Leadership
CARPE DIEM!
The other day a man expressed to me that I must have my hands full as a District Superintendent. He had heard a couple of pastoral burnout and failure statistics that left him incredulous. He asked me if the stats were indeed true (sadly, they were) and then asked me what I do to address these…
Read MoreLIFE WITH GOD
G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and therefore left untried.” (What’s Wrong with the World). Really living your life with God can be costly. It goes against cultural norms. Matthew 10:34-39 says that it can become a sword that separates people from their own family. It means…
Read MoreIS FEAR HINDERING YOUR MINISTRY?
This may sound a little sick, but I’m glad some of the greatest leaders in the bible were fearful on occasion. One leader I’ve considered in particular is Joshua. Joshua evidently wasn’t just a little fearful – he was terrified. Not only did God tell him three times to be courageous, but the people he…
Read More7 STEPS TO AVOID BURNOUT
What should a pastor do when feeling tired, burned out, under-appreciated or even under attack? 1. Don’t isolate yourself. Solitude is a spiritual discipline and is healthy. Isolation is not. Make friends with someone not associated with the church. Someone from another church, a friend from seminary days, or even someone in town who is…
Read MoreWHEN ENVY IS GOOD
I’m sitting in a leadership conference that I needed far worse than I care to admit. I’ve had my heart stirred, my faith encouraged, my mind challenged and my calling clarified. In reference to the last part, my calling, it’s less about being a District Superintendent and more to do with being a leader in the…
Read MorePREACHING THAT MISSES THE POINT
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But Dr. Abe Kuruvilla sure is trying. That’s how it felt for some of us last week as we gathered together in Princeton Junction at Windsor Chapel for our Preaching Refresher. 64 of our pastors and preachers-in-training signed up to be a part of this gathering. Not…
Read More