Knowledge is great, but it is no replacement for skill. If a man said, “I know every play in the playbook,” we wouldn’t automatically assume he is an NFL quarterback. If a woman said, “I can name every bone in the human body,” we wouldn’t necessarily call her “doctor.” And if someone said, “I know …
Tag Archives: leadership
Warming the Bench for the Kingdom
In sixth grade, my little league team made it to the state championship game. I played my role on the team very well -I was a bench warmer! Over the course of the season, I had come to embrace my position on the team. I would make sure the cups around the Gatorade were ready …
Consider a Coach for Your Church
For two years my son played tee-ball. This year, he graduated to pitching machine league. The transition was not easy. To help Bryce make the adjustment, I took him to the batting cages where he could practice with a pitching machine. I bought some tokens to place in the machine, and Bryce stepped into the …
Before You Hire The Next Leader
I was reminded recently about the importance of leadership transitions in ministry. Many times a transition in leadership is performed based upon a prospective leader’s credentials, experience, and track record. While all three of these are helpful criteria to consider, there is something missing. The missing ingredient is consideration of the prospect’s philosophy and vision …
Church Leadership Requires Two Hands
A friend of mine tried desperately to make his son left-handed. His reasoning was simple: Left-handed pitchers are a treasured commodity in the baseball world. By training his son to be left-handed, he automatically would increase his odds of one day becoming a major league pitcher. As you can imagine, his efforts failed. No matter …
How to Kill a Ministry Idea
Few things are as difficult for churches as laying a ministry to rest. Just take a look at the weekly calendar for most churches. Nobody wants to admit defeat. Sometimes a ministry has been fruitful for decades and has simply run its course. What an opportunity to rejoice (at a ministry funeral). Other ministries may …
What “We’ve always done it that way” really means.
“We’ve always done it that way.” There is a certain stereotype in the minds of pastors and church leaders when they hear that phrase. The stereotype I am referring to is of an out-of-touch, die-hard, traditional, older member who can’t see the ridiculous nature of basing decisions mindlessly upon patterns of behavior in the past. …
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Is Your Church Being a Good Steward of Leadership?
As a former pastor of a small church, I can relate to church leaders who wish they could get more help without adding another expense to the budget. Many pastors have wished they could clone themselves. That way, one of them could visit members, another could write sermons, another could develop new mission initiatives, while …
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Game-Changing Church Leadership
In the sports world, there are no perfect teams. Every roster has a weak link. Everyone loves to see a coach transform a group of athletes into a team of winners. That’s part of the fascination with sports. Likewise, there are no perfect churches. Yet, in God’s wisdom, He has chosen to accomplish Kingdom work …