The Hope of Legacy: Do you think about the legacy others left for you? What do you imagine your legacy will be? Legacy is about making a positive impact that results in the enduring good of others. There is great hope in the potential of legacy. It can change lives for generations and for eternity. Every leader leaves a legacy. We all leave our mark on the world; it’s up to us what that is. Each of us is writing that legacy daily. But, you can’t write the story of your life and legacy in a day, it takes a lifetime, and intentionality always creates a better story. Your legacy is not somethin ..read more

As a leader, you can never escape the reality of authority and its reflection on your character. However, if you can’t handle authority, you will struggle with leadership, and your confidence may be challenged because of the pressures you face. Authority is the currency through which leaders get things done. Some people prefer to use the term influence, and that word does more accurately describe the innate function of leadership. Perhaps a helpful way to see how this leadership concept plays out is to compare three closely related words: authority, influence, and power. Authority is somet ..read more

Is the church different than it was just three years ago? Of course. Life is different, so people are different, and we see life through different and changing lenses. That clearly impacts the church. As culture changes, people see the church differently; they are asking questions and making decisions about church. As leaders, we need to rise above the distractions, love people, and keep Jesus as the unapologetic focus. The truth and centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ should never change, but it continues to be challenged, questioned, and doubted. That isn’t new. What is new is that othe ..read more

Are you feeling rested, refreshed, and ready for the fall ministry season? Over many conversations, it seems like there is a mixed bag of responses such as: I tried to get a break over the summer but didn’t really get one, and I’m tired. I sense God’s presence, and we are ready! I’m looking forward to the fall, but I have some big problems to face. I’m rested but feeling unclear about our direction for the fall. How would you respond? As a leader, it’s important to have trusted confidants to talk to, a few people who are safe, smart, and strong. Advisors you know you can be honest with. At t ..read more

How would you assess the strength of your volunteer teams? Strong and vibrant Steady and good Struggling but functional Trying to survive Maybe it depends on the ministry. Many of your volunteers have returned, and no doubt you are grateful for that, but how have they returned? How are they doing? How are they at a soul level? How strong are their serving capacities? If your church’s staff and key leaders have been impacted by the realities of the past couple of years, your volunteers have been affected too. Be careful not to make this leadership mistake as you lead your volunteer teams: Be ..read more

Leadership has never been a spectator sport; we must get in the game from day one. When you’ve invited a young leader onto your team, it’s important that you’re prepared to develop them, willing to hand them the ball and let them run. How fast and far you let a young leader run depends on their skill level, experience, and growth rate as they are developed. However, my experience is that most young leaders are more capable and ready to run than their coaches perceive them to be. Young leaders are our future; let’s help them lead! How can you know when a young leader is ready? One way to disce ..read more

Can you think of a time that you selected someone for a leadership position, and it didn’t work out well? Yup. Me too. Most of us who have served in leadership positions, at least for any length of time, have made a few bad choices, and sometimes it’s a painful learning experience. It’s just not always easy to know how it will all work out. Yet, the temptation today is to make quick decisions based on pressure or even a sense of desperation. Many churches are finding it difficult to find and recruit high-capacity volunteer leaders and even more challenging to find and hire great leaders to joi ..read more

Progress and healthy growth require the right changes at the right times. What changes are you making? Why are you making those changes? What are the outcomes you desire? As a leader, if you want to move forward, change is always in play. What is your strategy? To successfully lead change, a smart strategy is always needed. Before we get to the 7 main questions… These first three questions will get you started regardless of the project size; from the overall vision for your church to a departmental goal or team project, it begins here. Three starter questions for strategic thinking: What is ..read more

My heart aches when I hear a horror story about a church board filled with division, conflict, and competition with the pastor about who leads. But thankfully, more stories are closer to a dream come true than a nightmare. What makes the difference? It starts with selecting who’s on your board, but that’s just the beginning. I wrote a brief post a few years back covering an introduction to selecting church elders. I’ll include a couple of abbreviated thoughts from it today, but you can read the full post here. When it comes to selecting your church board, don’t give in to politics, people-ple ..read more

Cultivating hope, expressing encouragement, and maintaining an authentically positive spirit are vital to your leadership. People need to sense your optimism as a leader. But that’s not always easy, is it? Discouragement may run close to the surface for you right now. You may be carrying the weight of a difficult decision. Attempting to anticipate what’s around the corner might be causing anxiety. Sometimes, the difficult circumstances near us can blind us to the good surrounding us. And because we devote a significant amount of time to solving problems (a normal part of leadership), it’s ea ..read more