Part 2: How (and How Not!) to Recruit Volunteers
In our last post, we talked about some best practices for recruiting volunteers. With many churches operating with less people...
elementals: quick reads to sharpen your leadership edge.
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- 3 min
How (and How Not!) to Recruit Volunteers
In our post-pandemic world of lower in-person church attendance (averaging about half of what it was pre-Covid), many are left with...
- 2 min
How Big Is The Church?
Play along with me for a minute and let’s use our imagination. If a twenty-something artist named Michelangelo could create something as...
- 2 min
Spiritual Warfare and Ministry
Church ministry is hard because people are complicated. But there’s more to it than just that. Over the years, my wife and I hosted a...
- 3 min
Are You Leading In?
One simplistic definition of leadership is moving people toward a shared goal or dream. I’ve written before about the 3 areas of...
- 1 min
Don't Overlook Your Reluctant Leaders!
In this quick 2-minute video, Dave Workman talks about “reluctant leaders” and encourages us to not overlook their potential leadership....
- 5 min
3 Stumbling Blocks To Church & Nonprofit Collaboration
Perspectives From A Pastor And Nonprofit Director I love pastors. Of course, I have to say that because I am one—but this time, I mean...
- 3 min
Is Faith Really a “Private Matter”?
In a recent survey of self-identified Christians sponsored by the Barna Group and Navigators, an interesting trend was observed as it...
- 4 min
Does Anyone Hate Me?
There are many things that Christians are doing in the postmodern era that are exemplary, often ignored by the media. For instance, the...
- 3 min
Does God Need Your Permission?
The Greek word we translate as hospitality in the New Testament literally means love of strangers. So how welcome do strangers feel in...
- 2 min
Is Your Church Afraid of Change?
Over the years that we’ve worked with churches, it’s been our observation that of the four critical elements of healthy, effective...
- 3 min
Inviting People to Follow Jesus
Many years ago when I was in my twenties, I had a “come-to-Jesus” moment. Previously I had no interest in God and would have considered...
- 2 min
Hiring The Right Staff
You’ve no doubt heard of the 3 C’s when building a team or hiring a new staff member. They are often listed in this order: Character,...
- 3 min
Are You Falling In Love?
“Falling in love” is what some psychologists believe is the collapsing of so-called “ego boundaries.” Ego boundaries are believed to be...
- 2 min
What's Your Leadership Perspective?
I recently came across a fascinating geographical factoid. The writer at The Acadian Ideal overlayed the Mediterranean Sea map on top of...
- 3 min
Is Your Church Accessible?
Last week in a coaching session with a young pastor, we talked through some challenging decisions to make in her church as she’s about to...
- 2 min
Bringing Dreams to Life
Nothing should thrill a leader more than overhearing a volunteer describing the mission of the organization in a way that sounds as if...
- 2 min
Leadership Under Fire
Pray for Ukraine. The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine has been overwhelmingly condemned by world leaders, baffled by Putin’s shocking...
- 3 min
Change Management 101
Years ago we went through a very difficult season at our church. After a time of crazy growth, we had a number of people leave as a...
- 3 min
Reconstruction After Deconstruction
One of the more sobering passages for me in the New Testament is the story of John the baptizer’s painful deconstruction. Please apply...
- 3 min
The Challenge of the Easy
Any form of movement requires energy. Energy, however, is hard to come by. As biological creatures, human beings will naturally seek to...
- 2 min
The Problem With Meetings
The most generalized common complaint I hear about church operations from staff and pastors is: “I hate meetings.” Especially those who...
- 2 min
Existential Ekklesia Angst
In our work with churches, we primarily assist with what we call “organizational discipleship”. It’s the idea that pastors and church...
- 3 min
The Danger of Moderation
I’m writing this on MLK Day. The non-violent protests for voting rights in the 1960’s, particularly in Alabama, had raised the ire of...