Church planting is hard work, and it’s easy to get caught up in the present, which isn’t necessarily bad since getting caught up in the very things God has called us to and wired us for is one of the deepest joys in life. That being said, being caught up sometimes means we’re overdue for reflection. We may need to pause and …
In my previous blog post, I shared how leaders establish culture through what they teach and model, as well as by what they pay attention to, reward and sanction. I want to continue the topic of creating culture by looking at Christ. A Thought Experiment Imagine Jesus is the leader of your church—Hopefully he is!—in a sense similar to when …
Organizational culture powerfully determines the success or failure of a vision, the flourishing or demise of the human spirit. [1] As part of a coaching process with a pastor of a large church in the southern United States, I asked Charlie to keep track of how she spent all of her waking hours. I encouraged her to write down how she spent every 30 …
I remember the first time I ever went on a “missions” trip (I love how there is an “s” added to that word for some unknown reason). As a person who did not grow up involved in or even remotely aware of churches, youth groups, mission trips, or any of the other cultural expressions of evangelical churches, the whole thing …
It’s tempting to want to take control, especially as church planters and leaders with passion, vision and commitment. Right? We want to get things moving and push our agendas forward according to our systems and to tradition. But I recently re-watched the film, Whale Rider and was reminded of the power, beauty and effectiveness of a contrarian way. Koro, the …
If we want a future as church planters and pastors where we not only survive, but actually thrive, become more free, become more alive, and where we live with a growing sense of vibrancy and joy, then we have to learn what to do with our pain. The Franciscan priest and leading voice in the field of contemplation, Richard Rohr, …
What is missional? And how do we know if we’re doing it? Is missional just about good works done in the name of Jesus? Is it sharing the gospel? Or does it entail something deeper and more substantial? Charles is in leadership at a larger church south of the Mason-Dixon line and has been thinking and talking about how to …
“This community has changed a lot since I was a girl,” Beatrice explained as we sat on her front porch. “The library used to be just up the block. We used to have a grocery store and lots of things within walking distance.” “Where do you get your groceries now?” I asked. “Wherever I can get a ride,” she said. …
Murphy’s Law says, “If anything can go wrong it will.” If your doctor’s appointment is for 4:00pm and you have something else at 5:00pm, he or she will be an hour behind. If you’ve decided to go on a ski holiday, it will be the mildest, most snowless winter on record. This is just one reason why we all need …
I’ve been going at this church planting thing for a few years now. I must say that it’s taken more years off my life than my previous decade in ministry. If there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there is a plethora of expectations pummeling a church plant. Many nights I’ve experienced myself tossing and turning over the projected …