I remember like it was yesterday. I felt that I had been lied to. To make matters worse, I felt that I was still being lied to. The frustration built as I continued to contemplate that, what I had thought to be the truth was actually something else. I can remember exactly where I was when I, as a newly minted church planter came to the realization that all of the things that I had been told about church planting failed to come close to the reality that I was now living. That is also the moment I knew that I needed to begin writing about my experiences, thoughts, and feelings as a church planter and church leader. [Read more…] about What I Did When I Couldn’t Take The Lies Anymore (Maybe You Can Relate)
As a Leader You Will Only Have One True Legacy
The older I get, the more I think about what I am leaving behind. When I was younger, leaving a legacy was the furthest thing from my mind. But now I begin to wonder if the things that I have done in life matter. I wonder if the generations that come after me will have knowledge that I existed at all. As leaders we ask, or should ask, the same question. What is it that I am leaving behind? What is my legacy? The answers may vary from leader to leader, but there is one answer that should trump all of the others. [Read more…] about As a Leader You Will Only Have One True Legacy
Why Church Leaders Are Losing the Awe of Idealism
One piece of advice that should be heard and heeded by every new leader is not to lose the awe of idealism. The weight of leadership can press the awe of out a leadership assignment. We need to encourage new leaders to fight to resist this end. What is the awe of idealism? It is an attribute that is vital to ministry longevity and success. [Read more…] about Why Church Leaders Are Losing the Awe of Idealism
8 Lessons Church Planting Has Taught Me – Part II
Church planting has been one of the most difficult and rewarding things that I have ever been blessed to do in my life. In the first post in this two-part series, I talked about the first four of the eight lessons that I have learned as a church planter. You can read the first post here. In this post I will cover lessons 5 through 8 that I have learned since planting Harvest Christian Fellowship in 2007. [Read more…] about 8 Lessons Church Planting Has Taught Me – Part II
8 Lessons Church Planting Has Taught Me – Part I
I have learned a lot since January 2007 when Harvest Christian Fellowship began as a church plant. The truth is I never thought that I would be a church planter. I never sought to be a church planter. I never contemplated what being a church planter entailed or would be like until 2006. In spite of all of that, the undeniable truth is that being a church planter has taught me a lot about life, myself, leadership, faith, and people. There have been more surprises than I would have ever imagined, and I believe the lessons deserve to be shared with everyone. [Read more…] about 8 Lessons Church Planting Has Taught Me – Part I
Nature or Nature: Are Leaders Born or Made?
Which comes first…the chicken or the egg? This is one of the first riddles that many of us learned. There is a similar question that has puzzling humanity for millennia. Are leaders born or are they made? The nature or nurture debate over leadership has been occurring for ages. Most people fall into one camp or the other. The people who believe that leaders are born view leadership as a gift given by God, and Romans 12:8 is used as evidence. For them you are either born or endowed with the gift of leadership or you are not. Those that believe that leaders are made believe that leadership is a skill that can be taught, a learned behavior vital to organizational success. I believe that there is a third option that is rarely explored. [Read more…] about Nature or Nature: Are Leaders Born or Made?