planning

Great Staff Meetings Require these 7 Rules

Leaders can’t lead without meeting with others. Sometimes meetings go well. Sometimes they don’t. Often team dynamics derail productive meetings simply because someone misspoke or misheard. As I began to realize this, several years ago I asked a psychologist to help me create some rules for talking in our staff meetings. I call them conversational ethics. Here are the 7 […]

Great Staff Meetings Require these 7 Rules Read More »

The Litmus Test for Successful Ministry: Always Up and to the Right?

What defines ministry success? How do you know if your ministry or church is really successful? I’ve served six churches, three in associate leadership positions and three as the senior pastor. In my first senior pastor position I started a church in a suburb of Atlanta. I envisioned myself as the south’s Rick Warren, a

The Litmus Test for Successful Ministry: Always Up and to the Right? Read More »

7 Mistakes Pastors Make in a New Church Job

Getting a new church job can be scary. And pastors often overlook pitfalls in those new jobs. In this post, adapted from my book on on-boarding for pastors, I list 7 pitfalls pastors must avoid in a new church job. A quaint story circulated among Methodists describes a young pastor fresh out of seminary who

7 Mistakes Pastors Make in a New Church Job Read More »

Great Staff Meetings Require these 7 Rules

Leaders can’t lead without meeting with others. Sometimes meetings go well. Sometimes they don’t. Often team dynamics derail productive meetings simply because someone misspoke or misheard. As I began to realize this, several years ago I asked a psychologist to help me create some rules for talking in our staff meetings. I call them conversational ethics. Here are the 7

Great Staff Meetings Require these 7 Rules Read More »

4 Ways to Successfully Navigate Change

Great leaders manage change well. Great pastors also manage change well. But it’s not easy. In my research for my book, Brain-Savvy Leaders: the Science of Significant Ministry, I learned that brain insight can help us navigate change successfully. Consider these 4 ways to successfully navigate a change you’re facing. (Reprinted by permission from Brain-Savvy

4 Ways to Successfully Navigate Change Read More »

Scroll to Top