Articles in this category focus on rejoicing in the community of other believers, how to build and nurture community, and how to better reflect Jesus Christ to our brothers and sisters in the faith.
As Patrick Lencioni said in his book The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team, “fear of conflict” is one of the things that can cripple a team. I used to avoid conflict because it made me feel uncomfortable. Over the last few years I have chosen to embrace it and have seen how it could be […]
Gerhard Duvenhage
Do extroverts make better leaders? Susan Cain researches this question in her best-selling book Quiet and in her 2014 TED talk “The Power of Introverts.” The answer is important for people engaged in leader development, and the book a valuable resource. Below are some highlights that I hope will be thought-provoking. Scientists have [...]
Susan Jensen
No worship leader ever stops making mistakes. From the most seasoned and experienced worship leaders, to the newest and greenest, mistakes are inevitable, humbling, and part of the process of maturing. We’re imperfect people, working alongside other imperfect people, playing musical instruments and singing songs imperfectly, with a [...]
Jamie Brown
If you spend any time in a church, you’ll discover a conglomeration of flawed and imperfect folks, with plenty of weaknesses and shortcomings. It’s easy to look at our brothers and sisters and see their warts and blemishes. Yet the perfect One, the holy One, the One without a single imperfection doesn’t look on His […]
Mark Altrogge
Mentoring is usually concerned about mentoring younger leaders. Mentees are seeking for guidance and coaching from senior leaders as they face new challenges and struggle to balance their life and leadership, ministry and family. But who will mentor the mentors? Or do they need mentors if they are already mentoring others? In my recent [...]
Herman Moldez
Do you ever worry that if you give to others too much, you won’t have anything left at the end of the day? Author Dr. John Townsend addresses this common concern and some misconceptions about love in his book Loving People, which I recommend. Dr. Townsend writes that it is normal to feel tired when we love […]
Adrian Pei
“Why are we always the last to leave?” Kids in church leadership families ask this question every week. They typically don’t mind showing up early to set up. It’s a small price of admission for the chance to play 1,000 games of tag in a vacant building! But by the end of the day, and […]
Dan Lovaglia
I’ve been in many church offices where I observe walled-off office after walled-off office. I’ve also seen settings where you are the only person in the office so instead you work at home or in Starbucks by yourself every day. So in these situations how do we spur on collaboration? Collaboration is paramount to a […]
Joe Hoagland
It seemed I was everyone’s target all evening … and not a single shot missed. I was the chair of that planning committee-meeting-turned-nightmare many years ago. One member came to me privately after the meeting and bluntly told me I was blowing it because I was way too defensive. By then I was quite ready […]
David Goodman
I can still recall walking out of the leadership meeting, feeling deflated and invisible. They just don’t get me, and what I’m trying to do, I thought to myself. I felt frustrated, indignant, and angry. And then I did the exact same thing to a group of younger leaders. I neglected to value and honor their […]
Adrian Pei
As a leader, if you don’t understand the power of delegation, then you’ve been missing out on the single most useful strategy for both attaining your goals, and developing your people ‒ especially the next generation of leaders. For your people to have ownership in the goals you’ve set, they must have real responsibilities [...]
Jess MacCallum
The running joke in my office is someone on my team saying, “How many times have I told you that ‘I am a team player?!’” The touch of truth behind it is my theory that the more someone tells you they are a team player, the less likely it is they are one. Team players […]
Mike Mowery
When was the last time you changed your opinion positively about a colleague, someone in the office, or a fellow-worker in your ministry team? I wonder if I miss important insights and challenges because I have stopped listening to certain colleagues. I may be stuck with outdated opinions of people. I’m imprisoned by my familiarity. [...]
Ahadu Gebreamlak
“If I could wish one thing for Christian leaders, it would be a thicker skin.” That was some of the wisest counsel I ever received. It came early in my ministry. Members of flocks might wish shepherds were more sensitive to their needs. But the reality is, when shepherds find their sheep can bite like […]
David Goodman
The running joke in my office is someone on my team saying, “How many times have I told you that ‘I am a team player?!’” The touch of truth behind it is my theory that the more someone tells you they are a team player, the less likely it is they are one. Team players […]
Mike Mowery
As a biblical leader, I choose to model joy for the people I lead. According to the Roget’s thesaurus, two antonyms for joy are “work” or “vocation.” I can see why people would think this way. It’s frustrating to go home after a day of work and tell somebody that you found joy in your […]
James Bruyn
For many, thinking of leadership as a relationship is difficult. Too many people consider leadership a position, a role to play. Yet leadership is much more than the day-to-day activities you partake in to run your organization. Let’s take a surface level look at the relationship between leadership and relationship and then dig deeper. [...]
Joseph Lalonde
John Maxwell has made popular this definition of leadership: “Leadership is influence. Nothing more. Nothing less.” In trying to illustrate that definition, I often use this metaphor: Every leader has two buckets. In one hand is a bucket of water; in the other, a bucket of gasoline. Empowered leaders know when to use each bucket. [...]
Mike Mowery
Unless you are a robotic leader without any heart, you want your team to know you care for them. More specifically, you want each person on the team to know he or she is valued. When there is a healthy relationship between team member and supervisor, work is much more enjoyable and rewarding. When trust […]
Eric Geiger
I’ve been in vocational ministry over 38 years and my leadership roles have included my role as singles pastor, discipleship pastor, associate pastor, teaching pastor, church planter and lead pastor. Although I’ve earned two seminary degrees and I appreciate what I learned in seminary, I’ve learned many key lessons that seminary never [...]
Charles Stone