Contextualization is at the very center of the church’s mission. Christian congregations must know their context as they live out the gospel of Jesus. In other words, church leaders should understand why their church exists and what their God-given mission really is. This is not some fringe part of a church’s existence but is central to its very purpose.
All tagged church leadership
Redemptive Relational Practice in the Church
Part of the responsibility we have as God’s co-creators is that we help our flock create the kinds of connection that God desires to have with them by modeling it for each other. If we truly believe that God’s best for us is to be fully in His presence in right relationship with Him, then we must take seriously the responsibility to unleash that presence on earth as it is in heaven through our roles as royal priests who make God known, especially to the neighbor you turn to greet.
The Fullest Possible Joy
The road to the fullest possible joy is a path of obedience containing opportunities to follow that are contrary to human nature and turns opposite of which people often imagine themselves taking.
Supervising Single Staff Members in Churches
While the intended audience of the book “Thriving as a Single Person in Ministry” is two-fold, I would like to offer this book as a necessary resource for church leaders of single staff members.
Spaghetti, Marshmallows, and Ministry
While there are lots of lessons to be learned from this research, for us as church leaders, the big take-away here is that what matters most is group interaction.
There Is Something We’re Not Seeing Here…
Throughout the holiday season I’ve been in the learner’s seat for a very practical lesson, but one that has large implications. It’s time I had some classmates.
Belonging and Connection: Might It be Simple?
As summer comes to a close, we reflect on the simplicity summer activities offer as we seek to facilitate connection and belonging within Christian community.
When Leaders Get their Feelings Hurt
We all get our feelings hurt. You need thick skin to be a spiritual leader. It is hard. Most people never know how many hours you spend trying to help people.
The Particular Challenge of Older Congregations
Folk who study congregations speak of congregations having a “life cycle.” If you’re thinking that your church might be one of them, let’s take a deeper look.
Leaders who Empower Others
We work for the maturation of God’s people, helping them to grow in their Christlikeness in every aspect of their lives.
What Really Matters?
Churches that live in the presence of the gospel are paying attention to spiritual vitality, passing and forming the Christian faith in people, and practicing hospitality to the world.
Ask!
It’s time to stop being mad about what people aren’t doing and ask for what you need. I mean it. I’m like a broken record out here as I’m coaching people through conflict. “Just ask,” I say, over and over.
Flying Like an Eagle
Have you sometimes been humbled by a pastoral situation, entering or exiting in a clumsy or awkward way, or struggling to get a sermon or initiative off the ground?
It’s Complex!
The reality for most of us in congregational or ministerial contexts is that things are not just complicated – they are complex.
Creativity and Theology
I love talking with people who are genuinely passionate about an art form. The comments and energy that surface come from a place deeper than productivity or even functionality.
Moral Injury and the Power of Reconciliation
Peter has not lived up to the person he claimed to be, and because of this incongruity, he has experienced a moral injury.
Fewer Church Splits, More Church Plants
Many churches are wrestling with new ways to interpret Scripture. Here are a few realities that will happen when leadership decides to go in a new direction.
Humbler Church, Bigger God
If there were one lesson most churches ought to learn right now, it would be this: we should become humbler so that God might seem bigger.
Spiritual Friendship
The truth of God’s saving grace through faith becomes realer than real when experienced in life, interacting with those who wear skin. We need to have, to be, a friend.
Walking While Grieving
My challenge that day was complicated: keep walking uphill while fighting the wind and trying to find the next trail marker amidst the fog.