Sermon Prep When Time Is Limited
One of the recommendations we make to pastors with churches under 200 is this: learn to do sermon and worship prep in less than two hours each week so you can spend the vast majority of your time reaching people for Jesus Christ. It’s not a popular recommendation. Homiletics professors faint. Long-time pastors just shake their […]
Some of Us Don’t Value the Soul Anymore
During my 50 years of ministry (Yes, 50. That’s not a typo.), I’ve become convinced that most churches don’t put much value on soul. And that saddens me. Why do I say this? Far too often, more than anything else, money defines a person or organization. The old saying “show me your pocket book and […]
Why You Shouldn’t Show Individual Staff Salaries
I’m often asked if the church budget should show individual staff salaries and without hesitation I always say, “NO, not on your life!” Here’s why. First showing all the salaries encourages mediocrity. Why? Because the same mindset that publishes individual salaries also wants to give across the board raises, which is always a horrible thing […]
5 Questions to Discover If You Honor the People God Loves
We talk a lot about honor in our culture in regards to public service and acts of bravery. But why don’t we speak more about honoring one another in daily life? Think about it. How do people perceive you? And in regards to church, does your congregation honor every precious child of God? I feel […]
Asking Advice? Lookin’ Good!
We don’t normally do this, but since the Harvard Business Review “Daily Stat” blog has been broken for over three months, instead of just posting a link, we’re reproducing a GREAT mini-post here. Asking for Advice Makes You Seem More Competent Most people assume that asking for advice will make others think poorly of them. […]
Spending Time Mentoring Staff
Spending time mentoring staff is one of the most important things a pastor can do. When I suggest to a person I’m coaching that he needs to spend more time mentoring or training his staff, he usually asks, “What does that look like?” Here’s my response. First, you should see yourself as the head coach of a ball […]