The apostle Paul instructed a young pastor named Timothy “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 ESV This is the same instruction the apostle Peter gave. Addressing pastors he wrote “As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. … [Read more...]
Limiting Factors of Growth
When growth plateaus pastors start asking why. Has God rejected me like Saul? Is He out looking for a "David" to replace me? Have I taken the church as far as I can go? Has it outgrown my ability to lead it? Does someone else need to come and take the helm? Is there sin in the camp that has blocked God's blessing? Is it mine? Is it one of the staff? Why can't we grow anymore!!?? While it's possible you aren't growing for one of the above reasons, it's not probable. Usually growth is hindered … [Read more...]
Why Pastors Take Sabbaticals
Leading God’s people is a privilege, but also a burden. The burden became so great for Moses that one day he prayed to God "put me to death right now..." (Numbers 11:15) The burden became so great for Jeremiah that one day he exclaimed "Cursed be the day I was born!" (Jeremiah 20:14) The burden became so great for Jonah that one day he prayed "O Lord, take away my life..." (Jonah 4:3) The burden became so great for Elijah that he prayed "I have had enough, Lord...Take my life..." (1 … [Read more...]
Church Discipline
What happens when a "sheep" (a believer) in our "flock" (our church) finds himself or herself ensnared by sin, whether unintentionally or through willful disobedience? It's going to happen from time to time for as 1 Timothy 4:1-2 says, "...in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits..." And the question begs: What do we do when it happens? Well, the Bible is very clear that when this happens it is the duty of every believer within the sinning person's sphere of … [Read more...]
How to Delegate Effectively
Why is delegation an important topic to learn about? Because effective delegation increases job performance, relieves job burnout, decreases workloads, builds teamwork, alleviates stress and allows you to get more done. A while back I read a great little book called If You Want It Done Right, You Don't Have to Do It Yourself! by Donna M. Genett, Ph.D. Here's a summary of what I've learned. 1. Effective delegation requires advanced preparation. BEFORE you meet with someone to delegate … [Read more...]
Overcoming Leadership Insecurities Part 4
At the 2016 Annual Network Conference I had the privilege of teaching on the subject of overcoming leadership insecurities. Since I had a short window to share I didn't have time to cover some of the other ways we as leaders can overcome our insecurities. Here's what I would've included in my talk if I had had more time: Refuse to compare yourself with others. Much of our leadership insecurities come from comparing ourselves to others. This is something we must work hard to avoid doing. The … [Read more...]
Overcoming Leadership Insecurities Part 3
Leadership causes insecurities to rise to the surface. And if we're not careful we'll make decisions based on what's best for our ego vs what's best for the glory of God and the good of His kingdom. Here's the third way we can overcome insecurity... AUTHORIZE YOUR TEAM AND THE PEOPLE IN YOUR CHURCH TO DO MINISTRY An insecure leader has trouble raising up a team and giving ministry away because insecure leaders fear losing control. An insecure leader wants to be in the center and at the … [Read more...]
Overcoming Leadership Insecurities Part 2
Leadership causes insecurities to rise to the surface. And if we're not careful we'll make decisions based on what's best for our ego vs what's best for the glory of God and the good of His kingdom. Here's the second way we can overcome insecurity... ASK YOUR TEAM FOR HELP Insecure leaders don’t like asking for help because insecure leaders would prefer receiving all the credit themselves vs sharing it with others. Insecure leaders don’t like to get input from their team because they want … [Read more...]
Overcoming Leadership Insecurities Part 1
Leadership causes insecurities to rise to the surface. And if we're not careful we'll make decisions based on what's best for our ego vs what's best for the glory of God and the good of His kingdom. Here's the first way we can overcome insecurity... BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH BRIGHT CAPABLE PEOPLE. An insecure leader feels threatened by talent. Take King Saul for example. He felt threatened by young David. Instead of harnessing David's abilities and using them for the … [Read more...]
What Can We Do With Criticism?
There are several things we can do with criticism: We can minimize it. People who are busy helping advance the mission don’t have the time to complain! It’s the people who aren’t involved (and therefore aren't having any fun) that have the time to complain. We can minimize complaints by getting people involved in advancing the mission by serving. We can learn from it. Sometimes people have valid complaints that might need to be addressed. But if we're not careful we'll take it as an attack … [Read more...]