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.

November 27, 2011

Christian Standard

Beyond How-to

By Mark A. Taylor Roy Lawson once wrote at this site that he generally avoids books about leadership. I haven”t pressed him, but I”m guessing his point is something like this: There must be some substance beneath our leadership methods. “Casting vision” and listening to the team and being decisive, along with a dozen other useful tactics, don”t mean much from a would-be leader who is not himself a person worth following. So let”s read books that nourish the soul and expand the mind before we go looking for technique. And yet many among us devour leadership books and seminars

November 18, 2011

Christian Standard

Advice for New Ministers and Their Churches

By Mark W. Hamilton Too often neither new ministers nor the churches they serve understand all the ways to help make their first year successful. Every year here at Abilene (Texas) Christian University, men and women receive degrees in theology and head off to their first work in a congregation. They pack a U-Haul, say goodbye to friends, eat their last West Texas barbecue and jalapeño cornbread, and embark. They are soon hip-deep in teenage angst, finding replacement teachers, or visiting the sick. They will try to remember what we have taught them about Scripture and systematic theology and church

November 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Talking Church

By Dennis Bratton During a discussion about mentoring, talk turned toward the idea of a coaching cohort. The term coaching struck a cord of familiarity. I”d taken part in peer coaching for years. We didn”t call it that. It was just a group of preachers who got together once a year to talk church, play some golf, and talk church some more. The benefits of those connections were far-reaching in my ministry. I was in a growing church and regularly facing issues and challenges for which I often felt ill equipped. My best source of counsel came consistently from those

November 6, 2011

Christian Standard

Equipping Volunteer Leaders

By Jennifer Taylor Churches around the country struggle with the wonderful problem of how to expand their work by involving enthusiastic new leaders””people who may have limited Bible knowledge or ministry experience. The Crossing (Quincy, IL) created its Ministry Development Institute in 2009 to equip and encourage these volunteer leaders. The 18-month course of study provides in-depth biblical teaching and training in ministry skills. Classes include Old and New Testament surveys, the book of Acts, biblical interpretation, worldview and spiritual formation, practical ministry, and more. The institute posts syllabi and reading lists for each course on its website, and the

November 3, 2011

Christian Standard

Interview with Mark Atteberry

By Brad Dupray Mark Atteberry”s enthusiasm for reading has shaped his life and improved his preaching. He has been in the preaching ministry for 37 years, beginning while he was a student at St. Louis Christian College. For the past 22 years Mark has served as senior minister with Poinciana Christian Church in Kissimmee, Florida. He has written eight published books, including Free Refill, Let It Go, and So Much More Than Sexy, all available from Standard Publishing. Two more in the works include his first novel, a romantic thriller. Read more about Mark and his books at www.MarkAtteberry.net.  

November 2, 2011

Christian Standard

Emmanuel Institutes Seeks Top Students

This week the Emmanuel Institutes announced a new program–and an opportunity for 15 students to earn a full scholarship. Next August the institute will host its first-ever Ministry Immersion Week as an opportunity for emerging church leaders from undergraduate programs. Students will gather for a week of “comprehensive exposure to the ‘ins and outs’ of ministry best practices.” The organization is inviting other Restoration Movement colleges and universities to encourage their top students to apply, and 15 will be selected to participate with no expenses beyond the $50 application fee. The East 91st Street Christian Church Foundation and contributions from 33 partner churches and organizations are

November 1, 2011

Christian Standard

A Simpler Way

By Matt Bortmess Why does it have to be so complicated? Because I crave simplicity in my life and my ministry, this is a question I find myself wrestling with more and more these days. My life has become so complex. Sixteen years into our marriage, now with four kids and a dog, my wife and I are finding a busy calendar crammed with appointments, ball games, birthday parties, school events, and . . . the list goes on and on. Add to that a church calendar filled with meetings, studies, and luncheons, and I”m presented with so many choices

October 20, 2011

Christian Standard

My Opinion about Opinions

By Karen J. Diefendorf I have an opinion about opinions! In the Army we use the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP). One of the steps is to separate facts from assumptions. It isn”t always as easy to differentiate the two as one might imagine. But the reason it is critical to identify assumptions is because of the great risks hidden within them. We put it this way: “The greater the assumption, the greater the risk.” Leaders have to determine how much risk they are willing to assume with any action. It seems to me that opinions in the life of

October 17, 2011

Christian Standard

Courage for a Reluctant Leader

By Mark A. Taylor Two things amaze and encourage me when I read the story of God”s call to Moses. The first is his excuse making in response to God”s clear commands. The second is God”s equally persistent patience in the face of this whining. Initially we might understand the reluctance of Moses at the burning bush. Who wouldn”t have been surprised by what God proposed to this murderer in exile turned shepherd? Nothing in his decades of sheep tending in Midian would have appeared on the résumé for nation-deliverer. So when God said, “You will convince Pharaoh to free

October 7, 2011

Christian Standard

Getting the Job Done

By Mark A. Taylor On the day after Steve Jobs died, his name was at the head of every newscast, the subject line on scores of e-newsletters and blogs, the stuff of conversation among his fans around the world. “I think I”m the only one who has NOT posted something about Steve Jobs today,” wrote a friend on his Facebook page. One of those posts linked to technology columnist Walter Mossberg”s memories at WSJ.com. “He was a genius, a giant influence on multiple industries and billions of lives,” Mossberg wrote. The coverage that day and since said nothing about Jobs”s

October 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Commonsense Suggestions About Elders

By Chuck Sackett “A Parable of Two Churches“ (a sidebar) is my attempt to capture the past 37 years of observations and experiences. I”ve been privileged to be the preacher in three very different congregations. And while serving as a Bible college and seminary professor, I worked in various capacities with dozens of congregations. What follows are practical suggestions for how congregations can have healthy, effective elderships. These are simply reminders of the obvious. I”ve seen them work in a variety of settings, expressed in various ways, ending with varied results. Every church I”ve seen believes it is doing church

October 4, 2011

Christian Standard

A Parable of Two Churches

By Chuck Sackett (This is a sidebar to Sackett’s main article, “Commonsense Suggestions About Elders.”) On the Isle of Parr The king of Salmonia established a colony on the island of Parr. In consultation with the king, the colony called a recent college graduate to provide guidance, interpret the city charter, and lead the community in growth. The young leader was enthusiastically received by the people of the island. People embraced the planner”s lofty visions and exciting goals. A dozen new families relocated to Parr. The colony was becoming a thriving community. That”s when the city council had its first

October 3, 2011

Christian Standard

Fellow Elder

By Steve Reeves My wife and I spent Cinco de Mayo in a Midwestern city watching a wide variety of Americans dancing and celebrating. The event commemorates the Mexican army”s defeat of the French on May 5, 1862. I noticed that, generally, it took two to tango, but there were a few who tried to do the tango by themselves. So, understanding that there are two sides to every story, and it usually takes two to tango, I want to discuss a disturbing pattern among churches of all sizes. Here”s how it works . . . A preacher goes on

August 18, 2011

Christian Standard

Volunteers and Paid Staff Are in the SAME Battle

By Susan Lawrence I”ve been a paid ministry staff member and a volunteer ministry leader, and there are things we need to understand about each other. Ministry isn”t a territorial war. Our battles are side by side, not head-on. ________   I”m a volunteer. I”d like paid staff members to understand . . . I want to be included. Invite me to occasional staff planning meetings. Let me be a part of the decision-making and planning process. It keeps me motivated to do ministry. If you simply tell me what has to be done, or assume I already know, I

August 10, 2011

Christian Standard

Feed My Sheep

By Bill D. Hallsted The dream came again that night. It was always the same dream, with minor variations. In the dream, I was asked by some friends to care for their animals while they were gone. I don”t remember whether the dream even included why they were gone, or for how long. What was clear was my failure. The request, or my agreement, was not at all foreign to my experience. With my background in ranching, it was natural. I knew how to take care of animals. I was also the preacher. Who better to ask for a favor

August 9, 2011

Christian Standard

Show Me the Glory

By Tim Harlow “Show me the glory” sounds like a rip-off of a famous movie line””but it”s quite a bit older. Moses was charged with the greatest (and hardest) leadership position in human history. How do you lead people who don”t want to be led? How do you lead people God doesn”t even like anymore? After the golden calf incident, Moses pleaded with God to spare the lives of the members of his “church.” And God did, but he”d had enough of them and decided to send an angel to lead them because he was DONE. (I believe God was

July 31, 2011

Christian Standard

All Things to All Men?

By Jeff Faull It happened to me again recently. I respectfully questioned the validity of what I thought was a dubious ministry approach and was immediately and firmly reprimanded by my friends. They buttressed their rebuke with several well-worn statements from Scripture. Passionately they reminded me that we are to “become all things to all men” and that “Jesus was a friend of sinners” and that Paul quoted heathen poets on Mars Hill and that we are to do whatever it takes to engage the culture and reach the world for Jesus. It was quickly evident my friends were completely

July 6, 2011

Christian Standard

Admit Your Need

By Jessica Vana I attended college at an aeronautical university, which means I spent time brushing shoulders with a unique breed. Literally, I went to school with NASA interns and rocket scientists. My alma mater has one of the highest percentages of international students in the nation. Despite my colleagues” bright minds and tremendously diverse backgrounds, however, I began to notice a theme of need. A school like mine has an atypical amount of club involvement because, well, it wasn”t exactly the Greek system crowd. My club of choice, after being invited personally and repeatedly by two jaunty and entertaining

July 5, 2011

Christian Standard

Turn Them Loose

By Dan Scates “No one is helping. No one else is carrying the load. No one is leading. No one is committed. No one seems to own anything. I feel alone and overwhelmed.” Now what? Church planting taxes every leadership skill and exposes every motive of the heart. After three decades of church planting experience, one thing I have learned: Each church plant is unique, yet the challenges they face are similar. Distinctive to each plant is the planter”s ability, church location, target audience, ministry priorities, and available resources. On the other hand, the challenges faced by each new church

June 22, 2011

Christian Standard

The Verse that Saved My Life

By Mark Atteberry It happened on my last day of Bible college. It was a ceremony dreamed up by several members of our senior class, something inspirational to do as a part of our final chapel service. Each senior would walk to the podium and call the name of a member of the junior class. The junior whose name had been called would then stand and listen as the senior read a specially chosen verse of Scripture. Several of my classmates thought it would be a good way for us to say goodbye. When the idea was sprung on me,

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