I've learned by experience there are two important questions every leader needs to ask. Recently, I’ve sat in several meetings or talked with different leaders, and the same situation has been repeating itself. Imagine this scenario. A team or church feels like they need to hire someone or add someone to the team, so they…
Strategy
Religious Arguments – Do We Need Cops in the Pulpit?
My daughter saves her deepest theological questions for bedtime. She doesn’t give a rip about theology, but she cares deeply about delaying bedtime. If Daddy is foolish enough to take the bait on Who made God-type questions, she wins. Even though her greatest need is rest, she thinks her late-night allies are unsolvable religious questions. In…
7 Lessons We Learned as Church Shoppers
Opening disclosure. This post is going to seem negative, and I am far from a negative person. The glass is always over half full for me. I actually intend it to be positive if it encourages churches. Our transition 18 months ago to the Dallas area was difficult when it came to finding a church to…
13 Things You’ll Never Hear Unchurched People Say
In talking about the pros and cons of “celebrity pastor” culture, my friend Carey Nieuwhof quipped that one thing you’ll never hear is unchurched people sitting around evaluating preachers. “Comparing preachers is something churched people do, not unchurched people.” He’s right, of course. And he also noted why it’s a silly thing to be concerned…
“Quick, Slow, Slow” – Good Advice For Church Planters
I wonder how much pain among Christian believers (and church planters!) would never have happened if all of us listened to and follow James’ simple command: “My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness” (James…
Implementing Ideation: Think Big, Start Small, Keep Moving
Ideation is the act of forming ideas. Its main purpose is to move ideas from conception to implementation. It seeks to create clarity and a pathway for actualization. It also cares enough to invest time and resources necessary to implement well. Ideation may embrace lean, but it doesn’t compromise mission. Ideation is the act of forming…
