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Respect the Generations
Having grown up in the church and making my livelihood in ministry my entire adult life, I have an observation: every generation thinks they are right. In the family of God, there is a big problem...
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People-Growing (for church leaders)
God has called us into the most wonderful work in the world! Much of what we do can be compared to what a farmer does. He grows crops; we grow people. He reaps a harvest of grain or vegetables; we reap...
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The Problem with Guilt-Free Church
I saw a billboard the other day advertising a church in the community. In huge letters, it said: “Guilt-Free, Grace-Full!” Having grown up in a spiritual atmosphere where guilt was used like a hammer...
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11 Reasons NOT to Give Tithes
The word “tithe” mean “tenth”. It is a biblical principle that indicates that people are supposed to offer 10% of their income to the church. 10%! That’s a huge percentage. Like you, I can think of...
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Critical of the Church? Better Think Twice.
It seems to be a popular trend right now for some pastors to criticize the church, especially churches other than their own. Conferences are being held for the sole purpose of pointing out the faults...
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Good Communication Goes Beyond the Stage
Preaching and communicating are not necessarily the same thing. This is not a post about preaching. This is a post about how some people are great preachers but not great communicators. There may be...
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A Dirty Pulpit
For those who don’t speak churchy language, a “pulpit” is a piece of furniture that is sometimes utilized by preachers in a church. It holds a Bible and is usually placed front and center of the...
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5 Ways to Discourage Your Pastor
As a pastor of a local church for over twenty-five years, I had my share of buildups and letdowns. Sometimes I recall the discouraging times more. I know that I was not supposed to get down because of...
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5 Ways Pastors Frustrate Church Members
My last post, “5 Ways to Discourage Your Pastor” generated a good amount of interest. In keeping with that theme and in an effort to look at the other side of the issue, we are publishing this quick...
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The 5 Hardest Things I’ve Done as a Pastor
When you are a pastor, you have a lot of really great days. But you also have your share of bad ones. These are the times when your responsibilities force you into spots that you’d rather not be in....
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Reconnecting the Church with Millennials
We’re hearing more bad news about how young America feels about organized church. Thom Rainer published this article about young church leaders; it also reveals the brokenness that exists between...
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Why Some Churches Don’t Grow
It’s not a perfect science. Increasing the impact and influence of a church can be very difficult. We all agree that numerical growth does not necessarily mean spiritual growth. But it is vital that...
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It’s Time to Simplify Church Planting
My church planting friends may think that I’ve regressed about 30 years. I have not. Possibly, I am looking ahead a few years into the future of effective church planting. I am increasingly concerned...
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Healthy Church Staff Relationships (Or How to Keep Your Staff from Imploding)
Working well with other leaders and staff members is essential for ministry success. Having worked with paid church staff for over 20 years, I believe that this is more challenging than working with...
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It’s Getting More Difficult (Ministry in the Modern World)
Experience should make your job easier. I am not finding that to be the case. The older I get and the more time I spend in Christian ministry, the more challenging it seems to become. Monumental shifts...
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Before You Decide to Skip Church (or 7 Great Reasons to Go to Church)
(This article was originally posted on June 4, 2012 under the title, “I Go to Church.”) I make a living in the church, actually through the church. Worship services usually happen in the church but...
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Relational Leadership: Growing Beyond our Organizational Bureaucracy
50 years ago, people were perfectly happy being treated like a number. Employees were expendable and assembly line workers were interchangeable. If you expected to be affirmed by your employee, well,...
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4 Essential Elements of Leadership
I am delivering this lesson tomorrow to a group of ministry leaders. Rather than limit it to one presentation, I thought it may be helpful to readers of this blog. Leadership is a trust. I Corinthians...
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Leading with Contrast
Some things to look for: Being counter-cultural. What if no one follows? How should we to measure success? Read: Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how...
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Can I Talk You Out of Ministry?
When I meet with young folks who think they feel a call by God to do ministry, I’m sometimes not very successful at hiding my skepticism. I’ve had a hundred of these conversations. In my experience,...
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