Preaching gives pastors an incredible opportunity that most leaders do not have. At their best, sermons teach, inspire and provoke, which are three essentials for leadership and change. Whatever approach we use for sermon planning, preparation and delivery, preaching has the potential…
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Leadership cannot flourish without trust. Relationships, institutions and communities depend on people having confidence in one another. Clergy who want to lead change, transform congregations and establish authentic interpersonal connections need to understand that trust is never automatic. Trust is cultivated…
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Pastors typically design leadership development for the leaders who are doing the work today. They also need to make plans to identify the people who will do the work in the future. Often, we do not think about who the…
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I once shared with a mentor that I did not believe my ministry context at the time was going to be a long-term assignment. I had only been there a year or two, so I assured him that I planned…
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Are you thinking about your church’s vision for 2022? How does it compare to your vision for 2021? One critical tool influences the success of every vision. That tool is a good strategy. Without strategic leadership, we frustrate ourselves and lead a…
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In the words of the playwright George Bernard Shaw, “The single biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” Have you had this problem before? You have meetings and make presentations. You think that everyone is…
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After major crises, leaders encourage us to get back to normal. Sometimes that’s impossible, though. A new reality emerges, and the old “normal” never returns. What changes have you made in your organization in the last 18 months that are…
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Congregations make critical decisions about things that really matter – budgets, starting new programs, eliminating programs, personnel. In so many of the decision-making meetings I attend, we spend tons of energy promoting a decision we reached before the meeting even…
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A group of ministers told me about a senior pastor they knew who resigned because the demands of ministry had become too much. This was not the first person they knew personally who resigned this year. Such sudden exits make…
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Clergy know the long periods of silence between contacts from a pastor search committee. Congregation members know the even-longer period between substantive reports about the activities of a search committee. The members of such committees are very, very busy —…
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