I want to share what might be my biggest leadership lesson in ministry from the past few months. Trust is everything. I taught a workshop this summer called Trust as a Leadership Action. I've been adapting it for the next episode of Productive Pastor, but I want to give you a short run-down on it. Before we do that, let me ask you a question. How much has trust been a part of ministry for you? Have you ever served in a ministry that struggled with trust? Have you ever lost staff, leaders, or...
13 days ago • 2 min read
I’m 45. The youngest member of Generation X. Across the internet, Gen X loves to point out how many times we get left out of writing on generational dynamics. With fewer births than both the Baby Boomer generation (birth cohort from 1946-1964) and the Millennials (1981 - 1996), Gen X (1965-1980) does get stuck in the middle. Compared to the 76 million (Boomers) and 62 million (Millennials), our 55 million is significant, but sandwiched between two larger age ranges. This isn’t just meme...
25 days ago • 3 min read
Learn to do big things by doing small things. Do you like to experiment? I am a serial experimenter. I spend time trying to figure out how things work. Sometimes, what I learn affects the larger way I work. At other times, my experiments finish, and I store what I learned in my brain if I need something in the future. Experiments can be handy. I want to share with you how little things learned can be helpful for big things. I also want to talk about the dangers of experiments and how to avoid...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Friend - I’m a practical guy. I like systems, processes, and data. I can’t imagine how one would work in ministry, lead a church, or do the job I do right now as a congregational developer without these practices. On a more personal side, I am obsessed with the classic devotional life. Those Spiritual biographies. Spending time in scripture and prayer (using the daily office), and other well-trod practices. I have the privilege of working with awesome folks here in Louisiana. One of the...
2 months ago • 2 min read
“When nostalgia becomes the test of faithfulness, we’re not guarding the truth - we are exporting a culture.”-James Bell In the last few articles, I’ve been riffing on an encounter I had at a workshop. The question “What about our seniors?” was asked by a well-meaning person during a conversation on reaching new people and guest integration. In both emails, we covered plenty of ground on the idea. What about our Seniors? I shared a question I received from a workshop participant nervous that...
2 months ago • 5 min read
Last email, I wrote about ministry walls. Have you ever come up on a situation in ministry that you know will be difficult? If you could find a way to move through it, both you and your ministry will be able to bear more fruit. That’s a ministry wall. Understanding ministry walls is important. Ministry walls, if left unscaled, have the ability to create blockades. Personally and congregationally, these blockades limit how we fulfill the great commission. Ministry walls also chase the pastor....
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Friend - Last email, I shared a story about a workshop conversation. A participant worried that their church, focusing on reaching new people, would leave older members in the dust. I've heard it before, but it made me start thinking about why it is a common worry. This sort of conversation is more complicated than we realize. The fear of being left out is real. The need for a missional priority for reaching new people is real. Church leaders have to navigate both of these fears. I shared...
3 months ago • 3 min read
What walls are standing in front of you right now? Ministry walls are barriers that inhibit moving forward. Personal walls are based on leadership. Organizational walls limit your church's ability to live fully into your mission. There are all sorts of walls. If I wanted to define the idea of ministry walls, I’d put it this way. A ministry wall is some outside force, appearing to be beyond natural control, which sets a defining boundary of effectiveness. Let’s dig into that definition a bit...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Let me share a recap of a workshop session I led this spring. I was in Louisiana and teaching a session on engaging new visitors to the church. A good friend was bringing several people from his church and warned me to be ready. About halfway through the table conversation, one of his leaders said: “It’s all good and fun to talk about reaching new people, but what about the seniors who have been at our church for decades?” Honestly, it wasn’t the first time I'd heard this comment, but this...
4 months ago • 3 min read