Article Archive
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All church ministries, committees, boards, and teams make mistakes, but when that happens by one, in particular, the results can be far-reaching and long-lasting. This blog lists some of the most common mistakes made by pastor search committees in churches.
It's my observation that most pastors and ministry leaders spend the great majority of their time in their church or organization working in their ministry. For some, this may mean that 100% of their time is devoted to doing necessary and urgent work in order to keep the wheels of ministry going. That's called working in ministry. But, is that a really necessary priority of time spent doing God's work? Read on and answer the question for yourself.
Does your church have Nadine's who serve so well behind the scenes? Going to a Memorial Service last week reminded me again that God has gifted his church with many Nadine's, so recognize then in life as well as after they are called home to Glory to be with their Savior and Lord. Read more about Nadine and about the Nadine's that God has given your church.
Does Your Church or Ministry Have a BIG Vision? What the vision of your church or ministry? Do you even have one? It is my observation that not many churches have a vision for what God is calling the church to become. Some do have a mission statement that incorporates the essence of the Great Commission and Great Commandment of the Lord Jesus, but how about also having a vision statement that states where the church or ministry is headed in the future under the guidance of God and with his help? Be encouraged to ask God for his BIG vision. Read more to find out what this means.
You may not need experience as a church planter in order to coach leaders of new churches, but there are some things you should know and use in coaching. Read on for some suggestions so that you can be a great coach for church planters.
Ministry coaches have the opportunity to work with teams in the church, but to be effective as a coach, you need to know and follow the rules. This blog outlines 10 Rules for coaching ministry teams.
Preparing for a coaching conversation begins with prayer. Coaching ministry leaders is a spiritual battle and therefore both the coach and the one being coached need the help of God. Also remember that if God doesn't show up, not as a divine observer but as an active participant through the work of the Holy Spirit, the coaching is just human effort that can, at best, offer some limited help that may be of no eternal consequence. Learn what to pray before you coach.
For the church or ministry organization, a mission or purpose statement is like a North position on a compass that helps you arrive at your destination. It provides a clear reason why a church exists and points every ministry and leader in the right direction. A ministry coach can greatly help a pastor ministry leader develop a strong and effective mission statement.
It's easy to give thanks to God when life seems good, but what about when it's not? Why should Christians give thanks always.? Read the Thanksgiving blog to find out why?
A wise District Superintendent once said in a gathering of fellow-workers in denominational leadership something that has stuck with me as prophetic. He said beware of government election years in a church because what is happening in politics spills over into the church. Now he worked with congregational churches but the background cultural dynamics may also apply to other types of church governments. Keep reading to discover what can happen in churches during times like this.