Does it sometimes feel like everyone is deserting you, or you are constantly overwhelmed with what needs to be done, or there simply isn’t enough time to do all you feel called to AND be there for your family and friends? While the adage “leadership is lonely” certainly can be true in many respects, it doesn’t have to be. Yes, you will feel stretched as a leader, and likely out of your comfort zone a LOT if things are going well (and even when they aren’t). But being stretched and being overwhelmed because there is too much for you to do by yourself are two entirely different things. The first is normal as we grow in our leadership; the latter is self-imposed. One of THE hallmarks of effective leadership is empowering others. Empowerment is not...
when our mindset limits our Gospel reach
The difference between our churches reaching new believers and seeing a decline in membership might just be our mindsets as leaders. You are a pastor, yes, but you are also a leader if you plan to use your influence to help people in your church community work together towards a common goal (like the Great Commission, or the Great Commandments, or…fill in the blank with the vision God put on your heart). When it comes to reaching new people with the Good News of Jesus, our efforts might be falling short if we think...
annual planning when future uncertainties abound
Our daily decisions are driven by what we know about the past and believe to be true about the future. As Richard Slaughter put it, the interplay between someone’s understanding of the past and their "anticipation of the possible futures" are what drive their decisions today. What if what we believe to be true about today and tomorrow aren’t accurate though?
reaching a click-stream culture
The world is changing faster than ever. Technology is advancing exponentially and with it: culture. In his book Future Smart, James Canton suggested that the best way for leaders to prepare for the future is by being “predictive and adaptive for the future,” what he termed “future smart.” In other words, leaders need to know what the external emerging trends are and adapt accordingly. In this way, leaders can actually create the desired future. Doing anything less...
the foolishness of miracles
Have you ever laughed at one of God's requests?! I know I have! I mean, sometimes they can seem so ridiculous, and borderline crazy. Not like bad crazy, but like the kind of crazy that means we run the risk of looking foolish to everyone else... I love when Jesus asked to borrow Simon's boat as a pulpit (Luke 5:1-11). Simon and his friends had just come in from their shift of fishing and were cleaning everything up to put it away for the day. Then Jesus comes along, climbs into Simon's boat, and then asks him to...