July 14, 2026
Team Integrity
Church leadership requires more than strong opinions. Elders and staff must lead with humility, integrity, accountability, trustworthiness, transparency, and a willingness to work as a team.
Series: e2: Effective Elders
March 13, 2026
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
David Wright urges church elders to move beyond agendas into genuine friendship. He names common barriers, calls for humility and grace, and offers practical ways to build trust, unity, and a stronger leadership witness.
January 1, 2026
Succession and the Church
Few churches handle lead minister succession well, but there are four steps for an effective succession PLAN (Prepare, Look Ahead, Assess, Navigate).
November 6, 2025
The Crux of Evangelism
It comes down to this: Do you care? Do you value lost people? Do you have the same compassion for them that Christ had for you (John 3:16; Romans 5:8)?
Rhythm of Rest
In Genesis 1, God created more than earth and the expansive universe. He created measured time, and a vital element of measured time is the rhythm of rest.
The Leader and Spiritual Warfare
There is a battle raging! The fight is all around us, a fight that influences each of us as leaders in the church. The enemy is real, powerful, and focused. As leaders, we must be aware of his goals and of what Scripture says we must do to protect ourselves and our churches from his onslaught.
Elders Leading on a Mission
Every local church is on a mission, but when mission drift occurs, the church’s elders must make a course correction.
March 2, 2025
When “Your All” Isn’t Enough
One of the great dangers of the modern church is that we have come to rely on our thinking, strength, wit, and skill and believe we can strategize, market, and promote our way out of the place in which we and our churches find ourselves.
December 31, 2024
Healthy Churches Produce Healthy Leaders
leaders can evaluate four vital signs that speak to the health of the local church: Students, Statements, Struggles, and Statistics.
October 31, 2024
Elders are Mission Servant-Leaders
There has been no finer servant leader than Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus called people to serve him then, and he calls people to serve him now.
September 1, 2024
Political Engagement that Honors Jesus and Unifies the Body
There is something right and beautiful about grateful, healthy patriotism, as long as it is always subject to our greater citizenship and its responsibilities.
Future-Thinking Elders
Are we content with mediocrity and satisfied with the status quo? Do we ache to be more effective in our leadership efforts? . . .
The State of Elder Teams in Independent Restoration Churches
An honest assessment of where we are as a movement when it comes to elders and their leadership. . . .
March 1, 2024
Guardians of Truth
When I was a teen in the late 1960s, my church became a verbal battleground . . .
January 1, 2024
‘I’m Fine!’
By Jim Estep Upon seeing a familiar person in the church lobby and asking them, “How are you doing?” we all know the answer that is expected: “Fine!” . . . even if it is not true. I have often wondered what would happen if someone were open and honest about their struggles. “How’s it going?” “Well, do you really want to know?” I remember a church member calling to share about a family member who had suffered a heart attack. They asked for prayer and whether someone from the church could visit with their loved one and the family.
November 1, 2023
Agape Love in the Life of an Elder
By David Roadcup Cornerstones were critical in the architecture of the ancient world. A cornerstone was traditionally the first stone laid for a structure, with all other stones set in reference to it. Thus, a cornerstone determined the position of the entire structure. Cornerstones have been around for millennia. A poorly crafted or placed cornerstone can compromise an entire structure. In the life of an elder or church leader, several critical cornerstones need to be identified, grown, and matured. Examples include these: POWERFUL AND IMPACTING LOVE Scripture uses four Greek words for love: eros (extreme self-gratification), storge (love for family), filos
September 1, 2023
Anchored by Hope
By Tom Ellsworth The candles on my birthday cakes in recent years have been reduced to a symbolic number (so as not to set off smoke alarms), but my grandkids still urge me to make a wish and blow them out. I comply. When I was their age, I remember hoping my wish would come true, but there was always considerable doubt in that hope. We regularly misuse the word hope in our casual conversations. “I hope it doesn’t rain today.” “I hope we get to take that vacation we’ve always dreamed about.” “I hope the MRI results bring good
Simple Faithfulness
By Jeff Faull What makes a good leader? Shouldn’t we who are followers of Jesus and leaders for Jesus want to know? A simple internet search brings up thousands of articles on leadership. Titles like “Five Qualities of a Good Leader,” “The Top Ten Characteristics of a Good Leader,” “Twenty Requirements for an Effective Leader,” and a myriad of similar options appear. Many of those articles lay out the essential components of great leadership. The suggestions are endless. Characteristics like vision, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, creativity, communication skills, decisiveness, empathy, charisma, and others top the lists. All these are
May 1, 2023
The Rise of the Nons and the Nearly Gones (and What We Can Do About It)
By Billy Strother Congregations need one another more than ever. They need a sense of unity for mission in community. As congregational leaders, pursuing a sense of unity in community will strengthen us all and increase our kingdom fruit. Jesus proclaimed, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and no city or house divided against itself will stand” (Matthew 12:25, New American Standard Bible). Ministering to the Nons Christianity is in retreat in our culture. We are familiar with the rise of the “nones” (30 percent of U.S. adults now claim no religious affiliation). But despite the challenges, strategic opportunities
March 1, 2023
Grace Is Amazing
By James Estep “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” Penned in 1772 by John Newton, the message of “Amazing Grace” resounds into the 21st century. The tune as originally written is a favorite of many believers. In 2007 Christian musician Chris Tomlin updated the words to say, “my chains are gone, I’ve been set free” . . . but the message remained the same. Grace is amazing! My home church for a while described itself as “An Amazing Grace Place,” which represented them well. But why is grace so amazing? Paul explained why in
