Intercession
A Focused Way to Pray for One Week Beginning This Coming Sunday
Prayer is seldom easy, and sometimes we need guidance to get started. Here’s a way your small group […]
Blog
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- Church Leadership
8 Experiences All Church Leaders Need
I believe in leadership training. In fact, I teach D.Min., EdD, and Ph.D. courses in Christian leadership at Southeastern […]
- ministry
10 Things I Want to Say to My First Pastor
As I get older, I think often about people who have influenced my life. One of those influences […]
- christian living
8 Things We Must Not Take for Granted as We Start a New Week
You, like I, probably already have your week planned. It’s likely to be busy, I suspect. In the […]
- Church
11 Obstacles to Effective Discipleship in the Church
Leading a church to be a discipling church—especially if that’s never been their focus—is not easy. You might, […]
Chuck Lawless
10 Characteristics of the Best Second-Chair Leaders I’ve Known
It’s not always easy to be a second-chair leader, especially when you want to lead but aren’t in […]
Chuck Lawless
10 Reasons You Should Not Do Ministry Alone
I know this post proposes a ministry lifestyle that is difficult to establish and maintain, but I state […]
Global Missions
10 Characteristics of Missions-Minded Churches
I love missions and missionaries—and I’m deeply grateful for churches that take the Great Commission seriously. Here are […]
Church Health
10 Leadership Mistakes in Transitioning a Church
Some years ago, Thom Rainer and I co-wrote, Eating the Elephant: Leading an Established Church to Growth. In that […]
Pastoral Preaching
7 Reasons Preaching Energizes Me
Yesterday, I had the privilege of preaching three times at a local church. I was tired when the […]
Discipleship
7 Simple Ways to Strengthen the Discipleship Strategy in Your Church
My assessment is that many, if not most, churches have no intentional, strategic plan in place to disciple […]
Evangelism
10 Evangelistic Questions Pastors Ought to Ask of Themselves
If you read this blog regularly, you know I’ve never seen a strongly evangelistic church without a pastor […]
Modeling Prayer
A Challenge to Pastors, Missionaries, and Laity Alike
Take a minute and read these texts from the scriptures, and then read my final challenges: “Now I […]
Missions
10 Things that Happen When a Pastor’s Heart Beats for Missions
I wish I could introduce every seminary student, rookie pastor, and even veteran pastor to shepherds I’ve known […]
Leadership
10 Questions to Ask about Your Church Staff Meetings
Here’s the scenario I challenge you to consider today. You and your church staff are having your regular […]
Preaching
9 Simple Steps to Preaching or Teaching More Powerfully this Weekend
Your preparation for a sermon for this weekend might be finished – or at least leaning in that […]
Church Staff
12 Characteristics of the Best Church Staff Members I’ve Known
Over the years, I’ve met some great church staff members. I’ve also met some problematic ones, but they’ve […]
Church Membership
8 Ways Churches Miss It when Recruiting Volunteers
There’s no question churches have struggled securing volunteers coming out of COVID. Some of the issues related to […]
Marriage
9 Ways Pastors Let Ministry Harm Their Marriage
Too many of us know a ministry couple that has divorced. I encourage pastors to be aware of […]
Leadership
11 Reflections on Christian Leadership
I do not claim to be a great leader. I realize I still have much room for growth, […]
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