Tag: pastors

What’s the Word Wednesday

Don’t just go back to what’s familiar. Don’t just go back to what’s comfortable. Don’t just go back to what’s practical. Don’t just go back to what’s expected.

– Southeast Christian Church

Are you desiring God or the things of God? God didn’t say that he would just be there for us in the good times. He said he’d be with us at ALL times! He wants us to depend on him in both the good AND the hard times. As we’re trying to figure out our new routines in the up and downs of COVID-19, remember to not just go back to your routines. Don’t just go back to what’s familiar! It’s not about what’s comfortable for you or your volunteers. What can you do to be different? H0w can you be better? What can you do that’s extraordinary for your ministry? Not only should you be stretched but so should your team!

John 14:27 New Living Translation (NLT)

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

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Making Resolutions

It’s that time of year again, that time of year when we examine what we don’t like about our life and make a resolution to change it in the New Year.

Can be I honest with you? I think your New Year’s resolution isn’t going to be as effective as you hope it will, if it works at all.

Is change important? Absolutely. Is commitment essential? Of course. Is improving your lifestyle a wise decision? Without a doubt. So I don’t want to discourage you from writing or keeping a New Year’s resolution. I do want to challenge the way you think about biblical change.

You see, Christianity simply doesn’t rest its hope in big, dramatic moments of change. The fact of the matter is this: the transforming work of grace operates in 10,000 little moments. More than it does in a series of two or three life-altering events.

In other words, the character and quality of your life won’t be defined by two or three life-changing moments. No, the character and quality of your life will be defined by the 10,000 little decisions, desires, words, and actions you make every day.

How you can you be a better you in 2015? Confess in 10,000 little moments of conviction. Be courageous in 10,000 little moments of faith. Obey in 10,000 little moments of decisions. Choose the kingdom over God over the kingdom of self in 10,000 little moments of desire.

You don’t need a big resolution to change your life, because your life isn’t established in big moments.

Your life is established in 10,000 little moments, and Jesus Christ is present and active in all those moments. In these small, seemingly insignificant moments, he’s delivering every redemptive promise he has made to you. In these 10,000 little moments, the Lord is working to rescue you from you and transform you into his likeness.

By sovereign grace, God places you in 10,000 little moments that are designed to take you beyond your character, wisdom, and grace so that you’ll seek the help and hope that can only be found in him. In a lifelong process of change, he is undoing you and rebuilding you again – exactly what each one of us needs!

Yes, you and I need to be committed to change in 2015, but not in a way that hopes for a big event of transformation. Your hope for change is a humble heart that finds joy in, and is faithful to, a day-by-day, step-by-step process of insight, confession, repentance and faith.

As 2014 gives way to 2015, wake up each day committed to live in the 10,000 little moments of your life with open eyes and humble hearts.

God bless

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you want to change about your life?
  2. Why is a New Year’s resolution so attractive?
  3. Why do New Year’s resolutions typically fail?
  4. How can you make changes in your 10,000 little moments of life?
  5. How can you encourage others in their 10,000 little moments of life?

Article taken from Christianity.com. Written Paul Tripp. Paul is the president of Paul Tripp Ministries, a nonprofit organization whose mission statement is “Connecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.

20 really weird criticisms pastors receive (Merry Christmas!)

Back by popular demand, here are the latest really weird criticisms pastors have received, with special thanks to the responses at Church Answers and on social media.

  1. “You didn’t send me a thank you note for my thank you note.” Thank you.
  2. “You’re too happy!” I’ll make a point of being a total grump around you.
  3. “I will leave the church if you don’t put tissue seat covers in the bathrooms!” Please flush on the way out.
  4. “I’d be happy to take your wife to the store to help her select some appropriate clothes.” Please do, but don’t return.
  5. “I guess I have to die to get you to wear a suit and tie to church again.” The pastor did so the next Sunday. He’s waiting on the member to hold up his end of the deal.
  6. “Every sermon you preach is better than the next one.” Thank you . . . no, wait.
  7. “Why do we have to follow something an apostle wrote 2,000 years ago?” Yep, that Bible is overrated.
  8. “The VBS hot dogs are too cheap.” What? We got them at LifeWay!
  9. “You don’t tell enough jokes when you preach.” Yes, I do. I mentioned your name in my last sermon.
  10. “Stop talking about making disciples.” Yes, that criticism came from an elder.
  11. “When you changed the name from Sunday school to small groups, you took Jesus and the Bible out of the church!” I agree. Read Hezekiah 4:11.
  12. “You didn’t give good advice about the family vacuum.” Now, that’s important.
  13. “Heard you are going to cancel Christmas.” Yes, I consulted with the Grinch.
  14. “I don’t like the color of your beard hair.” Thank you. I plan to dye it pink.
  15. “Your hair color is too dark for someone in your profession.” Don’t worry. The more I hear from you, the grayer it gets.
  16. “Just because it’s in the Bible, you don’t have to talk about it.” I try to be selective.
  17. “Your wife used the wrong spoon in the coleslaw at the church social.” Thank you. She has agreed to be in timeout from church for one year.
  18. “We need to throw out the guitar to the streets. The piano is the only instrument that belongs in the church.” Yep, that’s what the Apostle Paul said.
  19. “You ended a sentence with a preposition in your sermon.” What is this criticism good for?
  20. “Your pregnant wife is faking morning sickness.” I would be happy for you to watch her throw up.
Some funny…sad and some angry.

All of them are reminders of the challenges of pastoral ministry.

Please tell your pastors how much you love them and appreciate them.

And to all you readers, thank you and Merry Christmas. You bring joy to my life!

Article taken from ThomRainer.com. Written Thom Rainer. Thom is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, an online community and resource for church leaders

How to Survive a Spiritual Winter – Sara Hagerty

A tree doesn’t survive the winter without healthy roots. Neither do we.

I remember that bleak February morning when my husband and I loaded up our car and drove through the stripped-bare forests of the Blue Ridge Mountains to move into my parents’ basement. Everything felt cold, including my heart. Weeks earlier, my dad was diagnosed with a fast-growing brain cancer which we were all still dazed by.

I left their house only for brisk runs through Ohio’s suburban sprawl, and I came home to more winter as I watched my dad decline. Couldn’t I just escape this season? I had entered into a spiritual winter.

A Holy Season

 

What I didn’t know then was that this was a holy winter. God was doing something underground that I couldn’t see.

In our early thirties, our friends were taking active steps towards impacting the world for God: sharing the gospel with neighbors over shared meals, moving into impoverished parts of a city with their hammers and prayers, and starting foundations to release women from bondage. This, while I was cooking tomato soup and playing euchre in my parents’ kitchen, watching my once-strong daddy die.

It all seemed so unfair.

When God saved me at fifteen, I responded by pouring myself into evangelism. Then, in my prime, I was unable to alleviate the pain for the man who’d raised his little girl to believe that life had no limits. My offering was now a cup of soup.

Yet it was in the dark basement of my parents’ home, listening to my dad restlessly putter upstairs through the dark night, that I started to see winter as holy.

A Tree in the Cold

 

Psalm 1 talks about the man who meditates day and night on the Lord:

He is like a tree
     planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
     and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:3)

The deciduous tree knows seasons. It shoots out nascent sprigs of life and verdant leaf in spring. They and their accompanying fruit unfurl under the summer heat, lush and alive. In fall, the mossy-green alights into gold, but only for a flash before brown takes over and winter starts her pull. This tree is disrobed in winter, but not dead. Motionless, with roots resting and waiting, it ever so slowly grows.

The tree prospers in winter, fulfilling its God-intended purpose. Though, to the unknowing eye, it sure looks barren.

Without recognizing seasons, we might only see that barrenness. We see a prospering life in God akin to the opulent tree in early spring, with leaves and fruit intertwined. We forget that this blooming comes forth because of the preparation that winter provides.

Blessed Are the Thirsty

 

That holy winter — when I felt hidden, unseen by friends who weren’t familiar with long hours of care-giving, passing my days without visible accomplishments and apparent fruit — I started to see that I could cultivate an unseen, private life in God. My roots were still alive, albeit concealed.

In the basement, underground seasons of my life, his word and his whisper became fresh to me. I wanted it, not so that I could teach it or share it or sermonize it, but because I was thirsty. So thirsty. During my daddy’s restless nights, I needed God to highlight a phrase from his word to sustain my little-girl heart.

I wasn’t changing the world; I was changing my parent’s laundry. But through it, God was changing me. With his word cracked open on the counter, he whispered words of encouragement and promise: “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . . my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:4–5).

The blessed man, likened to the tree in Psalm 1, found his delight meditatingon God, day and night (Psalm 1:2–3). Meditating on God’s word — singing it, crying over the pages, taking my angry heart to his word for answers and asking for a surprise rush of his Spirit’s lifting — took on new meaning when I was winterized.

In the winter, I fell in love. He became my delight — because he was all there was. His whisper, my winter song back to him. And this was to his glory.

New Practices for Cultivating Roots

 

For those who are in winter (perhaps even a prolonged winter), there are some reminders that might help sustain our roots:

1. Receive your season.

 

Rather than giving your energies towards wishing for another. The surrender, although painful, positions us to receive all that God intends for that particular season much better than if we fight against it. God is always oriented towards our growth, even in our winter. This is a truth given to us in John 15.

2. Create new spaces.

 

Find areas where you can fall in love with God afresh. Seemingly barren seasons might convince you that your roots are hardened. Not necessarily so.

Thwarted opportunities are a fresh chance to see God through his word in ways you haven’t before. Start a new habit of engaging with his word in the middle of your thwarted day. Write songs from his word. Take walks with your earbuds out, praying a verse back to him. Ask his Spirit to direct your eyes to the ways he is working in the small areas of your life. Winter is a time when the inside can be nourished even when what is outside feels barren.

3. Don’t forfeit your dream for fruit.

 

Our culture is largely oriented toward action. But dormant dreams are not dead dreams; they are often further opportunities for dialogue with God. He created you to desire fruit, and he desires fruit for you (John 15:8). Winter is a time to take those desires to God in prayer. Winter can also be a season where dreams are cultivated.

Thankful for Winter

 

My seemingly barren winter started even before my dad was diagnosed, and it lasted years beyond his death. But during that very long season, I had this single verse on a notecard, propped behind my kitchen sink:

“I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel.” (Isaiah 45:3, NKJV)

Now, during a kind of spring, I see that it all proved true. He cultivated my roots in winter and gave me treasures that are still producing fruit within me. And it wouldn’t have happened without my winters.

Article taken from DesiringGod.org. Written by Sara Hagerty. Sarah is the wife to Nate and mother of six children. She has written two books: Every Bitter Thing Is Sweet and, more recently, Unseen: The Gift of Being Hidden in a World That Loves to Be Noticed.

11 strategies to help you leverage Christmas to reach the unchurched

 

 

 

Any idea what the best outreach opportunity of the year at your church is?

You might think it’s an event you do, or perhaps it’s Easter. But whether Christmas has historically been your best opportunity to reach unchurched people or not, I believe it could be.

You may think it’s far too early to start thinking about Christmas but think again. Whenever I share these ideas about Christmas each year, people say “Hey, I wish you’d talked about this earlier.” So we are.

So why can Christmas become your very best outreach event of the year?

As our culture becomes more and more post-Christian, we’re seeing far fewer times when the holidays of the church and the holidays of culture sync.

I remember about a decade ago hearing a Toronto DJ refer to Easter as “the first long weekend of summer” (in Canada Good Friday is a holiday and schools still take Easter Monday off…a relic from Colonial days). Good Friday and Easter were completely lost on him. It was simply time off.

Christmas is completely different. It’s the one time each year mainstream culture still pays attention to a Christian holiday.

Our culture still loves Christmas. Sure, you can yell and scream that the motives are commercial.

But Christmas is the only time of year when you’ll hear restaurants, malls, radio stations and Spotify playlists belt out explicitly Christian songs like Charles Wesley’s “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing:”

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel

Christmas is completely different. It’s the one time each year mainstream culture still pays attention to a Christian holiday.CLICK TO TWEET

LEADERS WHO COMPLAIN ARE FAR LESS EFFECTIVE THAN LEADERS WHO LEVERAGE

If you follow a lot of Christians on social media leading up to Christmas, you probably have noticed how many people lament over the culture’s disregard of Christ.

In my view, Christian leaders who complain about the culture are far less effective than leaders who figure out how to leverage it.

Well, you can see the obstacle. Or you can see the opportunity. I choose to see the opportunity. There are so many connection points with our culture you’ll miss if you only see the glass as half empty.

Christian leaders who complain about the culture are far less effective than leaders who figure out how to leverage it.CLICK TO TWEET

Christmas is no time for the church to be more cynical than the world, which still remembers something is different at Christmas, even if they’re not exactly sure what it is.

Stop complaining about the world. Reach it instead.

As the general population thinks less about the Christian faith, Christmas provides a unique opportunity to reach people who no longer ordinarily attend church.

What’s surprising is that many churches don’t really leverage Christmas to make the impact it could.

At Connexus Church, where I serve, our Christmas service wins hands-down every year for both overall attendance AND attendance by unchurched people.  Although from a theological viewpoint, Christmas will never be bigger than Easter, when we think of it in practical terms, our Christmas outreach is always bigger than Easter simply because the culture is paying more attention.

Our culture pauses for Christmas in a way it pauses for little else in the year.

TV and film celebrate Christmas in all of its expressions. Almost everyone decorates their homes, businesses, and cities.

On December 24th and 25th, the Western world comes as close to stopping as it ever does.

I’m not sure there’s any better time than Christmas to connect with those of your friends and neighbors who rarely, if ever, go to church.

So with that in mind, here are 11 strategies to make Christmas your best outreach of the year.

Christmas is no time for the church to be more cynical than the world. Stop complaining about the world. Reach it instead.CLICK TO TWEET

1. DESIGN AN EVENT FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, NOT FOR YOUR MEMBERS

So what’s the biggest mistake many churches make each Christmas?

Simple. Too many churches hold a quiet Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service for members and leave it at that.

Others will do little to nothing special.

That makes Christmas the biggest missed opportunity of the year.

Unchurched people want to celebrate Christmas. Why can’t your church help them?

Here’s a hint: if you design your services with the community in mind, your members will love it too. Especially if their friends come and it changes their lives.

Unchurched people want to celebrate Christmas. Too many churches fail to help them do it.CLICK TO TWEET

2. BRAND THE EVENT AROUND THE COMMUNITY, NOT YOUR CHURCH

One of the best decisions we’ve made in the last few years is to take our church’s name off the main branding for our Christmas services.

We simply use the names of the cities we’re in. So for Barrie, Ontario, we’re Christmas in Barrie. In Orillia, it’s Christmas Eve in Orillia etc. Sure, we let people know it’s hosted by a church, but people are looking for a place to celebrate and we want them to know we can host them and their family at an event designed for the city.

We’re expanding our Christmas outreach this year into four cities that are within an hour of each other (which makes specific theming more difficult), so we’re using Christmas Eve in the City as a larger brand.

You can see the way we designed it here. (Note: this is last year’s site. The 2018 site goes live in early November…but you can get the idea anyway).

3. BUILD A SPECIAL WEBSITE

If someone has to click through 15 pages of your website to find your Christmas services, they’ll probably give up. And even if you put it on the home page of your website, it’s still a church website.

We started building custom sites a few years ago for our Christmas services and have been thrilled with the results. Here’s last year’s version.

Again, people have Christmas on their mind, and when the site looks like Christmas and there are free tickets available (see below), it’s easier for people to say “I’m in.”

Sites like this don’t have to be expensive. Get a teenager in your church to design one. Or, for a thousand dollars or so, you can have a basic site put together.

Find an easy to remember URL (like ChristmasEveInTheCity.com or ChristmasInYourTown.com) that makes your site more findable, local and shareable.

4. EXPERIMENT WITH MULTIPLE SERVICE TIMES

Not everyone can make it to your ‘one’ service. This year we’re doing 8-10 services over two days (the 23rd and 24th) in four cities.

Yes, those are long work days for staff and volunteers, but you can reap a harvest all year long from that investment.

We always offer more than one service time, because the reality is that different families have different needs. Young families seem to prefer earlier services so they can get their kids to bed early or have dinner together. Retail workers need a later service. In past years, we’ve pushed our service times earlier and earlier (starting as early as 11 a.m.) at our broadcast site.

The reason? Providing multiple service times gives multiple families lots of opportunities to attend and to invite their friends.

For better or for worse, the investment you make in your Christmas service can determine your harvest all year long.CLICK TO TWEET

5. STRETCH YOURSELF AND EXPERIMENT

To be honest, pulling off Christmas services in four cities has stretched our team. But it’s a good way to test out new venues, new places and new communities in which you might one day have locations.

And it’s a great system test to see if you’re ready for more.

But as every church leader knows, to open a new campus or church in a new community takes time, money, risk and experimentation.

A few Christmases ago, we started experimenting with pop-up sites. In the same way you’ve seen the rise of pop-up restaurants or pop-up stores, you’ve seen more pop-up churches that open in a new location for a night or a month or a season.

You can rent old churches, theaters, restaurants, banquet halls or whatever to bring your church into a new community. It gives you a chance to test the waters for expansion and to bring the hope of Christ into a new place without making a massive initial investment.

We’re adding a new permanent location as a result of our experimentation and will be adding more in the future. It’s also helped massively grow our online reach to cities and communities in which we didn’t have a presence before.

Christmas is a great time to be innovative because unchurched people are rarely more interested in church than at Christmas.

Christmas is a great time to be innovative because unchurched people are rarely more interested in church than at Christmas.CLICK TO TWEET

6. GIVE YOUR CONGREGATION INVITATION TOOLS

Did you know that 82% of people would come to church if a trusted friend invited them?

Yet in a typical year, only 2% of Christians invite a friend to church. Heartbreaking.

Create some full-color cards with details on it which people can hand to their friends.

We’ve tied candy canes to Instagram-like cards to make them easier to hand out to friends. For years now, we’ve also done business-size cards and some full-size posters. The posters pop up all over our cities in places like Starbucks, hockey arenas, community centres and more.

It’s easier to invite a friend to something like Christmas than to a regular Sunday morning.

82% of people would come to church if a friend invited them. Only 2% of Christians bother.CLICK TO TWEET

7. USE SOCIAL MEDIA

Sure, maybe you don’t have the bandwidth to build fresh websites. Just do it for free using social media. Create a Facebook event or promoted posts. Use all your social media channels and get the word out.

Encourage your people to share with their friends. They are your number one source when it comes to promotion because they’re already invested and engaged.

Do a Photo Booth at your church that will create some fun Instagram moments with dressed up kids and people holding a “Join us for Christmas Eve” signs.

When people share your story on their own accounts, it’s far more effective than when a church shares it on its account.

8. DISTRIBUTE (FREE) TICKETS

Why not ticket your Christmas services? Free tickets, of course, but tickets help create demand.

They have also helped us manage fire code.  Eventbrite is an inexpensive and easy solution we’ve used for years now.

Plus, having tickets drive decisions and commitments to attend.

9. LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY

This year, we’re attempting to once again increase the amount of money we normally give to our community partners like the local food bank, right before Christmas.

We’re also participating in local Christmas parades and community events in ways that show our community that we’re for them and that God is for them. 

Love makes a pretty irresistible force when it’s unleashed on a city. And generosity makes an impression on unchurched people.

Love makes a pretty irresistible force when it’s unleashed on a city. So love your city.CLICK TO TWEET

10. INVITE THEM BACK

Every year, without hopefully sounding like a commercial, we invite people back for January.

They get a card explaining the new series and dates, times and locations. Last year we even played the trailer for our January series during the services (here’s our 2017 kick off series promo), even though it was anything but “Christmassy.” Because our January series dealt with a felt-need (people don’t like their jobs and find life overwhelming at times), it created a huge buzz and many guests returned in January simply because they saw the trailer.

I know inviting sounds basic, but you’re dealing with unchurched people. Think about it, you would never go to a party unless you knew you were invited.

Unchurched people don’t know they’re invited unless you invite them. So invite them.

You would never go to a party unless you knew you were invited. So invite your community to church.CLICK TO TWEET

11. PLAN A CALL TO ACTION

God’s grace is sovereign. We’ve had people commit their lives to Christ during volunteer events and during series about tithing.  So God can do anything.

But you need to do your part. Don’t let people walk away bored or with just a big warm fuzzy. Challenge them. People will leave mostly unchanged unless you create a different expectation.

Almost every year, we give people an opportunity to surrender their lives to Jesus… and it’s amazing how many people do. And when we invite them back and offer them steps to take in the new year (like beginning Starting Point), Christmas starts a journey for them that often ends with them surrendering their lives to Christ.

Christmas can start a journey for many unchurched people that often ends with them surrendering their lives to Christ.CLICK TO TWEET

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF DURING AN INTENSE SEASON

Getting ready for the rush of Christmas is one thing, but how do you avoid burning out, taking shortcuts or otherwise ending up in a place you don’t want to be?

Article taken from CareyNieuwhof. This article is written by Carey Nieuwhof

Thanksgiving Day and Beyond

What comes to mind when you think about Thanksgiving Day? For many of us, it would probably be turkey. After all, it’s the centerpiece of our traditional celebration. As family and friends gather around the table, we generally offer a sincere prayer of gratitude to God for all His blessings before enjoying the food and fellowship. But what comes after dessert? For some people, it’s a football game. Others start planning for Christmas shopping the next day. Although Thanksgiving Day always ends, our expressions of gratitude to God should continue throughout our daily lives.

Gratitude honors God (Ps. 50:23). When we acknowledge the Lord as the source of all our blessings, we are exalting Him by declaring our dependence upon Him. Who hasn’t breathed a prayer of thanks after narrowly escaping a car accident? Appreciation helps us realize that we cannot make it through life without God’s help.

Thankfulness is expressed in a variety of ways. Sometimes we gather in worship services to fellowship together and sing praises to God. But we can also worship the Lord when we’re alone by letting everyday activities—no matter how simple—become reasons to thank Him. Another way to acknowledge the Lord as our provider and express our gratitude is to give Him the first part of our income.

A spirit of thanksgiving is the result of remembering all God has done for us. The Scripture describes many blessings and privileges that result from our salvation and should invoke gratitude in hearts. Here are just a few reasons we can give thanks to God:

  1. God chose us before the foundation of the world.
  2. We are indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
  3. We are eternally secure.
  4. We’ve been given gifts of the Spirit.
  5. We have an intimate relationship with the Lord.
  6. We’ve got the peace of God in our hearts.
  7. The Lord loves us unconditionally.
  8. We’re never distant from the presence of God.
  9. The Lord provides for our needs.
  10. We have His divine protection each day.
  11. We’ve got the promise of a bodily resurrection.
  12. The blessing of God’s atonement through Christ and total forgiveness of our sins.
  13. We have an eternal home in heaven and the promise of the resurrection.
  14. We’ve been given the Word of God, the source of all knowledge and understanding.

How can we cultivate a greater spirit of thanksgiving? We can begin by taking note of simple blessings that God provides each day. Having a car to drive, receiving income from employment, or having a family and a home in which to live are all reasons to be thankful. So often we take these things for granted, but they are all provided for us by our loving heavenly Father—the greatest reason we have to be grateful!

Article taken from intouch.org. This article is adapted from the Sermon Notes for Dr. Stanley’s message “Thanksgiving Every Day,” which airs this weekend on TV.

12 leadership books every leader should read (my personal all-time top picks)

So you’re a reader, but which books can give you the unique insight you need to make sure not only that the organization you lead is healthy, but that you and your team stay healthy?

I get asked all the time from leaders what my top leadership books are.

I’ve put together my top picks.

These are the books that I may have read recently or years ago, but who’s ideas have left deep marks on my life and leadership, years or even decades later.

Great books shape how we think, and how we think is who we become and how we lead. So read well.

Three quick notes before we get to the list.

First, I’m not claiming these are the top leadership books of all time. They’re simply the books that have most impacted me personally. So it’s totally subjective and you won’t see some of them on any other list of all-time great books. I know that. But still, these are gems I’d recommend everyone read.

Second, just because a well-known book isn’t on the list doesn’t mean it’s not important or that I haven’t read it. Of course, I haven’t read them all by any means, and there are many key books I have read that aren’t on the list. Again, this list contains the books that have most shaped me and that I would recommend.

Finally, the list is not in order…alphabetical or by priority. These are just 12 great reads.

Oh, and one more thing, no the Bible isn’t on this list. I’m a Christian and it’s by far the most important book I’ve ever read. I’ve read it daily for almost all my adult life and regularly as a child. It just goes without saying that it’s the most important book in my view ever. So (commenters), it’s in a league of its own.

Here we go. The top 12 leadership books and what I love about them:

Great books shape how we think, and how we think is who we become and how we lead.CLICK TO TWEET

HOW THE MIGHTY FALL JIM COLLINS

This is not Jim Collin’s best-known book, but it’s my favorite book he’s written.

How the Mighty Fall is a study of why once great companies collapse. Collins isolates five stages of decline and doom for once-great companies (including some of his Good to Great companies). The five markers are a chilling reminder of how success goes awry. Collin’s insights into the hubris born of success and the undisciplined pursuit of more are haunting and a great window into the soul and ego of everyone who leads anything.

For anyone who’s leading anything that’s growing or successful, this is a must-read.

Here’s the link.

GOOD TO GREAT JIM COLLINS

This is Collin’s best-known book and for good reason. I can’t tell you how many times his concepts work their way into everyday leadership conversations I have with my team.

From “first who” to ‘confront the brutal facts’ to the ‘flywheel principle’ to ‘level 5 leadership’ and the defining role that humility plays in greatness, Collin’s insights have shaped me and the teams I lead deeply.

Here’s the link.

THE ADVANTAGE PATRICK LENCIONI

I’ve read pretty much all of Pat’s books, but this is my fave.

If you’re not familiar with Pat’s writings, this is a great place to start because it’s kind of a summary of all his previous work. And being a non-fiction guy, this is one book that doesn’t have a fable (which I appreciate…Pat says everyone else loves the fables...so I’m weird that way.)

I found the section on mission, vision and values to be game-changing.

Here’s the link.

Also, if you’re into podcasts, here’s a fascinating interview I did with Pat for my leadership podcast on why he said no to Steve Jobs, motivating millennials and the three qualities you need to create the ideal team.

LEADING CHANGE JOHN KOTTER

This is now a classic from Harvard’s John Kotter that I picked up shortly after its release in 1996. And thank goodness.

I was a young church leader trying to lead some very traditional churches through change, and other than the scriptures, this was my guidebook. Kotter is brilliant on the psychology and dynamics of leading change.

This book was so impactful that I later wrote my own book on change called Leading Change Without Losing It, crediting Kotter and adapting some of his principles to the church/non-profit world.

Here’s the link to Kotter’s classic.

THE FIVE LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP JOHN C. MAXWELL

Of course, there had to be a John Maxwell book on the list. Again, this isn’t his best-known work, but it’s an absolute must-read for anyone who wants to understand how influence works.

It’s a fascinating book because you can instantly recognize how you gain and lose influence as a leader, and what the next step is for you in your development. His framework also shows you why you find some people you work with compelling and others not compelling in their leadership.

Here’s the link.

PREDICTABLE SUCCESS LES MCKEOWN

Every once in a while your life flashes before your eyes when you read a book, and this was one of those books.

When I first read Predictable Success, I thought Les McKeown had been in every meeting and conversation I’d been in over the last 20 years.

Les outlines 7 stages of growth and decline that organizations go through, and again, his framework (the fun stage, whitewater stage, treadmill stage)  has worked its way into my everyday leadership vocabulary because it is so incredibly descriptive of the real-world dynamics of leading anything.

Here’s the link.

I’ve had the privilege of interviewing Les McKeown twice on my leadership podcast. To hear about the seven stages of the life-cycle of an organization, listen here. For his brilliant work on creating true synergy on a team, listen here.

ESSENTIALISM GREG MCKEOWN

The first books on this list are leadership books for the organizational side of your leadership.

Now onto some that will shape you as a leader. Probably my fave topic.

So let’s start with Greg McKeown’s Essentialism. I love this little book. It was paradigm shift for me. McKeown deals with the problem of overwhelm in leadership in a very powerful and direct way.

Most leaders are running at 100 mph and McKeown shows you exactly why that’s so dangerous and how to stop leading that way.

My biggest takeaway? If it’s not a 9 out of 10, it’s a zero. It’s a key to the disciplined pursuit of less. Again, we talk about that concept all the time on our team. It’s become part of our decision-making framework. Hard to live by, but so worth it.

Here’s the link.

I am getting into the habit of chasing down my favorite leaders for interviews. Here’s my leadership podcast episode with Greg McKeown if you’re interested.

THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE STEPHEN R. COVEY

This perennial best-seller is not overhyped. Read it. Then read it again.

Begin with the end in mind has become axiomatic for a generation of leaders, but it’s still so rare. And read to the end to learn about sharpening the saw. So good.

Here’s the link.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE DANIEL GOLEMAN

This book was a gamechanger in 1995 when it was released, and it still is today.

It gives penetrating insight into self-awareness and will help you also see why so many people get stuck.

Hiring for EI has become part of the lexicon in leadership because of this book, and indeed, your emotional intelligence is one of the greatest predictors of your success in life and leadership.

Here’s the link.

MARGIN RICHARD SWENSON

This underground classic was recommended to me when I was recovering from burnout over a decade ago.

While its analogies are a bit dated, the principles are not. It opened up a new way of thinking for me about rest, self-care and what happens when you create space in your life.

In a world that’s only gotten busier and louder since Swenson wrote Margin, this book is even more essential today.

Here’s the link.

THE GENESEE DIARY HENRY NOUWEN

Oh, how I love this little book. Again, not one of his well-known works, The Genesee Diary is just what it suggests, Henri Nouwen’s diary from a six month period in the 1970s.

Nouwen was a professor in NYC whose career was taking off. Caught up in success, ego and the trappings of advancement, he took a sabbatical at a Trappist monastery in Upstate New York to find his soul.

His diaries are refreshingly honest, peculiar and at times mundane, but in them, you see a man wrestling with God and God winning.

In many ways, what you find in this little book is the beginning of the man that would emerge from the struggle, a writer that generations of people who want to get closer to God would go on to love.

Here’s the link.

ENEMIES OF THE HEART ANDY STANLEY

So apparently I’m pretty good at putting relatively unknown books on my list.

Andy has written many books that have gone onto become widely read best-sellers. This is one most leaders haven’t heard about.

It’s my favorite book Andy’s written. It’s soul surgery.

I talk to leaders all the time who say they can’t really afford counseling. If that’s you, buy the book instead to get started.

It will move you through all the emotions and twisted craziness you feel when you encounter guilt, anger, greed and jealousy. I promise you if you read it and apply it, you will never struggle with those emotions in the same way again.

Game-changing for me.

Here’s the link.

Andy is a friend and I’ve had the chance to interview him twice on my leadership podcast. You can listen to the most recent episode, where he talks about his latest book, Irresistible, here. I also have an interview where Andy talks about his leadership approach here.

ONE MORE BOOK…

My love for learning, leading and reading eventually turned me into a writer.

Of all the books I’ve written, I’m most excited about my latest, Didn’t See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects and Everyone Experiences.

In it, I outline 7 issues almost every leader experiences and almost no one expects. They’re the issues that take leaders out or take us under. And even if your struggle with cynicism, pride, burnout or irrelevance doesn’t cause to exit ministry or leadership, not dealing with those issues can still thwart your potential and kill your team culture. A lot of the book is my journey toward health. It’s a long journey…and an imperfect one. I don’t get everything right, but the difference personal and spiritual health makes is astonishing, in both life and leadership.

I wrote it to help you make progress, spiritually, personally and in leadership. Hope it will guide people in the same way my favorite books have guided me.

Check out Didn’t See It Coming for yourself and here.

Article taken from CareyNieuwhof.com and written by Carey Nieuwhof.

30 Ways to Thank Your Team

 

 

 

The work of any church is done by an army of dedicated people. Some are staff, some are volunteers—some are a lonely team of one. It’s often thankless work, so do everything you can to say thank you.

We’ve got a list of 30 ways to show your appreciation and thanks.

You can get the whole list of 30, but let’s start with five:

  • Handwritten note: Seriously, hand write it. Like, with a pen and paper. And say something thoughtful. (If your penmanship is atrocious, get a typewriter.) Send it through the actual mail for bonus points.

 

  • Gift cards: Pick somewhere the person actually likes. A gift card for a store you never go to is lame. If you’re not sure, pick a local restaurant or coffee shop. If you’re really stuck, go with an Amazon gift card or straight up money gift card.

 

  • Home-baked goods: You can’t go wrong with homemade food. Cookies, cake, snack mix, etc.

 

  • Bring treats: And if you can go wrong by trying to bake, then pick up some tasty treats. Spring for the good stuff. Find the best donut/bagel/cookie shop in town, don’t just go to the bakery section of the grocery store and get the stale leftovers.

 

  • Cover dinner: Or go over the top and make them an entire meal. Serving your team a meal is a great way to provide for them and also spend time together.

Article taken from ChurchMarketingSucks.com and written by Kevin Hendricks. When Kevin isn’t busy as the editor of Church Marketing Sucks, he runs his own writing and editing company, Monkey Outta Nowhere.

3 Elements Every Team Member Needs From Their Leader To Thrive

A few years ago, the gym that I go to was undergoing new ownership.

Without any prompting, I began thinking about possibly going to a new gym down the street.

That week in the locker room another gym member entered and was upset because his credit card had been hacked. Coincidentally, he had also used his credit that week to pay his bill at the gym. He, without any proof, linked his card being hacked to using it to pay his bill with the new gym owners.

In disgust the guy said, “If that’s how it’s going to be around here, I’ll take my membership elsewhere.”

Why did he feel that way?

Why did I consider finding a new gym?

What Was Lacking?
Trust.

Trust had yet to be established.

If you want to dramatically move your team forward this year, establish trust.

By the way, I love what the new owners have done with the gym. Their style is different. Their personality is different. Actually, I love the direction they have taken it.

Your Team Members Need Trust To Thrive.

In the book, The Speed of Trust, Covey suggests that a lack of trust will slow progress, but that building trust will accelerate everything.

What is trust?  Ultimately, trust is confidence.

Have you ever bought something from an unfamiliar website?

If you’re like me, you first read reviews and checked shipping times to verify that the site was credible.

Now think about customers who use Amazon. They actually pay money to buy things faster using prime. They just click a button and have confidence that the items will arrive safely.

Why do people purchase so freely from Amazon?  One subtle reason, trust has been established.

As Leaders We Must Extend Trust.

Your team members need trust to perform, excel and go to new levels. This may be difficult for you, but trust is essential to the growth of your team.

To extend more trust start by sharing responsibility incrementally. Let me explain with a brief story:

A couple years ago a lady named Stacey at my church was recommended to help lead outreach events.

The first event under her leadership, I really didn’t know what to expect. Sure, expectations were shared but it was a new working relationship. But sure enough, when I showed up all everything was covered.  She had thought of everything.

A layer of trust was established. Each event evoked more trust, all the way up to the Easter Egg Hunt. It was the tipping point.

While were loading vehicles with materials to set up a booth at the city-wide egg hunt, Stacey looked at me and said, “Can you grab that white chair too?”

THE CHAIR.

It seemed like a strange request to me. The chair was not on our list of items to load up. I really didn’t want our volunteers sitting at our booth, I preferred for them to stand and to engage with the crowd. Nevertheless, I loaded the chair and didn’t say anything.

Twenty minutes into the event the Easter Bunny came walking across the grass headed toward the pavilion where our tent was stationed. I watched as Stacy approached the city worker assisting the Easter bunny and listened as she invited them to use our chair, under OUR tent, so that the Easter bunny could sit to take pictures with the kids.

THE GENIUS.

At this point, in my estimation, Stacey is a genius. Most of the crowd that had children came to our booth to take a picture with the bunny which allowed us to have lots of great conversations with them.

I’ve learned to trust Stacy. I encourage her ideas. I’ll give way to her opinions and input because I trust her.

I communicate that I am readily available to help and she bounces ideas off of me – but I do not get in her way!

To Extend More Trust:

*Be on the lookout for the indicators of competency and trust.

*Identify areas of competency and extend more responsibility.

You can extend trust to the members on your team too. Start small. Observe how the trust is used and then measure more out.

Your Team Members Need Clarity To Thrive.

Craig Groeschel explains two dynamics that exist related to trust and clarity. He says that if you provide clarity without trust, you’ll create an environment of fear.

The leader will continually pull away authority from the one she has entrusted because of a lack of trust. This creates robots instead of leaders.

The other dynamic is one that is created when you give trust without clarity. Doing this will establish an environment of disappointment.

Without direction there will be unfulfilled expectations and both parties will be upset and confused.

To provide clarity to your team first make sure you understand what you’re asking of those you’re leading.

Ask yourself, “Can I clearly and simply communicate exactly what I want?”

Once you understand something, you should be able to simplify it for someone else. The goal is to give clear and concise expectations.

To Create Clarity For Your Team Members:

*Identify Needs

*Clarify Why It Matters And How It Relates To The Vision

*Write Down The Expectations

*Discuss With Team Member

*Ask For Commitment

Think of most of the fights you’ve ever had…  what does it come down to? More than likely it was a misunderstanding or miscommunication.

Your team needs clarity in order to hit objectives and stay connected to the mission. It’s easy to assume that everyone is on the same page and understands what is expected. However, that’s not always the case. That’s why the next element is equally important too.

Your Team Members Need Feedback To Thrive.

Creating a culture of feedback can revolutionize the effectiveness of your team.

As leaders we must first model receiving feedback to begin infusing a desire from our team members to ask for it too.

Feedback that is constructive is vital to employees’ ongoing development. Feedback clarifies expectations, helps people learn from their mistakes and builds confidence.

Constructive feedback is one of the best things managers can provide to their employees. When delivered properly it can, reinforce positive behavior, correct any negative performance and ensure a strong culture remains in your team.

Below Are Three Aspects To Give Effective Feedback:

Why Should You Give Feedback

*It Reinforces Values

*To Empower Team Members

*It Prevents Unnecessary Surprises

*Ensures Alignment

*To Discover Needs

When Should You Give Feedback

*Sooner Rather Than Later

*Regularly

*When Team Member Models What You Value

*When Team Members Stray From What You Value

How Should You Give Feedback

*In The Right Setting

*With The Right Motives

*Be Direct

*Provide Examples

*Explain The Impact (help them understand how/why the action matters)

*Ask For A Response

*Provide Next Steps

Feedback must be welcomed in order for it to be beneficial. If it’s not even constructive feedback can be taken the wrong way or disregarded.

If members on your team refuse feedback, it’ll be detrimental. Growth will be stunted, culture will be dampened, and frustration will continue to rise.

Being closed-minded toward feedback could be an indicator of one or two things (or both):  a lack of trust or a lack of security. However, these issues can be resolved over time if both parties are willing to work together.

Which of the three elements is most difficult for you? Take note and be intentional to ensure your team members are receiving what they need. When leaders provide their teams with what they need they’ll accomplish more than what you’ve asked.

 

Article taken from Catalystleader.com and written by Evan Doyle. Evan is a campus pastor in Southeast Indiana.  He also blogs at dailychristianhelp.com to help other leaders strengthen their ministry, avoid frustration and grow their church.

Six Mistakes Many Search Committees Are Making Today

  1. Taking too long
  2. Playing candidates off one another
  3. Not doing background checks: legal, social media, credit;
  4. They are not asking “#MeToo” questions
  5. Not providing clarity to internal candidates
  6. They are not communicating sufficiently to the congregation

Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:

  • There is no reason why it should take as long as it normally does to fill pastoral vacancies.
  • You should always run legal, social media, and credit background checks on potential pastors before hiring them.
  • Pastors, your social media footprint will follow you throughout life. Don’t do stupid.
  • You don’t have to give all the details of a pastor search to a church, but the congregation needs ongoing updates.
*Find out 3 Benefits to Using a Search Company as a Candidate

Article taken from TomRainer.com and written by Tom Rainer. Thom is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, and online community and resource for church leaders.