Latest Trainings

Leadership

Be Good at Something Different

In ministry, most churches and leaders try to be good at what everyone else is good at doing. We’re all trying to improve our preaching, youth groups, kids’ curriculum, worship, environments, and countless other areas. The problem is that we’re not all blessed with the same gifts, and we're...

Leadership

Five Ways to Increase Your Leadership Capacity

Capacity—it's how much you can handle and how much you can produce. When you have your first child, you think you're maxed out. All the diapers and crying are more than you can handle. But then you have a second and a third child—and you realize you're getting better and better at th...

Leadership

Be Unreasonable

I bet you have heard this many times: “be reasonable.” Truthfully, under many circumstances, “be reasonable” is sound advice—but not always. As Christian leaders, there are some times to be unreasonable. When you pray, you might ask God to do something most would consider impossible...

Leadership

Fasting From Church Stuff

For years I tried to learn from and be like other ministers. I listened to messages, attended conferences, and devoured every Christian book I could. Each time I met a new leader, I tried to become more like them. A few years ago though, God led me to do something very different. (I'm not ne...

Leadership

Spirit-Led Instead of Model-Driven

Many pastors operate on certain models. There is the “seeker-sensitive” model, the “purpose-driven” model, the “emergent church” model, the “contemporary church” model, the “spirit-filled classic charismatic” model, the “small group” model, the “multi-site” model, the “missional inner-city”...

Leadership

Think Ahead: Anticipate on Purpose

Successful people are often great at anticipating—the needs of others, the trends of the future, and the next steps that need to be taken. Make it a priority to intentionally practice anticipation in the following ways: If you want to be promoted as an assistant, anticipate how...

Leadership

Strategic Disruptions

The longer you do ministry, the easier it becomes to minister from memory. You tend to do what you've always done. It is safe, comfortable, and convenient. To stay spiritually and creatively fresh, I suggest “strategic disruptions.” To me, this is intentionally disrupting the routine, mundan...

Leadership

The Imaginary Deadline

For years, I struggled with managing my time effectively. One tool that has dramatically increased my effectiveness is the “imaginary deadline.” If I’ve got a project without a deadline, it’s easy to procrastinate or work halfheartedly. But, when an assignment has a hard deadline, I start fa...

Leadership

Leading in the Right Role

Before you step up to speak, before you have a developmental conversation, and before you cast vision, there’s one thing you have to do first. You need to clearly define the purpose. There are three important things to consider to define your purpose: • What you want people to kno...

Leadership

How to Have a Strong Developmental Conversation

At some point in your leadership, you’ll encounter a staff member or volunteer who isn’t cutting it. And if you’re a part of any growing organization, your organization is eventually going to outgrow someone on your team. The hard part, especially for those of us who are spiritual leaders, is th...

Leadership

The Most Important Word

In many cases, the word “no” is more important than the word “yes.” To say “yes” to the  best  things, you’ll have to learn to say “no” to the  good things. In ministry, you will be overwhelmed with many good opportunities. But if you say “yes” to all of them, one d...

Leadership

The Death of the Five-Year Plan

When I started in ministry two decades ago, everyone I knew was making five-year plans. While thoughtful planning is wise and biblical, I’ve changed how I plan. Instead of planning for specific buildings, campuses, staff roles, and outreach, I plan to be prepared for opportunities that I can...