Embracing and Transforming Chaos
The story of creation in Genesis 1:1-2:4a affirms two realities of faith: the reality of God and the reality of chaos. This account of creation…
Browsing: Leadership
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Casting a Vision
Not long ago, while driving along the coast observing nature, I became aware of countless people fishing. I wondered what their visions or expectations were…
Three New Books on Effective Pastoral Ministry
The pastoral excellence movement has given rise to a growing body of literature analyzing the nature of effective pastoral ministry and offering advice on how…
First Year Priorities When Pastors Move
How does a pastor gain a congregation’s trust? How does a pastor warrant their respect? These are lessons I have learned through my own experiences…
What Does a Pastor Do?
I’ve been a part of several conversations lately with new church attendees and community members where I have been asked the question: “Now, I know…
Two-Minute Leadership
Leaders communicate a lot, for leaders must find many and varied ways to keep the vision before the people. I have learned that I am…
Volunteer Expiration Dates
Expiration dates are on all sorts of things and for good reasons. We can find them on loaves of bread, gallons of milk, and egg…
The Spirituality of Leadership
The church of the future must emphasize spirituality. We traditionally have asked people to come to church simply because it is a good thing to…
What About the Second Pastors in New Congregations?
While many studies report on the work of church planters, few studies examine the experience of “second pastors,” those who follow founding pastors of new…
Monitoring Key Indicators of Congregational Health
Imagine driving a car at night and the dashboard lights go out. With the headlights on, you can still see the road immediately ahead of…
Principles for Sound Staff Evaluation
Many people flinch at the mention of evaluation, and with reason. In congregations, staff evaluation often is conducted as a popularity poll with anonymous respondents…
Nursery Lessons: A Better Way of Recruiting Volunteers
Recently we have been focused on revitalizing the nursery at our church. We put in rigorous safety measures. We organized a committee to support the…
Church Leadership: Vision, Team, Culture, Integrity Revised Edition
Much has changed since the first edition of Lovett Weems’s seminal work Church Leadership appeared in 1993. But the need for clear, insightful thinking about…
Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results
Thousands of congregations are in serious trouble. Children are not being taught the faith. Disciples are not being made. Lives are not being transformed. The…
Five Practices of Fruitful Living
United Methodist Bishop Robert Schnase, author of the best-selling Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations published by Abingdon Press in 2007, has a new book on…
Find a Few Wise People
When pastors tell me about particularly troubling dilemmas they face in their congregations, perhaps the most common advice I offer is, “Find a wise person,”…
Myths about Clergy Burnout and Managing Stress
The plight of stressed-out pastors has attracted a great deal of attention since The New York Times front-page report, “Taking a Break from the Lord’s…
If You Count the Money, Count the People
At a recent gathering, clergy and laity from several congregations were asked how they keep track of their attendance each Sunday and how they keep…
The Promise and Peril of Conflict
A compelling example of leaders turning conflict into opportunity for structural and cultural change is found in the first seven verses of Acts 6. The…
Should a Church Staff Member Report to a Committee?
When board- and committee-centered congregations engage paid staff, they sometimes struggle to find language to describe how staff members should relate to one another and…
Leaders Stay Young
What are the qualities of a good leader? Fortunately, Jesus defined leadership: A dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to…
Mutual Mentoring
In a traditional mentoring relationship, an older, wiser colleague provides wisdom, counsel, and advice to a younger, less-skilled aspirant. Today, however, the notion of reverse…
Christ-like Leadership for a Post-Modern World
Many of us carry around a model of leadership that grows out of our childhood and is modeled on our parents. Parents have all the…
What Report is First on Your Church Council Agenda?
When I started out in ministry nearly 35 years ago, I wandered into my first church board meeting with wide eyes and my mouth firmly…
The Four Stages of a Pastoral Transition
A time of transition for a pastor can be both exciting and terrifying. The possibility of a new start with its challenges and opportunities brings…
How Full is Your Menu?
Occasionally I like to visit a local Mexican restaurant. As I scan the menu, I search for items I’ve never tasted. However, I often feel…
What’s Your Leadership Game?
Someone asked me recently if I preferred to play chess or tic-tac-toe? “Actually I’m not a big fan of either game,” I responded, “but if…
Leaders Need Holy Friendships
Many think of a leader as the lone figure who walks in front of the crowd. A far more healthy view would ask how a…
Leaders Learn the Art of Making Announcements
Making announcements? Whether it’s at your service, meeting, or event, there are things you should know about people if you want them to hear what…
Can We Learn from Toyota?
My Wesley faculty colleague Jessicah Duckworth called my attention to a National Public Radio story about the mistakes that led to the recall crisis Toyota…
