The Importance of Clergy Mentoring
The early years of ministry are often beset with predictable anxieties and questions. Even with the best of seminary training, new pastors quickly discover that…
Browsing: Leadership
Articles
Clergy Mentor Resources Available
Research and experience both point to the importance of clergy mentoring, particularly in helping those in the early years of ministry. But clergy mentors indicate…
What to Expect from a Coach
1. Coaching is not counseling or consulting. There is a time for counseling about life issues you are facing. There is also a time for…
The Coach Approach to Ministry
A seismic shift is coming in the way pastors lead congregations — toward a way of leading that is highly relational, deeply intentional, and always…
Know Your Purpose
When Rabbi Noah, Rabbi Mordecai’s son, assumed the succession after his father’s death, his disciples noticed that there were a number of ways in which…
Preaching in the Small Membership Church
Lew Parks’s newest book is ostensibly a preaching primer with good, solid advice on some of the basics, such as selecting a good biblical translation…
Do Male and Female Pastors Lead Differently?
What do we know about the differences between men and women serving as lead pastors of large congregations? Not enough. But we do know more…
Authenticity in Leadership
When I walk into a church, I can tell almost immediately if the leader is authentic, transparent, and warm. If so, the entire congregation exudes…
All Things New
As I was driving back to my office after taking my husband to the airport, I was a little worried because he was flying on…
Leading the Small Membership Church
Small membership churches have a history of making do without a lot of leadership from persons outside. Many were started by laypersons gathered in homes,…
Congregational Integrity
We rightfully expect personal integrity in our leaders. Should we not also ask whether our congregation has integrity? The behavior of organizations is as important…
Clergy Health — A Mixed Portrait
Studies of clergy beginning in the 1700s consistently found that clergy lived longer than other professionals. But by the middle of the twentieth century something…
Outliers: The Story of Success
Have you ever wondered why some people are extraordinarily successful? How do some people overcome insurmountable odds and reach an elite level in their fields?…
Evidence of Fruitfulness
When congregations live in Christ and for Christ and through Christ, something happens: fruitfulness. The expectation of fruitfulness begins in the first chapter of Genesis…
Fruitful Ministry Includes Harvesting
I am convinced that we in the church do not understand the concept of harvesting. I can’t begin to count the times I have heard…
Communication Strategies for Addressing Conflict
Whenever I work with churches that are experiencing serious conflict, especially those that have reached the point of impasse, communication issues commonly emerge. Regularly, parishioners…
The Transformative Power of Listening
Religious leaders are often socialized to be better at speaking than at listening. It is understandable that preachers want to preach, teach, and lead with…
Passing the Mantle: Crisis or Opportunity?
Four years ago a new bishop came to serve our area. For the first time in my ministry, I was older than my bishop! Around…
God’s Leaders Multiply, Not Maintain
As we begin thinking about fall stewardship campaigns, our minds may turn to the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), the story of a master…
Ministry as Leadership
How are the practices of ministry understood and how are they learned? Is there an organizing principle for all the functions of ministry, or do…
The Ministry of the Missional Church: Community Led by the Spirit
The Ministry of the Missional Church (Baker Books, 2007) by Craig Van Gelder is not leadership in search of theological rationale. It is a theology of…
It’s In the Mind
Most people know that it was Roger Bannister who first ran the mile in less than four minutes. It was on May 6, 1954, in…
Jesus as Transformational Leader
A leader’s continual presence among followers is integral to transformational leadership. It creates teachable moments, fosters relationship, and allows for targeted and personalized interactions. Transformational…
Living in Paradox — The Life of American Clergy
Brooks Holifield of Candler School of Theology has offered a monumental service to the church in his comprehensive and richly documented history of clergy in…
Diversity Leadership in the Church
As church leaders attempt to address the challenges presented by the expanding diversity of local congregations and American culture at large, a new energizing vision…
Pastoral Transitions — Leaving Well
If you will be moving to a new congregation this summer, keep in mind the importance of ending your ministry well at your current location.…
Pastoral Transitions — Preparing the Way for Your Successor
Below are some of the best practices related to pastoral transition suggested by several hundred pastors and denominational leaders. Spend quality time with your successor…
Eight Strategies for Managing Conflict
In her book Getting to Amen: Eight Strategies for Managing Conflict in the African American Church, Lora-Ellen McKinney summarizes key strategies for managing conflict in…
Speaking the Truth in Love to a Longtime Member
During my third year as pastor of the Austin Church in north-central Pennsylvania, I faced a leadership crisis that threatened the effectiveness of my ministry…
Church on the Edge of Somewhere
Some books remind us of the church’s mission to those on the margin of life. We read them; we feel bad. Nothing changes. Other books…
