Know what really scares me as a pastor? It’s that my words are going to cause people to take action. People will, based on a sermon, based on a tweet, based on an interaction, or a counseling session decide things about their future based on my advice based on how I explain the wisdom of … Continued
The good news is it feels like were entering a new season of leadership and ministry. Although the coronavirus is still with us, churches and businesses are reopening and things that werent possible a month or two ago are now possible again. Thats the good news. The bad news is that the new season is perhaps even more complicated than the season of crisis we just left, and leaders must be careful to avoid wasting ministry season […]
A few weeks into this madness, the global pandemic that has resulted in the unprecedented move to not provide physical worship gatherings at our church, Kenton Beshore called to check on me. Kenton is my predecessor, our pastor emeritus, and he still serves as teaching pastor for us. “How in the world are you not … Continued
One of the most disconcerting feelings we pastors experience is when we prepare a sermon and pour our heart into it, yet feel that it didnt make a difference in peoples lives. Its equally frustrating when we preach to see somebody tuning us out. What can we do to improve sermon attention? For when they do, theres a greater chance what we say will stick in their minds to give the Holy Spirit time to ultimately change their hearts. Here are some neuroscience-based tips.
I have found that regardless of how motivated I am, if the people around me are unmotivated, we arent going to be very successful as a team. This is why it is important a leader learns to recognize when a team is decreasing in motivation. And heres the greater reason. Motivation is often a catalyst to destroy motivation and momentum […]
How church leaders responded during the early stages of the pandemic, focusing on their church pandemic response.
In our rush to get churches open across the country, we need to be aware of the public response should something go wrong. What happens if your church discovers cases of the virus among those in the building? Worse, what happens if someone dies of the virus? Considering the importance of mitigating church reopening risks is crucial. The Wall Street Journal has reported that: Thinking […]
The number one question and conversation Ive been engaged in with leaders across the country is literally, How do we lead on race issues in times like these? There are far more questions than answers. Leadership principles remain true and clear, but context and culture are moving rapidly and are blurred at best. The good news is that […]
The regathering of churches for in-person services is garnering a lot of attention in both the religious and secular media. I totally get that. There are very few organizations other than churches that meet as a large group every week. The implications are significant. We are following closely as more churches open for in-person gatherings. … Continued
I love leadership and I love learning about the brain. A few years ago I finished an executive masters in the neuroscience of leadership which resulted in my fourth book, Brain-Savvy Leaders: the Science of Significant Ministry. As I’ve immersed myself in learning how our brain affects life and leadership, I’ve learned a few shortcuts, … Continued
