Do You Measure Up?
How you measure up as a leader is largely determined by what it is you measure. It turns out, one of the differences between an average leader and a great leader can be found by looking at what they put on their spreadsheets. Actually, that’s a bit misleading. Most of the important measurements don’t actually fit […]
Married to a Model? Consider Divorce
No, not that kind of model. I’m wondering if you’re married to a particular church paradigm, a specific way of doing church. And if you are, will you be willing to throw her under the bus when the time comes when it’s necessary for the sake of the Kingdom? I suspect you’d like to think so, […]
Pastor? Leader? Really?
In a previous post I suggested there was a need for new – or renewed – language for church leaders. As wonderful as having new language might be, there’s an underlying issue that I’ve become increasingly aware of. Many, if not most, clergy in today’s North American church are well trained pastors, but when it […]
A Pastor by Any Other Name
This afternoon I had a great conversation with a top judicatory leader of one of the largest denominations in the US. We were talking about what kind of leader the church needs in a culture like ours. The problem with the whole discussion, we concluded, is that language completely fails us in the church. Every […]
The Business of Church
Today’s spiritual seekers rarely turn to Christianity or to the church to find the answers they seek because of their past experiences or because of the church’s and faith’s reputation. Too often, spiritual seekers have turned in desperation to the church only to discover the church so embroiled in “business as usual” that there is […]
Great Leaders Keep Up
I often ask my pastors what they’re reading outside of scripture. Too often the answers I get are litanies of commentaries and historical theologians. Although that’s not a bad thing, I suppose, the problem is that a steady diet of Christian academia and spirituality may feed your soul, but it will also asphyxiate your brain. […]