Category: Leadership
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Drilling Down
I have greatly benefited from being introduced to Tri-Perspectivalism. While it is an odd sounding word, as a concept Tri-Perpectivalism is reasonably easy to grasp. It is a multi-facted perspective, or looking at things from three distinct perspectives, rooted in the personality and offices of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. John Frame was probably the first to touch upon this…
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Mistakes
Steve Childers is Founder and President of Global Church Advancement. He is also professor of Practical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary-Orlando. In a former life Steve was an effective pastor and church planter. A number of years ago I had the privilege of taking a doctoral class in church planting under Steve’s tutelage. I have…
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5 Reasons Church Leaders Quit
Why do so many church leaders quit or go into early permanent retirement? This is epidemic these days. According to Pastor in Residence, a ministry aimed at restoring ministry casualties back to active duty, at any given time as many as 33% of American pastors consider throwing in the towel. And this is not a…
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Putting Off My Procrastination
Here are some words I would be wise to regularly remind myself: No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterward, and that the remembrance of…
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Questions of Prophets, Priests, and Kings
Some time ago I introduced the concept of Tri-perspectivalism, the recognition that every Church ought to reflect the three offices of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. Each person, or Christian leader, has a natural inclination toward one of these perspectives, but all three are equally necessary to reflect Christ in our Body. There are many questions that can…
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Mistaken Identity
Like many churches throughout the land, our church is entering into a season of officer nominations. As a presbyterian congregation, specifically, we are inviting the members of our congregation to submit the names of fellow church members who they believe fit the Biblical requirements, found in Titus & 1 Timothy 3, for the offices of Elder…
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Prophets, Priests, and Kings
An important concept to explore and implement in the ministry of the local church is the reflection of the Offices of Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King. This is known as Tri-Perspectivalism or Multi-Perspectivalism. I have written and spoken a little about this, but I am still far more a student than an expert when it comes…
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Leading Lasting Changes
At Walnut Hill Church we are blessed with a strong tradition and a membership with a high level of satisfaction. Like most ministries and organizations we have our share of folks who express varying degrees of dissatisfaction – some because we are experiencing growth & change, and others because we have not changed & grown quickly enough.…
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Right People, Right Direction
There are two common maxims offered to pastors when entering a new ministry. Both are wise and true. But they are mutually exlusive: “Don’t change anything in the first year.” “If you don’t change anything in the first year, you will never be able to change anything later.” One way to resolve the tension is to…
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Putting a Bus Stop at Our Church
A generation ago it was not uncommon for a churches to have bus ministries. Volunteers would drive a bus to pick people up from around the community and shuttle them to and from the church. Jim Collins, in his best-selling book Good to Great, seems to suggest churches still need to get people on and off the…
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Under the Spell of the Wizard of Westwood
He was known as a wizard – the Wizard of Westwood. I am not sure how that moniker came to be attached to him, except that this pithy alliteration well described his mastery of the the basketball court as coach of the UCLA Bruins. But that nickname seems to have rung true for another reason. By…
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Ambition
I’ve been listening to the audio of sessions from Acts 29 Network’s 2009 Bootcamp: Ambition. While not everyone will find these talks of interest, I think they are challenging and stimulating for those of us in ministry and church leadership. Ministry for the Long Haul & Ambition (Matt Chandler) Decoding Your City & Ambition (Kevin Cawley)…
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Core Values of Walnut Hill Church
I recently finished a series unveiling the Core Values of Walnut Hill Presbyterian Church. The Elders of our church worked on these for several months, as we tried to discern the characteristics that define and drive our church. Leadership expert Aubrey Malphurs calls Core Values “the qualities that make up and establish an organizations character,…
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Overcoming Evil Leadership
Reggie McNeal, in his book Practicing Greatness, makes this audacious statement: “Bad leaders are a form of evil.” When I first read that statement I thought “Woe! That’s a bit strong.” But as I read further I came to understand his thinking… and agreed. Consider his whole point: Bad leaders are a form of evil.…
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A Team Approach to Effective Church Ministry
As a Presbyterian minister I am keenly familiar with committees. While committees are a familiar staple in churches of almost any flavor, we Presbyterians especially like to have everything done ‘decently and in order’. This makes the committee structure seem almost inherently appealing to our ecclesiastical DNA. But to be honest, from time to time I find myself…
