October 26, 2008
Sin Among the Shepherds
An anonymous church leader reflects on moral failure, full ownership, grace and truth, accountability, and how wise shepherds can help bring healing without compromising holiness.
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.
October 26, 2008
Keys to Teamwork (Part 2): Communication
Stephen Bond shares practical lessons from Summit Christian Church on strengthening ministry teamwork through honest communication, reduced stress, personal boundaries, appreciation, and a shared language.
October 22, 2008
Could We Have Been Better Prepared?
Mark A. Taylor reflects on Hurricane Ike’s power outage and urges elders to prepare for church crises with accountability, character, prayer, and wise shepherding.
October 19, 2008
Keys to Teamwork (Part 1): Chemistry
Stephen Bond reflects on how chemistry, expectations, and ministry alignment helped Summit Christian Church build healthy staff and elder teams during a season of significant growth.
October 19, 2008
It’s Harder to Do than to Talk About
Chuck Sackett reflects on returning to local church preaching and relearning how leadership, change, sermon preparation, and spiritual formation are harder to practice than to teach.
October 5, 2008
Raising Up the Next Generation of Genuine Leaders
John Derry encourages churches to develop future leaders by identifying potential, investing resources, providing hands-on experience, and inspiring young people to embrace servant-leadership.
September 28, 2008
A Man with Faithful Eyes
Chuck Sackett explores how one congregation evaluated elder candidates with past marital and sexual failures through biblical study, careful process, repentance, and demonstrated faithfulness.
September 24, 2008
A Simple Survey by, for, and About Elders
Mark A. Taylor invites readers to complete a survey about elders in their congregations ahead of his workshop at the Indianapolis Congress of Elders.
September 21, 2008
The Assassin of the Headless Sprinting Chicken
Jud Wilhite warns leaders about the danger of burnout, challenging the myth of perfect balance and calling for sustainable rhythms of rest, family priority, and long-haul leadership.
September 7, 2008
Getting There Is Worth the Cost
Gary L. Johnson outlines six practical steps for church strategic planning, showing how elders, staff, and volunteers can work together to move a congregation forward with purpose.
August 24, 2008
Elders, Leadership, and Women
Steve Edgington explains how Anaheim First Christian Church studied Scripture, rethought leadership, and invited women into meaningful servant-leadership while navigating questions about elders and ministry.
Especially in Bible Translation . . . Close Only Counts . . .
Jeff Miller examines two 1 Corinthians passages and shows how translation details can shape conversations about women in ministry and leadership.
August 15, 2008
Interview with Dale Newberry
Dale Newberry discusses church elders, shepherding, staff leadership, prayer, and the careful process Ten Mile Christian Church uses to identify and develop qualified elders.
August 10, 2008
How Your Small & Midsized Church Can GROW
Leonard Wymore urges congregations to strengthen the leaders already among them by building teams of associates, ministry teams, and healthy meeting practices that help churches grow.
August 10, 2008
Where the Administrative Buck Stops
LeRoy Lawson explains how elders and senior ministers can work together by understanding whether a church board is policy-focused or operational—and whether its minister is a leader or follower.
Questions for Servant-Leaders
By Mark Wesner Editor”s note: The following questions were distributed as a self-examination exercise at an elders and staff retreat sponsored by First Christian Church, Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. We believe they”re good for servant-leaders everywhere to consider. Spiritual Growth. In what way(s) are you more like Jesus today than you were one year ago? “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness,
July 23, 2008
Spontaneous Combustion and the Weekly Grind
Mark A. Taylor reflects on the demanding, joyful work behind preaching, teaching, and writing, drawing on Rob Bell’s challenge to give oneself fully to the creative calling.
What Is an Elder”s Most Important Job?
By Arron Chambers Who is an elder supposed to be? The Bible makes it clear Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God”s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall
June 22, 2008
Lord, Help, I Am Hearing Voices!
Terry O'Casey reflects on elders, their wives, and the difference between controlling influence and godly counsel that helps church leaders serve with wisdom.
June 22, 2008
Who Am I?
Chuck Sackett reflects on pastor titles, preaching ministry, eldership, and the tension between professional labels and the actual work of serving a congregation.
