Leadership Development

Sep 29 2014

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

Sep 25 2014

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?

Sep 18 2014

What To Do When You Hit The Wall

I have been involved in something called the My 500 Words Challenge for the last 18 days. The challenge, begun by Jeff Goins, has been to write at least 500 words every day for 31 days. The premise behind the challenge is to making writing a habit for those who desire to or love to write. I have had the desire to write a book for a number of years. In fact, I have at least two active book ideas that I am “working” on right now. The problem has not been with the idea to write a book, but with the actual “writing” of the book. This is where the My 500 Word challenge comes in. Every published author that I have spoken to has reiterated the importance of writing every day as a habit key to their success. So I embarked on this challenge just under three weeks ago in an effort to develop a habit needed to fulfill my goal. And then…I hit the wall. [Read more…] about What To Do When You Hit The Wall

Jan 08 2010

The Burning and Learning

My former pastor, under whose ministry I came to salvation and responded to my ministry call, used to say that preachers needed the burning and the learning, the inspiration and education, the celebration and information. What he meant was that as preachers, pastors, and teachers in ministry we should have both the desire that comes from an abiding sense of call, and intentional theological development. In recent years, I’ve come to notice that theological education has become an unimportant accomplishment for those expressing a call into vocational ministry. I find this widening trend both unfortunate and dangerous for the health and future of the Church. The mission of the local church, and ultimately universal Church is far too important to be entrusted to the ignorant, ill-equipped, and uninformed. The logical end of this trend is continuing doctrinal error, false teaching, heresy, and the leading astray of countless multitudes.

Historically, there have always been movements within the Church that have considered intentional, formal theological education unnecessary, and in some cases a hindrance to effective ministry. In my development, I had to endure comments that called seminary the “cemetery”, and other derogatory comments. This was a small thing to endure, to make sure that I gained as many of the tools that would aid me as a preacher, pastor, and ministry leader.

Some of you are thinking as you read this, the Holy Spirit is my teacher. The Spirit of God is a prerequisite for living a Christian life, and absolutely needed for effective ministry service. It is he, who convicts of sin, calls to service, and provides the required “abiding sense of call”–the burning that doesn’t dissipate. Without the aid of the Spirit of God, we cannot preach, teach, lead, or minister effectively. The Spirit of God imbues the ministry leader with the power that becomes clear in public ministry situations. I cannot, do not, and would not deny the power of the Holy Spirit in my life as a ministry leader.

I must also say that God desires us, saints and those saints who lead in ministry, to always strive to be the best we can possibly be. We should want to be equipped in every way possible. This want, or burning, should lead us to desire learning. Those freshly called into ministry should be running to discover what they need to be effective. These runs should be to formal, intentional forums of ministry training. This training can be as formal as Bible colleges, seminaries, or universities. This development can also be effectively obtained through intentional, structured, denominational, or church-based theological education. While seminary or university education is the choice of many, there are other viable options to get the needed ministerial development. Now, I am by no means endorsing any particular institution (although I have attended several that I would highly recommend), but if God has given you a desire to enter vocational ministry, the desire for development as a minister should go with it.

One more piece to this rant. A renewed desire for intentional theological education will, I can only pray, stem the current tide of extra-biblical, un-biblical, error prone, flavor of the month, making up things that aren’t in the Bible, ear-tickling, ego-driven preaching and teaching that is far too prevalent in the contemporary church. We do not stand to tell what is on our mind’s, what we believe they want to hear, what will make them put more in the offering, or what we think will make more people attend our churches, but to articulate the message of God to his people. This isn’t a joke or a business people! I’m not mad, I’m just tired of the nonsense. Stay blessed.

Aug 19 2009

Courageous Leadership Needed

Let me state right here at the beginning that this is a rant. I believe that it is founded in fact and truth, but it is a rant nonetheless. The Christian Church in the U.S. is in need of more courageous leadership.

There was a time in the Church’s history in this country when it led the charge in many areas, both spiritually and culturally. For the most part, those times have passed. There are still ministries whose leaders are determined to stand with their integrity intact, while boldly advancing Christ’s mission and agenda. Sadly, the majority of Christian leaders are content to be cheap knock-offs of whatever leader or ministry seems to be the most popular at the time. This is not just sad, its dangerous.

Many of our burgeoning leaders are weaned in the vast wasteland of Christian television. Before you type in another web address and write me off, remember that this is a rant and hear me out. Not all Christian television is bad, but most only exemplifies the lack of courageous leadership that I am lamenting in this post.

Courageous leadership doesn’t follow the crowd, but stays on the path of righteousness. Courageous leadership has a clearly articulated set of beliefs to protect itself from being swayed by every wind of doctrine. Courageous leadership has God’s mission and vision as the only aim and measure of ministry success. Courageous leadership doesn’t equate the amassing of personal wealth, influence, or titles as the only measure of being in God’s will or favor. Courageous leadership is willing to make difficult decisions, to the detriment of oneself, to ensure the success of Christ’s mission.

I’m seeing too many clones of self-serving at best, heretical at worst leaders launching ministries these days. Glitz and glamour are not prerequisites to effectiveness in ministry. They may draw a crowd, but they won’t grow a people. A question that I asked many times prior to responding affirmatively to the urge to start a church was?”why does God need another Church?” What will the ministry of your church do differently from the thousands that exist, to advance his mission?

Some leaders need to find the courage to change and do ministry for God, not themselves. Some leaders need to find the courage to speak with the voice they feel inside, regardless of the crowd’s response. Some leaders need to find the courage to seek another vocation, and allow God to put a truly courageous leader in their place.

Stay blessed.