Let it Breathe
At my core, I naturally drift to being a micromanager. I like to know that systems systematize and structures keep their structure. While systems and structures aren’t inherently evil, I recognize the dangers of holding...
Category: Learning Curve
Explain the Why
You’ve undoubtedly heard the story of the husband and the ham. It’s a must-do illustration for all pastors. So much so, that all Southern Baptist seminaries require graduates to sign a contract stipulating that they...
Rewind: It’s Your Move
I’m enjoying some long-awaited downtime with my family this week. The following post originally appeared on May 3, 2010. Sunday was a day of interesting conversations. (The following have been dramatically enhanced to protect the...
Nobody Brags About Being Mary
I have a love / hate relationship with Luke 10. If you know the latter part of that chapter, then you’re familiar with the story of Mary and Martha, two sisters who counted Jesus as...
Flashback Friday: How to Complain
Every Friday I dig into the archives and dust off an old post. If you haven’t read it, it’s new to you! The note landed on my desk several weeks ago. It came to me...
The Sure and Steadfast Anchor of Our Soul
I don’t know about you, but I tend to think of the stuff of life as weights. Job pressures. Anxiety. Family pressures. Temptations. Exterior expectations both reasonable and unreasonable. Regrets. Lofty goals. Financial needs. An...
Maybe You Can’t
Leading in ministry isn’t for the faint of heart. There are budgets that need to be stretched, visions that need to be expanded, and volunteers that need to be recruited. Nearly every time our team...
What’s Stopping You?
It’s Monday. Which means – if you’re anything like me – you’re rolling into the office with a pocket full of Post-It notes, a half a dozen thoughts scribbled onto the back of your business...
Plan the Work. Work the Plan.
I’m smack-dab in the middle of an intense season. Events and projects and meetings and tasks are piling up higher and faster than pumpkin spice products on aisle twelve of Kroger. Yesterday I bounced from one...
When it Comes to Your Volunteers, Assume the Best
As far as coaching moments go, it wasn’t my best day. I was hanging out on a Sunday morning close to the main entrance of the building, observing our first time guest process. You know, the...
