Articles for tag: church leadership

March 21, 2010

Christian Standard

Ask Yourself Some Questions Before You Fire

By Ken Swatman It was Monday morning and I sat at my desk feeling tired and frustrated, trying to decide if it was time for a staff change in a key position. I had been over the issues again and again in my mind, Did the staff member just not understand his leadership role or ministry expectations, or did he not have the skills necessary to be effective in his ministry position? I knew we weren”t getting what we needed and something had to change, but was firing him the right answer? As pastors and church leaders, we never want

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC: BEYOND

By Ben Cachiaras When visiting Capernaum last summer, I paused on the rocky shoreline looking out at the Sea of Galilee. Knowing it could be the very stretch of beach Jesus walked when he called those first fishermen gave it a surreal sense of being holy ground. What struck me is that Jesus” call to them was abrupt and demanding: “Follow me!” Doing so would mean a life of perpetual movement and adventure, risk and change. It meant dropping familiar nets, leaving cherished family, and abandoning well-worn paths in pursuit of a leader who wanted to take them BEYOND any

February 14, 2010

Christian Standard

NACC: Hmmm . . . Let Us Think

By Rob Kastens Recently I was given a complete original set of The Millennial Harbinger. As I read through the discolored, fragile pages of several issues from the 1800s, I was struck by the discourse and exchange around all sorts of issues. Positions were stated and confronted by Alexander Campbell as he responded to writings published elsewhere and letters he received. This exchange of views through the Harbinger and other publications, in addition to public debates and discussions, helped shape and hone our movement in its early days. In these pages, I found Christians who were committed to Scripture and

January 17, 2010

Christian Standard

A Sabbatical for Volunteers

By Wilbur Reid III Volunteer church leaders are busy. In addition to the typically demanding workweek, they have family responsibilities: driving kids to practices, maintaining the lawn, staying up with housework and laundry, and everything else that makes a healthy and happy home. On top of that, they feel a calling and responsibility to support the kingdom of God in their local church. They spend hours each week as elders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, nursery workers, and small group leaders. They maintain the building and grounds, sing in the choir, and work with the youth group. This busyness leads to

November 15, 2009

Christian Standard

Growing Leaders in a Young Church: Interior and Exterior

By Steve Cuss I used to believe that a good-hearted pastor with a strong work ethic and a vision from God could lead a thriving local church. Four years into my own journey, four churches around us have closed their doors. In order to thrive, I”ve learned to focus on the interior life of the leader and the exterior structure of the church. Your Interior Life Baptize your calendar!“”I”m convinced my calendar is a pagan””possibly even a devil worshiper. It can run my life ragged if I”m not careful, keeping me so consumed with details that I neglect my fundamental

November 1, 2009

Christian Standard

Read Well to Lead Well

  by Eddie Lowen Every church leader, especially the primary communicator, the preacher, should fear staleness. Those who listen to us instinctively know whether or not we are digging the well deeper or skimming the surface. When people begin to lip-sync your pet phrases as you speak them . . . when you have to feign enthusiasm for things that should genuinely excite you . . . when you preach old sermons because you can”t imagine improving upon what you wrote several years ago””you are going stale.  The easiest ways to stay fresh are through reading and discussion. Not every

August 16, 2009

Christian Standard

Ideally

  by David Faust Great enterprises are not built on deals; they are built on ideals. And it”s hard to think of more noble ideals than these: “¢ “No book but the Bible, no creed but Christ.” “¢ “In essentials, unity; in opinions, liberty; and in all things, love.” “¢ “Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.” “¢ “We are not the only Christians, but we are Christians only.” I heard these slogans when I was a child. I”ve analyzed and admired their truth as an adult, and I”ve found them useful over

July 26, 2009

Christian Standard

Mad Church Disease

By Anne Jackson Certain internal factors can make us more at risk for becoming burned-out. Most of these are features we are born with. They reflect how God knit together the fibers of our being. And because they are fairly hard-wired, these characteristics aren”t easily changed, and that is OK. We have to accept the fact that, although these may sometimes seem like limitations, they are the very things that make us unique. Personality Type  Most of us are familiar with type A and type B personality descriptors. Look at the table below. Which personality type do you lean toward?

July 1, 2009

Christian Standard

Interview with John Walker

By Brad Dupray As an ordained Christian minister and holder of a PhD in psychology, John Walker was looking for a way to marry his two passions to benefit the kingdom. Out of that desire was born Blessing Ranch, a ministry of resource and renewal for church leaders. John and his wife, Deanna, walked away from successful jobs and stable incomes to pursue their dream in 1994. Since that time, more than 3,000 Christian leaders have visited the ranch. Blessing Ranch is a family affair, as daughter Hope oversees the ranch”s accounting and daughter Charity is working on her PhD

June 21, 2009

Christian Standard

Finding Your Focus

  By Glen Elliott   n the 2008 movie Yes Man, the main character (Jim Carrey) functions like a modern-day hermit until he is challenged to begin saying “yes” to everything. It works out well for him, for the most part, until the end when he realizes he can”t really say “yes” to everything. While it is risky to say “yes” all the time, it takes more courage and wisdom to know when to say “no.” For years our church held an annual Pumpkin Patch event (a safe Halloween alternative) that drew several thousand folks. It was a huge success in terms

May 6, 2009

Christian Standard

Interview with Glen & Shirley Liston

By Brad Dupray Glen and Shirley Liston raised their five sons while serving Christ in the ministry of the local church. Five times they sent a son off to Bible college and five times they saw those sons ordained into the Christian ministry. All five sons serve in located ministries. Now Glen and Shirley are preparing to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this summer with a family reunion near Brazil, Indiana, where they served the church while they were raising their boys. The Listons are now retired, attending and volunteering at New Hope Christian Church in Manvel, Texas, where their

April 19, 2009

Christian Standard

Megachurches: An Interview with Three Megachurch Ministers

  By Kent Fillinger A SWOT analysis is the classic model for strategic planning. It examines an organization from the standpoint of its internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as the opportunities and threats it faces. We asked three lead pastors of megachurches to comment on their individual congregations and on megachurches in general using the framework of a SWOT analysis: “¢ Jud Wilhite, 37, has been  senior pastor since 2003 of Central Christian Church (Henderson, Nevada), which has an average weekend worship attendance of 12,822. “¢ Scott Enyon, 47, has been senior pastor since 1994 of Community Christian Church

April 19, 2009

Christian Standard

FROM MY BOOKSHELF: Personal Faith and Church Function

By LeRoy Lawson David J. Wolpe, Why Faith Matters (New York: HarperOne, 2008). Kevin G. Ford, Transforming Church: Bringing Out the Good to Get to the Great (Carol Stream: Tyndale House, 2007). While armies duke it out in the Middle East and intellectuals debate it out on college campuses and ordinary blokes like you and me duck for cover and wonder whom to believe, the calm, understated reassurance Rabbi David Wolpe offers is like the balm in Gilead we used to sing about in church. The noted leader of the conservative Sinai Temple in Los Angeles has earned a respectful

April 1, 2009

Christian Standard

More Than One Way to Use a Magazine

By Mark A. Taylor Since 2003 we have recruited a group of contributing editors to help us make this magazine all it can be. One way we hear from them is at a brief retreat each January. The group gathers to brainstorm ideas for the magazine, not only what it should contain but how it can influence our whole family of churches. Of course, we can”t lead where we aren”t read, and our contributing editors have ideas for making that happen too. Randy Gariss, for example, reported that his congregation buys CHRISTIAN STANDARD for every elder, deacon, and staff member.

December 21, 2008

Christian Standard

Wanted: Good Men for a Fine Work (Part 2)

By Eric Stevens The news reveals that we are a fickle people. I mean that in the worst way possible.  Large numbers of college students are involved in cheating. So are spouses””even Christians. People rage with deadly anger because of minor traffic miscues. Children appear to have never heard such courtesies as “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me.” These symptoms in our society are related. There is an erosion of respect, not just for one”s elders, but even one”s parents, and in some cases, one”s children. The “Me Generation” has become the “Me Nation.” How does the church stem this

December 14, 2008

Christian Standard

Reflections from a Bartender”s Son

By Chuck Sackett I”ve recently become deeply concerned over what appears to be a trend toward drinking among young church leaders.1 I hear about young leaders who have repented of the “sin of abstinence”2 and headed off to the pub. I”m concerned for the church, their congregations, and their families.3 I”m told one of the most frequently asked questions in interviews is, “Is it OK to have a beer?” As some young leaders seek potential staff members, they ask, “How do you feel about going to the pub?” The right answer used to be the wrong answer.   Early Influences

November 30, 2008

Christian Standard

The Emerging Church and the Stone-Campbell Movement: Some Striking Similarities (Part 2)

By William R. Baker In part one, three surprising similarities between the Stone-Campbell and emerging church movements were observed, discussed under these headings: “Beyond Denominationalism,” “Vintage Christianity,” and “Biblical Christianity””Acts.” This week, four more similarities will be investigated. Local Church Emerging churches emphasize developing ministry and principles based on the community where they are located. This goes with their “missional” emphasis. They are “externally focused” on incarnating the gospel to the people in their community in creative and fresh ways.1 But in doing so, they also embrace an approach that mobilizes and equips every member of the believing body to

November 16, 2008

Christian Standard

Elders & Ministers: Speaking the Same Language

By Darrel Rowland Does this sound like where your church is today? “I”ve never felt hindered by any of the elder teams I”ve served with.““”Greg Marksberry, 24-year veteran of the ministry now with his third church, Heritage Christian in suburban Atlanta “There is peace, joy, and happiness in the (elders) meetings and in the church.”“”Robin Hart, minister for almost 25 years with Northside Christian near Akron, Ohio “Just as children with two mutually supportive parents gain an extra measure of confidence and security, a church with mutually supportive elders and ministers has a sense of well-being that cannot be fostered

November 16, 2008

Christian Standard

Two Elders Now Ministers Talk About Elder-Minister Relationships

By Darrel Rowland With apologies to Judy Collins, we could say that Ernie Graf and Jim Sloderbeck have looked at church from both sides now. Their unique perspective comes because both were veteran elders and both now serve on their church”s ministerial staff. Graf is minister of administration for Northside Christian Church near Akron, Ohio. He majored in accounting and has a degree in business administration, which he used for 35 years in the private sector. When Northside created the administrative post in 2003, he took early retirement and joined the staff. Sloderbeck has been executive pastor of Heritage Christian

October 26, 2008

Christian Standard

Sin Among the Shepherds

By Name Withheld   In a perfect world there would be no articles like this. The leaders in our churches would be solid, stable, and blameless. You wouldn”t need the testimony “of a leader who failed.” And I wouldn”t be that leader. In a serious understatement, I was asked to describe for you “what happens when a shepherd “˜stubs his toe” and it is handled well by the church.” I was asked because I am that shepherd, but I didn”t feel I had “stubbed my toe”””it felt like I had cut off my legs. While the elders of my church know

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