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.

July 24, 2014

Christian Standard

Hire, Fire, Decide, Defer

By Gary Weedman (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) I have received three pieces of advice that have been of equal value to me in the latter part of my professional career.  When I went to Milligan College, Dave Rose, a retired insurance executive and alumnus of Milligan, said to me in his cantankerous way, “Weedman, if you”re going to be a successful administrator, you need to learn what I had to learn”””˜hire slowly and fire fast.”” Take your time, attend to due diligence with the first; when you”ve made a mistake, don”t let it

July 23, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

A Conversation with Caleb Kaltenbach

  Caleb Kaltenbach grew up as an agnostic with two homosexual parents. Now the lead pastor with Discovery Church in Simi, California, he challenged North American Christian Convention attendees to “Preach the Truth in Love.” Hear his thoughts about how to balance grace and truth, especially with homosexuals, in this exclusive interview here.

July 23, 2014

Christian Standard

Hidden in a Field

By Jim Tune In 1989, the movie Field of Dreams was a blockbuster hit. Kevin Costner played Ray Kinsella, a 37-year-old man who always played it safe. He had never done a spontaneous thing in his life until hearing a voice one day that said, “If you build it, he will come.” After hearing the phrase several more times, he asked other farmers if they heard similar voices. Eventually Ray saw a vision of “Shoeless” Joe Jackson walking out of his cornfield. In the vision, Ray”s cornfield was transformed into a baseball diamond. When he actually “builds” a baseball field,

July 21, 2014

Christian Standard

Put It in Print

By Rick Jett (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) The best advice I ever received was from Alan Ahlgrim, former senior minister of Rocky Mountain Christian Church in Colorado. About 20 years ago, Alan was teaching one of the graduate classes I was taking at Cincinnati Christian University. One lesson was about personal growth of a leader. He said good leaders are constantly growing. They will read, take classes, attend conferences, and interview other leaders. He explained that growing leaders will set goals. He walked us through an exercise of writing goals and action steps

July 19, 2014

Christian Standard

Their Prison, My Freedom

By Dick Alexander (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) I was in the middle of a long period of what seemed like relentless attack from people in a church I served, when a friend advised me my critics were not the enemy, but prisoners of the enemy. It set me free””free from we-they polarization. Free from choosing sides. Free to see them with compassion. The harshest critics were prisoners. In general, they didn”t enjoy life. They were prisoners of bitterness, anger, and unresolved past hurts. His advice, the best advice I”ve received, set me free

July 17, 2014

Christian Standard

Would a Belly Have Been Better?

By Tim Harlow (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) The best and worst advice I ever received was from Sky Allen, the previous minister at Parkview (then the Tinley Park Church of Christ). I got the same advice from my friend Haydn Shaw, who was a minister in the area. When I asked them whether I should accept the senior minister position here in 1989, both of them very strongly said “NO.” The place was a divided, leaderless, and visionless church that was being held together with duct tape by the area church planting organization.

July 17, 2014

Christian Standard

Things Will Get Better . . . or Worse!

By Cal Jernigan (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) The best ministry advice I have ever received has to do with putting things in perspective. The simple advice was captured in one little sentence: “Things are never as good as you think they are, and things are never as bad as you think they are.”Â  While it might initially sound a tad pessimistic, it”s anything but. When things are good, it”s easy to be euphoric and to exaggerate the significance and impact of what you”re celebrating. It feels so good and it feels so right.Â

July 16, 2014

Christian Standard

Where’s Jesus?

By Ben Cachiaras (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) As a fledgling minister in my first senior ministry, I worked hard on my preaching. I don”t recall the biblical text I was working from, but I do remember feeling especially satisfied with the way the sermon came together one particular Sunday. It had three cleverly worded points, a couple of new insights pulled from “deep” commentaries, a funny illustration that was sure to get some yuks, and a moving conclusion drawn from an incident with my young son””people always like to hear about your kids,

July 16, 2014

Christian Standard

The Discipline to Discipline

By Jim Tune The words church discipline can conjure up vivid imagery that seemingly affirms the world”s worst perceptions of church. Nathaniel Hawthorne”s The Scarlet Letter serves up a twisted picture of the ostracizing of an adulteress by both church and community. Is this what we mean by church discipline””visions of Hester Prynne skulking around her nightmarish New England town? A solidly biblical approach to church discipline is the only way to heal fractures, restore right relationships, and ensure the health of the church. Discipline is not simply the unhappy task of ordering troublemakers out of the church. Indeed, discipline

July 14, 2014

Christian Standard

Don”t Touch””Think Straight

By Don Hinkle (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) “Don”t touch the girls. Don”t touch the gold. Don”t touch the glory”””from a retired minister/author to a group of preachers after chapel at San Jose Bible College””was perhaps the most succinct and insightful counsel about ministry I ever heard. I”ve also found that the saying “it all depends on whose ox is being gored” is illustrated every day. When I was a student at Midwest Christian College, Darrell Terry (Project Challenge, I think) told me to never put people in boxes. I only had two obligations

July 13, 2014

Christian Standard

Example, and a Few Words

By Bill Greer (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) Few people have had as much impact on me as my predecessor, friend, and mentor, Dr. Don Jeanes. With Don, it wasn”t so much that he shared advice verbally. Instead, he shared most of his advice through example. As the 14th president of Milligan College, he was consistent in his treatment of people, steadfast in his faith, and persistent in his quest for excellence.  But as he turned the presidency of Milligan over to me, I will always be grateful that he took the time to

July 12, 2014

Christian Standard

Quality First

By Gayla Congdon (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) Some of our best advice came from the late, great Mike Yaconelli (Scott and I received this advice from him when he was a member of the Amor Ministries board): “Focus on quality and quantity will come.”Â  Mike”s advice was based on his belief we were measuring our effectiveness based on the number of participants coming on trips. We took his advice and shifted our mind-set to creating a quality mission trip that was relationship-based versus numbers-based. The result was that growth came in significant numbers.Â

July 12, 2014

Christian Standard

Even Leaders Need Forgiveness

By Ken Idleman (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) The worst leadership advice I ever received was during the second year of my presidency at Ozark Christian College. It was unsolicited, from a member of the teaching faculty. At age 32, I was still just getting oriented to my new role. One day I sent out an impulsive written communication to the staff. After sleeping on it that night, I realized I had made a mistake. The very next day I distributed a follow-up letter, explaining and apologizing in print. My former colleague came rushing

July 12, 2014

Christian Standard

Wayne’s Words

By Jack Cottrell (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) As early as junior high school I had decided I wanted to be a preacher, but well-meaning high school teachers pressured me in other directions. I grew up on a farm and was active in vocational agriculture during high school, and was awarded a nice scholarship by our county farm bureau. Thus, by the time I was a senior, I had changed my mind and decided to enroll in the University of Kentucky to study agriculture. Either in the summer of 1954 or 1955, during senior

July 11, 2014

Christian Standard

Two-Week Trial

  By Lloyd M. Pelfrey (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) H. Lynn Gardner provided advice I have used and given to others. Lynn is a former academic dean at Ozark Christian College and a former teacher at Central Christian College of the Bible. Lynn”s advice concerned a procedure when making a major decision: Make the decision (after careful consideration), and then live with that decision for two weeks to see if you are still comfortable with it. Others involved in the decision may be informed of the two-week time factor. This allows a different

July 9, 2014

Christian Standard

Too Much Preparation?

By Bruce Templeton (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) The worst advice I ever received was from an elder who knew a lot about running a bank, but very little about leading a church. I was “young and dumb,” but I loved the church and was willing to listen to any advice I could get! I was serving a church coming off its best year in the last 25: more baptisms, greater attendance, and a greater spirit of excitement and joy. He believed the real way to build a church was to visit people who

July 8, 2014

Christian Standard

Bad Sermons, Big Vision

By Alan Ahlgrim (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I’ve Ever Received.”) One of my favorite elders is the source of both the best and worst advice I can think of. Just after we occupied our new building, with a huge debt, and just before a Sunday service, Norm said, “This church is just two bad sermons away from disaster!” That was the worst. The best came from the same man a few years later when we were celebrating our 10th anniversary. He delivered the heartfelt and encouraging reminder, “God”s vision for this church has always been bigger

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