Church Leadership

Church Leadership equips pastors, elders, ministry staff, and volunteer leaders to lead with biblical conviction, humility, and wisdom. Explore practical, Scripture-shaped guidance on leading teams, developing leaders, casting vision, making decisions, and building a healthy ministry culture. You’ll also find help for navigating conflict, communication, accountability, and the spiritual formation of leaders—so leadership flows from character, not just competence. Whether you’re stepping into leadership for the first time or carrying long-term responsibility, these resources aim to strengthen your leadership for the good of the church and the mission of Jesus.

December 27, 2015

Christian Standard

Advice for Actors . . . and Preachers

By Al Serhal Years ago I saw an old interview with legendary actor James Cagney. He was asked his best advice for aspiring young actors. His answer really stuck with me. He said, “Learn your lines . . . plant your feet . . . look the other actor in the eye . . . say the words . . . mean them.” Cagney”s advice for actors is actually good advice for preachers, too! Learn your lines. Know your message! Read through it and preach it aloud several times before actually bringing it to the pulpit on Sunday. Some have

December 26, 2015

Christian Standard

Sermons for a Postmodern Culture

By Rick Chromey Everything about church these days is different from what it was less than a generation ago. Everything but the sermon, that is. How can we change our approach to preaching in order to reach people receiving information today as never before? “No one . . . pour[s] new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:16, 17). Few things in life are sacred, and fewer still are eternal. Wineskins come

December 18, 2015

Michael C. Mack

Questions to Ask Before Starting a New Ministry

By Michael C. Mack This is prime time for planning a new ministry in 2016. Here are some questions to ask, and answer, before venturing forward (these are compiled from various sources): What’s the purpose of this ministry? 2. Why do we need this ministry? (Is it really necessary?) 3. Would (or could) people do this ministry naturally without creating a program? 4. Are other people already doing this (and could we partner with them)? 5. Are we keeping the main thing the main thing, or is this ministry just one more thing to do? 6. How does this ministry

December 3, 2015

Michael C. Mack

Holiday Season Ministry Ideas

By Michael C. Mack Give gifts to people in need. Use the gift catalogs from International Disaster Emergency Services (IDES)””go to ides.org, select About Us, and then Newsletters, and then Gift Catalog””or World Vision (www.worldvision.org) to provide people the opportunity to buy useful gifts such as animals, handcrafted gifts, or clean water for children and families in need. You can even create a gift registry to help raise funds. Give gifts of time. In a small group or class, have each person identify one person they know who may need a listening ear or emotional availability from a friend this

December 3, 2015

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I”ve Ever Heard (5)

By Arron Chambers   Larry Lewis Larry and his wife, Teri, are missionaries for Open Door Libraries in Berlin, Germany. He has a Bachelor of Theology in Missions from Ozark Christian College. Larry”s Best Sermon: The best sermon I”ve heard on the identity of Jesus is “Was It a Waste?” by Dr. Roger Chambers of Florida Christian College (now Johnson University Florida), available at https://soundcloud.com/larry-lewis-46/rc-was-it-a-waste. (Roger Chambers is Larry”s uncle and this columnist”s father.) Why Larry likes this sermon: “This sermon changed my life. I first heard it about 15 years ago while editing tape files of Uncle Roger”s old

December 3, 2015

Christian Standard

16 Ways to Make Your Minister Happy at Christmas

By Jennifer Johnson 1. Say the following to him in November: “What”s the biggest need for the Sunday before Christmas? What about Christmas Eve? I”m on it.” 2. Give him a gift card (or just some cash!). Do not give him a plate of cookies, an inspirational wall hanging, or a Bible. 3. Encourage him to take off the weekend after Christmas (or, even better, the entire week), and enthusiastically attend services that Sunday even though he”s not preaching. 4. Give extra money to the church. 5. Do not expect him to be at all three performances of the children”s

December 2, 2015

Christian Standard

Christmas: It”s a Heart Thing

By Jim Tune In his excellent book simply titled Preaching, Tim Keller commits an entire chapter to the notion and need for preachers to preach Christ to the heart. “Preaching,” according to Keller, “cannot simply be accurate and sound. It must capture the listeners” interest and imaginations; it must be compelling and penetrate to their hearts. It is possible merely to assert and confront and feel we have been very “˜valiant for truth,” but if you are dry or tedious, people will not repent and believe the right doctrine you present.” Arguing that we should preach “wondrously,” Keller contends that

November 29, 2015

Christian Standard

Moving On

By Bob Mink I had the privilege of planting Discovery Christian Church (originally Moreno Valley Christian Church) in 1984 in a small but rapidly growing distant suburb of Los Angeles. I was 33 years old at the time, and our family moved from the Greater Philadelphia area. On our 30th anniversary in 2014, I stepped down as senior pastor. Looking back, I now realize the transition began in 2011, when one of our associate pastors left our church to become campus minister at his alma mater. I was fully supportive of the move, but after almost 27 years, I was worn down and

November 19, 2015

Christian Standard

Race, Unity Topics at Stone-Campbell Dialogue

On Nov. 14 about 90 attended a daylong seminar titled “Addressing Race and Racism Within the Church and Society” at Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, MD. Sponsored by the Stone-Campbell Dialogue, and partnering with the Racial Unity Leadership Summit, the event shared insights on how to develop sustainable steps for greater racial unity and justice. The event was the centerpiece of this year”s annual meeting of the Stone-Campbell Dialogue. The Dialogue continued Nov. 15 with debriefing and planning among 17 members of the Dialogue”s national team, followed by a unity Communion service that evening, hosted by Westside Church of Christ, Baltimore,

November 11, 2015

Christian Standard

The Secret-Driven Life

By Jim Tune (This column was first posted November 5, 2014.) To be real is to risk. I know many preachers who feel a deep reluctance (often well-founded) to reveal who they really are to those they lead. Henri Nouwen suggests that pastors are the least confessing people in the church. The expectations demanded of pastors in our Western culture are often unattainable, unsustainable, and soul-withering. I admit that I have sometimes allowed my own fear of vulnerability to push me into hiding. The trouble with life in the shadows is the double life it promotes in the shadow dweller.

November 7, 2015

Michael C. Mack

November Ministry Ideas

By Michael C. Mack November 21: National Adoption Day. Held the Saturday before Thanksgiving in all 50 states. On this day a number of courts and communities work together to finalize the adoptions of thousands of children in foster care. Ideas: Work with agencies in your community to support adoptions. Plan with adoptive parents in your church to advocate for adoption in your community. Plan your weekend services around adoption, inviting adoptive families from the community. Speak about God adopting Christians as his children (Romans 8:15, 23; Galatians 4:5) in your sermon or Sunday school lessons. November 27: Black Friday.

October 31, 2015

Christian Standard

The Best Sermon I’ve Ever Heard (4)

By Arron Chambers Christian leaders, some of them preachers themselves, tell us about a sermon they can”t forget””and maybe you won”t either.  ____ Marie Jobe Marie is an avid reader, running enthusiast, and a passionate pursuer and supporter of Brian Jobe, lead pastor at Harvester Christian Church, St. Charles, Missouri. Marie”s Best Sermon: The best sermon on what it means to be a temple of the Holy Spirit by John Mark Comer, pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon (https://vimeo.com/90938239). Why Marie likes this sermon: “I am very passionate about inspiring others to take responsibility with

October 27, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Nothing More Valuable

By Mark A. Taylor Maybe most wouldn”t suspect that loneliness, discouragement, temptation, and insecurity are companions of the person leading their church””especially growing, dynamic ministries like those led by the four guests in our most recent Beyond the Standard podcast. But each of them””Ben Cachiaras, Tim Harlow, Eddie Lowen, and Greg Nettle””admitted to at least one of these problems. And all four credited their association with each other as a key to rising above barriers to emotional and spiritual health. They”ve created a group where they”ve found the freedom to confess sins, share doubts, discuss problems and possibilities, and discern

October 26, 2015

Christian Standard

Our Reading Group

By Chad Ragsdale Life can get busy. Correction, life is busy. It is often the principal description we give for our lives. How are we? We”re busy. And our persistent busyness stunts our spiritual and personal growth. Growth simply demands too much of our time. And, let”s face it, in our culture many of the things that best lead to growth are typically treated as merely “recreational” or diversionary in nature. Important disciplines like Sabbath, study, and meditation are regarded as luxuries (“if you have the time for such things”), much like a day at the golf course or the

October 20, 2015

Christian Standard

When the Leader Fails

By Alan Ahlgrim Integrity failures come in all shapes and sizes, and usually at the most inconvenient times, in the most surprising ways, and from the most unexpected directions. Based on my experience and what I”ve learned from others, here”s my advice for a church coping with a leader”s failure. Over the course of my ministry, here”s just a sample of what I”ve been faced with and forced to lead through. “¢ Confronting the chairman of the elders with his adultery with another visible church member. “¢ Navigating the confession of molestation, as a highly respected leader simultaneously admitted his sin

October 20, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Entrepreneurship ≠ Leadership

By Mark A. Taylor Big ideas. Bold initiatives. Novel thoughts and new approaches. Replacement strategies and structures and processes to eliminate the out-of-date. Change. Growth. These are the fruits produced by all good leaders, right? Maybe. It”s certainly true we hear all of these described in leadership seminars and discussed among many ministers and their advisers. But lately it has dawned on me that what some see as leadership is really entrepreneurship. And they are not the same. The entrepreneur is, at least at first, a lone ranger. He (or she) pushes forward compelled by a new idea or a

October 19, 2015

Christian Standard

What Does Restoration Look Like?

An interview with John Walker By Alan Ahlgrim What would you like a struggling leader to know? First of all, they need to know they”re not alone. Everyone has struggled, is struggling, or will struggle with a life-limiting or ministry-threatening issue. Everyone. Sadly, too many not only struggle, but fail to the point of falling out. Is there a pattern to the failure situations you”ve seen in ministry? Not really, except to say that to some degree, sooner or later everyone messes up or gets stuck. We”re not about blame, shame, or punishment. We”re concerned about restoration and healing. That”s

October 17, 2015

Christian Standard

Gut Check

By Eddie Lowen Pixar”s movie Inside Out is clever. It”s about an 11-year-old girl whose family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. The genius of the film is its vivid and humorous portrayal of the memories, thoughts, and emotions that compete to control the girl”s behavior. If I had to select one word to capture all three of those elements””memory, thought, and emotion””I”d choose the word instinct. How good are your instincts? Let me guess: pretty good. As you read my question, you thought, I trust my gut. My instincts are above average. That”s the problem. Everyone thinks his or

October 12, 2015

Christian Standard

Quitting Solitaire

Four ministers. One concern: How to find a “band of brothers” for accountability, insight, and help to finish well. By Eddie Lowen I was set apart for ministry by the first church that employed me. I was only 19 when they hired me (and 20 when they ordained me), yet they took a chance. They took a chance that I would graduate a year after my ordination. They took a chance that I would mature in many ways. They also took a chance that I would find a wife! Seriously, at the time, an unmarried pastor was rare. Most of

October 11, 2015

Christian Standard

Integrity in Preaching

By Daniel Overdorf Stories abound of preachers and plagiarism. Some are funny: “When Chuck Swindoll starts preaching better sermons, so will I!” Or, “If I use one source, it”s plagiarism; if I use two sources, it”s research.” Other stories, though, are heartbreaking. Churches have fired ministers for preaching sermons downloaded from the Internet. Other preachers have kept their jobs but split their churches””half their members not wanting to serve with a leader they feel has broken a bond of trust. Plagiarism is using someone else”s material without giving credit. And it tempts even the most faithful of us. The temptation

Help Keep Christian Standard Free & Accessible with a Tax Deductible Donation

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Does Your Church Want to Support Christian Standard?

Would your church consider including support for Christian Standard in its annual missions budget? Your support would help us not only continue the 160-year legacy of this unifying ministry, but also expand the free resources, cooperative opportunities, and practical guidance we provide to strengthen churches in the U.S. and around the world.

We can do more together!

Every gift makes a difference!

No, thank you.
100% secure transactions - receipts provided.
Secret Link