Whatever Happened to Training?

I have worked with leaders for over three decades. Most of them were volunteers serving in some capacity in the church and others were staff people that I worked with or supervised. Many of my best friendships occurred because of those relationships. One of the things I observed is that…

Continue reading

Leaders Have Vision

After spending all his funds in attempting to begin a video production career, the young man of twenty-two years of age had to decide where to go to escape the bill collectors. He decided to go to Hollywood where his brother was convalescing from a serious illness. So he spent…

Continue reading

Speak His Name

Roland Allen tells about a veteran missionary who came up to him one day after he had delivered his sermon. The missionary introduced himself & said, “I was a medical missionary for many years in India. I served in a region where there was progressive blindness. People were born with…

Continue reading

Top Four Leader Character Qualities

A recent survey was published in a book by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner called, The Truth About Leadership. They asked each respondent to select seven characteristics out of twenty. These percentages represent respondents from six continents so it was a fairly large data base. Here are some…

Continue reading

Ready, Aim, Fire

Growing up I loved to shoot bow and arrows. I would draw a target on a hay bale or a card board box and do my best to hit the bull’s eye I had drawn. To shoot without having a target was not much fun. The flip side of that…

Continue reading

80-20 Rule is Killing Us

A recent survey shows that the 80/20 principle is a fact of church life in most congregations — only 20 percent are heavily involved, while 80 percent are minimally involved and attend infrequently at best. They act more like spectators than members. Think of that for a moment. Four out…

Continue reading

Patriotism or Gospel?

We’ve just finished July 4 celebrations across the country.  People in our neighborhood are still shooting fireworks.  Pastors and church leaders walk a thin line when it comes to how much time and emphasis we give to celebrating and incorporating patriotic music or symbols into worship services. Churches must maintain…

Continue reading

Crash Bars or Highway Bars?

If you are reading this you probably know a little bit about motorcycles. I love to ride my C-50 Suzuki. OK it’s not a Harley Davidson but it runs great and is paid for! On most afternoons I ride the country roads of Shelby County. On weekends I sometimes ride…

Continue reading

Could It Be?

Could it be that churches (we as leaders) are chasing after the next fad, and attempting to stay on the cutting edge to such a degree that we are failing to do the basics well? Could it be that we are so busy attending conferences and reading the latest “how…

Continue reading

The Stats Are In

The stats are in. We can choose to ignore them, bury our heads in the sand, or see reality and move forward. The 2010 Annual Church Profile showed dips in baptisms, total church membership, worship attendance and participation in Sunday school and other Christian education programs. Declines were also reported…

Continue reading