarked about the positive change they’ve seen. First, my previous routine looked like this on Sunday mornings. Get up at an insanely early hour Spend 20 minutes on my stationary bike trying to wake myself up Review

This is a brief excerpt from my current book, 5 Ministry Killers and How to Defeat Them-help for frustrated pastors. Sometime in your ministry, someone  probably has taken an intentional punch at you. I don’t mean they punched you in the face, but they’ve likely taken a swipe at your leadership, preaching, or vision. It hurts.

I heard a muffled whimper come from the small cardboard box.  When I opened it and carefully cradled the tiny ball of fur, his stubby tail wagged and he licked my nose leaving the unmistakable “puppy breath” smell. We named him Watson and he became the newest addition to our miniature schnauzer family.  Though he

I’m reading the book Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft. It’s a very simple book on leadership but one with great insight from one with seasoned experience. Dave served with the Navs for 38 years and is now the leadership development pastor at Mars Hill Church (Mark Driscoll’s church). I loved his simple reminder on

During my 30 years in ministry, I’ve discovered that people give to their church for 4 primary reasons. 1. Obedience-because the Bible teaches it, they believe and practice it. 2. Challenge-some are motivated by big vision and challenge. 3. Reason-it costs the church money to run, so some give because it makes sense. 4. Compassion– touching