Growing up as a pastor’s kid, I remember people often saying, “It must be amazing growing up in a pastor’s home.” They would follow it up with comments like, “You must have a perfect life and a perfect home.” Even through high school and college, as I began navigating my own call to ministry, I…
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Your best leaders are probably hiding in plain sight. How can you spy them? Beginning on a philosophical level, you might be off to a good start by upending the rubric through which we typically think about good leaders. We judge a book by its cover far too often. James says, “Hasn’t God chosen the…
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I will die on the hill of clear communication. All churches desperately need to improve their communication. I have never worked at a church with a staff that thinks its communication is done well, and I have never experienced a congregation that believes it is! Everyone recognizes that it is an issue that needs to…
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A while back, I came across a quote. I’m not sure where it originated, and I may not have the wording quite right, but it’s stayed with me: The human heart was not designed to be famous. As I’ve worked with ministries over the years, this idea has impacted my observations of leadership. There’s a stark…
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There is probably not a topic more critical for pastors and leaders than the topic of burnout. Burnout happens in just about every profession. But there is a uniqueness as burnout touches ministry and ministry leaders. These last few years have been somewhat convoluted. There have been several years dealing with the pandemic, with lockdowns,…
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If you’re like me, you’ve experienced those moments when you thought someone fully understood what was going on—only to discover later that they didn’t. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? You thought you were clear. You thought you’d explained everything well. But the reality is, the things left unsaid are like empty boxes, and people will fill…
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The parable of the talents from Scripture has always struck a deep chord within me. It’s about stewardship and accountability, a reminder that we’re entrusted with gifts and called to maximize their potential. You’re likely familiar with it: Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV) A man, preparing for a journey, distributes his wealth among his servants: five talents…
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