Thirty years ago, Tom Claibourne posed several "what if" questions from the Bible. Examples: What if Mordecai had bowed down to Haman? What if Paul's tent business had taken precedence over his ministry? . . .
August 3, 2020
By David Faust It’s unfortunate that expressions like “pro-choice” and “the right to choose” have been co-opted by abortion advocates. When properly understood, the ability to choose is one of God’s greatest gifts. We don’t get to choose our birthdays, our height, or the color of our skin. But we decide what we believe, what we value, and who our friends will be. Faith, hope, and love are choices more than feelings. At age 20, I decided to ask a young woman named Candy to marry me, and I remain grateful she chose to say yes. ROCK OR SAND? What
June 19, 2017
By Michael C. Mack Ken Blanchard, widely known author and management expert, challenges leaders to think about this important question: “Are you truly leading by your values?” Blanchard says he believes “when a company is truly leading by its values, there is only one boss””the values.” As Christian leaders, our values are God-centered and biblically defined. When a church or any other Christian organization is truly leading by its values, we lead according to God”s purposes under his power. These values guide””or should guide””every aspect of church life: how staff members interact with one another, how senior leaders manage, how
By Joe Boyd Springtime always stimulates new ideas for me. But I”ve learned I should pursue only some of them. There is something about springtime that makes all things new. Winter can be a cold and gray marathon to endure, especially for those of us on the East Coast and in the Midwest. But then comes life. Every April and May I find myself full of new ideas. And I should say that I love new ideas. They are like catnip for my soul. As a movie producer, I have no shortage of people pitching story ideas to me. Some
January 1, 2016
By Eddie Lowen Before you decide you want your church to grow, let me tell you the price you will pay. After taking the staff and elders of a former church to a leadership simulcast in the late 1990s, I learned that I still had a lot to learn. For several years, Rick Warren”s book The Purpose Driven Church had been making a huge impact on churches applying its principles. The simulcast was a way for our leaders to catch this kind of vision. Our church was already growing in size and health, but I knew there was another level
July 21, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor Where would you be without the leaders in your life? How would you have faltered or failed? Where would you have wandered? What do you know and value that wouldn”t be in your heart and mind without the ones who have influenced you most? Without those leaders, there would have been others. Someone influences each of us. None of us blazes his path alone without some sort of guide showing the way. And none of us makes a turn in the path””a life-altering decision for good or bad””without some stimulus outside ourselves. Testimonies from 35 leaders
June 23, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor Here”s another reason the North American Christian Convention is such a productive gathering. At the NACC we do a lot of walking! And, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford University, that”s good! A summary from Stanford News puts it this way: “Creative thinking improves while a person is walking and shortly thereafter.” That means we can generate a MOUNTAIN of creativity at the NACC. Granted, the Cincinnati convention center and downtown are more compact than what we”ve found in some cities. But even at its best, the convention requires blocks of walking between
By Michael C. Mack As a leader, your words, whether written or spoken, carry tremendous weight, says teaching pastor and author Eric Geiger. Here are five phrases you should make a point of saying on a regular basis: 1. “Thank you” (or “Good job” or “We could not do it without you” or “I”m so glad you are a part of this team!”). 2. “You make the decision.” Empower others, even when they might decide differently from you. 3. “How can I help you?” Look for ways you can help and serve your team members. The best way to do
By Michael C. Mack Neuroscience tells us that optimists make better leaders than pessimists. Stressful situations trigger a fight or flight response, which may manifest itself in a negative emotional reaction. Our brains release chemicals that can be useful if confronted by a bear, but which could prove costly if confronting a church leadership problem. An optimistic attitude helps leaders to view situations from a constructive viewpoint rather than as a dire disaster. Cultivate an optimistic attitude as a leader so that when you are faced with setbacks, mistakes, disappointments, or failure, you can avoid the flight or fight response,
September 22, 2014
By Mike Shannon One of our greatest problems in life is trying to make godly and wise decisions. We are so desperate to do the right thing that we often lapse into an almost superstitious view of trying to discern the will of God. I don”t know about you, but I have often had to make decisions when I was not certain what God wanted me to do. Sometimes I thought I was certain, but later had to reconsider. Nowhere is this tension felt more acutely than when we are trying to decide whether or not to stay at a
July 24, 2014
By Marsha Relyea Miles (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) One of the best pieces of advice I ever received came from Walter Birney, longtime coordinator for the National Missionary Convention (now known as the International Conference on Missions). During the year I served as president of the NMC (2007), many people contacted me with creative suggestions about how they thought the convention should unfold. Of course, in designing such a convention, broad involvement and teamwork is a great thing. The ideas of some folks were extremely insightful, but some others, less so! Now and
July 11, 2014
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
April 9, 2013
By Mark A. Taylor All of us who have heard, “You are what you eat” can agree to a corollary for the spirit and emotions: “You are what you choose.” Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos underscored the truth of this as he addressed Princeton University”s graduating class, May 30, 2010: When you are 80 years old, and in a quiet moment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made. In the end, we are our choices. Build
December 28, 2012
By Kent E. Fillinger No is a word more church leaders need to learn. No signifies a necessary ending more churches need to choose. No is a message that needs to be embraced, but understood. But sometimes No means only that “less is less.” Here”s how and when to say the word that transcends every language. “No.” The crisp, bold black letters that jumped off of the stark, white cover of the 3-by-5-inch booklet in the magazine piqued my curiosity. I opened the booklet and read these simple, but significant, sentences: Two letters. A word that transcends every language. A word that
October 9, 2012
By Brenda Garrison Nine Things You Simply Must Do to Succeed in Love and Life: A Psychologist Probes the Mystery of Why Some Lives Really Work and Others Don”t Dr. Henry Cloud Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004 As a mom, I want my daughters to live the abundant lives Jesus promised us. One way I encourage them to do so is by giving them books that have spoken to me. One of our favorites is Nine Things You Simply Must Know to Succeed in Life and Love. In his book, Dr. Henry Cloud teaches nine principles that anyone can implement
September 18, 2012
By James Riley Estep Jr. My family and I enjoy taking trips. We”ve become rather good at preparing for the trip, traveling together, having fun, and capturing the memories. Trips and travel are a lot like meetings. In fact, meetings could learn a lot from family trips. Perhaps most important to consider is this: who”s driving? Elders” meetings are typically driven by the chairman. His role is to oversee and administrate every aspect of the journey, from preparation to the return to the real world in which we serve. Meetings have one driver, the chairman. Where Are We Going?
March 2, 2012
By Rick Chromey Leadership happens when we move people toward desired insights, attitudes, and behaviors. We all lead somebody, but in the church our skill to enact change, instill confidence, and reduce conflict often spells the difference between success or failure, promotion or termination, trust or skepticism. Naturally, the real question is how will you lead and flex your leadership style? Tom enjoys the spotlight. His winsome charisma captures his congregation”s heart. He enjoys risks, but Tom”s hasty decisions betray trust and create insecurity. His lack of discipline keeps Tom unfocused and unproductive. Rob also enjoys risk and change, but
September 19, 2011
This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for September 25) is written by Melissa Wuske, a freelance writer and editor living in Cincinnati, Ohio. ____________ Acting with Discernment (Proverbs 25:1-28) By Melissa Wuske Most often we best know discernment when we don”t see it. I could name scads of political, business, and church leaders who”ve led people astray and betrayed trust. The news is full of stories of screw-ups from Washington, D.C., to the living room down the street. (I”d name names, but by the time this is published, there will be more.) It undoubtedly stings worst when
By Mark A. Taylor Why do some committees work well, while others only spin their wheels? Why do some groups of elders lead effectively while others baffle with their poor choices or inability to decide? Why are some colleges, missions, and similar ministries directed into effective futures by their trustees while others only tread water? Whole books have been written to answer questions like those, but insight from an unlikely source bears some attention. The article appeared April 25 in The Wall Street Journal. In his column, “The Intelligent Investor,” Jason Zweig discussed a host of bad decisions made by
November 16, 2008
By Darrel Lowland 1. That elders have a full life outside of the church. 2. That elders have a totally different reference point for issues. 3. That on many matters elders have a lot to contribute. 4. That most elders are ignorant of the Word. 5. That elders don”t understand their job or their role. 6. That many elders are in over their heads. 7. That elders have outside pressures affecting their role as elders. 8. That being an elder is a leadership position often without opportunities to lead. 9. That elders want the minister to open up and tell
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