Leaders

"What ifs" are a part of everyday life and often, in the church, worry is looked upon as a sin. But the Bible is gentle with anxiety and reassures us of the faithfulness and loving kindness of our Father. We can rise above worry and anxiety by meditating on the promises God has given in His Word and focusing on the love that has never let us down.

What does it look like when God’s Spirit is poured out on a people willing to surrender everything back to Him? There seems to be some common characteristics that mark these times of extraordinary fellowship and the palpable presence of God. This is a glimpse of the Christian community that will stand and boldly proclaim the name of Jesus in our age.

The work of creation involved the whole Godhead. No individual is inferior, yet team leadership doesn’t eliminate the value of a principal leader or director. The team together has all the gifts and capabilities necessary to lead effectively.

As summer approaches, ministry leaders in many churches will spend time recruiting and training new leaders to serve in their church’s kids ministry, the youth ministry, and to lead groups and classes for adults. If you are approached and asked, here are six reasons you should say yes.

Changing the world can start with a dream but without the necessary tools to make that dream a reality, it could remain fleeting and intangible. There are dreams we cannot forget, that rattle around in our brains and keep us coming back. If we can walk along the path to successfully seeing a dream turn into a plan, we can see millions of live changed.

When you next encounter someone who is proclaiming a false christ, or someone who announces their belief in no Christ at all, have the confidence of your convictions to ‒ instead of arguing or debating ‒ lead in prayer and in spiritual authority. Then, in a moment of faith, trust that the living, breathing, all-consuming Jesus Christ will emerge in the moment to lovingly confound every spirit of darkness.

I’m a dad. I’m also a son. And it occurred to me recently that there are certain things that kids need from their dad. In fact, as I pondered the whole idea of fatherhood, I recall several examples in the Bible of “dad gifts” that were passed on to children. I think any dad would benefit from considering these, and, if you didn’t get these from your dad, there’s a pleasant surprise for you at the end of this article.

Is it time for us to go beyond “East vs. West” leadership charts?

Many leaders believe that good organizational culture means the absence of discord among their people. Their focus is on agreeing and getting along. But productivity remains elusive.

The coaching approach listens and asks for understanding through open questions first, rather than sharing opinions and making judgments. It can be useful for all kinds of issues and in all kinds of relationships, including marriage and family, not just ministry or with our staff.

Leaders come with a variety of experiences, tools, approaches and methodologies. The thing they all share, however, is the belief that they can bring value to an organization in the form of substantive change. They all believe they can guide a group to achieve a given goal. But no matter what area of expertise or experience, no matter where they start in the process of influencing an organization, there are basically two categories of value a leader brings that last.

Bosses who are in sin need brothers to confront them.