Philosophically, I am against full-time staff working from home. Here’s why: We read in Mark's gospel "And he [Jesus] went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons." (Mark 3:13-15 ESV) From this passage we learn that Jesus had a chosen method for developing those who would become the … [Read more...]
An Explanation of our Restructuring
When things grow they tend to get more complex. As someone once right stated, "Everything naturally gravitates towards complexity." This being the case, as you grow, you have to fight (and I mean fight) to take what is complex and make it simple. It might seem impossible but it's not. If you work hard at it, then as Winston Churchill put it, "Out of intense complexities, intense simplicities emerge." Last month our total average attendance was 1,724. This same month last year our total … [Read more...]
Success in Management at New Day
What does it mean to be a good manager? Well, that depends on who you're asking! Ask a hundred different leaders and you'll likely get a hundred different responses! But if someone were to ask me, here's how I define successful management at New Day... Hiring the right people begins with a crystal clear understanding of what we’re looking for in future Team Leads and staff. If you need a refresher on that click here. When you don’t have a clear picture of what you’re looking for, you’ll … [Read more...]
Setting the Example: Faith
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...]
The Land Belongs to the Jews
The Jews and the Palestinians have been fighting for many years over which one of them is the rightful owner of the land the Bible refers to as Canaan (modern-day Israel). When you look to Scripture you quickly learn that God promised the land to Abraham and his descendants. It seems pretty straightforward but here's the rub. The Arabs and the Jews both descend from Abraham (the Arabs through Ishmael and the Jews through Isaac). So which group does the land truly belong to? That is the question … [Read more...]
Setting the Example: Love
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...]
Can a New Day staff member attend a gay wedding?
This is a question I was asked recently and in this post I'll do my best to answer it. Throughout the post, anytime I mention the wedding, I mean to include the reception as part of it. Anytime you’re trying to make a God-honoring decision about anything, it begins with asking and answering this question: What does Scripture teach on this? God’s will is revealed through His Word, so the decision making process begins with trying to get a grasp of God’s will related to the topic at … [Read more...]
Whac-A-Mole Leadership
As a kid, I loved playing Whac-A-Mole at the arcade (yes, I was a child of the 80s). In this game, moles pop up randomly out of various holes in the ground, and you have to smash them on the head with a mallet before they go back underground. The longer you play, the faster and more frequently they pop up, which makes the game as challenging as it is fun. For the purpose of this post, let's let the moles represent problems that pop up in our leadership. When problems rear their ugly head, … [Read more...]
Avoiding Misunderstandings in Your Preaching
I recently finished Timothy Keller's biography, written by Collin Hansen. In the bonus material was a lesson taught by missionary Elizabeth Elliot. She said "The speaker has three speeches: 1) The one he prepares, 2) the one he actually delivers and 3) the one his audience thinks it heard. And there's not necessarily any relationship between them." I got a real kick out of hearing her say this. It's not just funny, it's true! It's unfortunate, but what we say is not always what people hear! … [Read more...]
Principles and People
As a supervisor you have to care about principles and people. It's imperative that you find an appropriate balance between caring about principles and people. Historically I've tended to lean towards caring more about principles than people, but have found a healthier balance by learning to ask three important questions anytime someone fails to live up to one of my principles. If the quarterly stats for the church are good and the quarterly stats for that person's department … [Read more...]
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