Three Key Characteristics of Effective Leaders
One of the greatest needs in the church today is effective leadership and I want to share three characteristics of effective leaders that I’ve found formational in my own life. What qualifies me to write on this subject? Fifty plus years of leadership learning and experience (My nickname in high school was “The General” when […]
Get Un-Stuck
When I was growing a healthy effective church, I would often seek out advice from other successful churches to see what they were doing to grow. One of those churches was North Coast Church in Vista California, a suburb of San Diego. The senior pastor is Larry Osborne, and he has positively influenced me and […]
Let’s hear it for thoughts and prayers
During national tragedies like natural disasters and mass shootings, the phrase “in our thoughts and prayers” is often used by officials and other public figures to express concern in difficult times. The phrase has recently received criticism for its repeated usage in the context of gun violence and has been labeled by a word I […]
Re-New
When I talk to pastors a common phrase I hear is ‘getting back to normal’. That is never going to happen. Because of the very nature of change, things are never going back to whatever you think normal was. I also hear pastors mention ‘a new normal’. Forget about it. Churches should never conform to […]
Learning to be an effective listener
There are two sides of the communication coin. Asking good questions is on one side of the coin, on the other is being a good listener. Effective listening will earn the trust of those you engage and will convey your respect for the other who is speaking. Everyone wants to be heard, and we all […]
Find an Accountability Partner
Throughout the 30+ years I served in pastoral ministry I have witnessed too many church pastors in America lose their positions of church leadership because of financial or sexual indiscretions coming to the light of day. This long list of ministry tragedies might have been avoided had there been accountability relationships in place. Accountability can […]