Articles for tag: e2: effective elders

September 1, 2023

Tom Ellsworth

Anchored by Hope

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

July 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Jeff Faull

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

Christian Standard

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

Christian Standard

Grace Is Amazing

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

January 1, 2023

Christian Standard

Speaking the Truth in Love

By Ken Idleman  The title of this article is one of the most difficult implicit commands in Scripture: “[S]peaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). It is difficult to obey because it links in a single imperative the three most difficult aspects of life for human beings to consistently control: speech, truth, and love.   Our speech often betrays our secret thoughts and our untamable tongues. Jesus said, “The things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them” (Matthew

December 5, 2022

Christian Standard

The Preaching Elder

e2:effective elders has created a four-part resource designed to empower elders to preach. "The Preaching Elder: Refilling the Preaching Pipeline" was created especially with elders in mind—to offer training through a book and other resources to help with a need that has developed because of a diminishing preaching pipeline.

November 1, 2022

David Roadcup

The Sons of Issachar, the Church at Sardis, and Our Leadership Teams

The Sons of Issachar, the Church at Sardis, and Our Leadership Teams

By David Roadcup  The sons of Issachar are widely noted in church leadership circles for having the ability to read their circumstances and respond in wisdom: “Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command” (1 Chronicles 12:32).   This text comes at a time when Israel had divided into Israel and Judah. The nation needed to reunite under the leadership of David. The sons of Issachar knew it was time for this to happen for the sake of

September 1, 2022

Christian Standard

Primary Identity

By Jeff Faull   Who am I? How do I see myself? How do I want to be perceived? Which aspect of my identity is most important to me? Is there a right way or a wrong way to settle these questions as a follower of Jesus?  When considering these questions, some people focus on racial, ethnic, or national identity. Others are consumed with sexual or gender identity. Still others emphasize economic, professional, cultural, social, or even religious identity. With the furor over people, politics, passions, pride, power, perceptions, and pronouns, identity always seems to be an issue and an unceasing

July 1, 2022

Jim Estep

How to Measure Church Health

How to Measure Church Health

By Jim Estep I hate going to the doctor. The first thing they ask me to do is step on the scale. Then, they take all the standard measurements: blood pressure, temperature, pulse, and oxygen level, among others. Finally, they ask, “So why are you here? How are you feeling?” I describe my ailment (while trying not to sound like a whiner). Doctors evaluate a person’s health based on some very objective (quantitative) measures as well as verbal (qualitative) descriptions. A church’s health should be evaluated the same way. We need to remember the church is an organism, not an

May 1, 2022

Tom Ellsworth

Is the Restoration Movement Relevant?

By Tom Ellsworth In 1856, postal authorities accepted a new name for a little community in southern Indiana: Santa Claus. Then, in the 1920s, the Postal Service decided there would never be another Santa Claus Post Office in the United States. Consequently, every December, more than 400,000 pieces of mail are routed through the town because of its Christmas-themed postmark. I suspect the community’s founders never anticipated the full impact of the unique name. On a little knoll just a mile or so south of Santa Claus stands quaint, white-framed Mt. Zion Christian Church, the oldest church building in Spencer

March 1, 2022

Christian Standard

The Characteristics of an Authentic Leader

By Billy Strother A great deal of discussion and training on the subject of “authentic leadership” has occurred since Bill George published a book by that title in 2003. Authenticity is the quality of being genuine or real. Authentic Christian leaders are those who are perceived as genuine in their walk with the Lord and in their loving investment in the congregants they serve. There remains no agreed-upon definition for authentic leadership theory among those who discuss it. Generally, however, an authentic leader is a person who possesses the characteristics of self-awareness, empathy, relational transparency, consistency, and ethical focus. Authentic

November 1, 2021

Jim Estep

Doing Ministry During the Holidays

By Jim Estep Christmas is undeniably the most celebrated season of the year. It used to begin with Thanksgiving (the time my wife allows me to set up the tree and decorate the house), but it seems like we begin seeing Christmas items on television and on store shelves earlier and earlier. QVC began having Christmas specials in July! Society may be better prepared for Christmas than the church, although for different reasons. The holiday season, particularly from Thanksgiving to Christmas, offers the church an unprecedented opportunity to minister. However, like most opportunities, we can fail to make the most

September 22, 2020

Jim Estep

What COVID-19 Taught Rural Churches

By Jim Estep State by state, county by county, the COVID-19 pandemic led to limitations, shelter-in-place orders, and essentially a shutdown of “normal.” In rural congregations—which are often smaller, singular in focus (worship), and fairly stable in ministry programming—this became an impetus for reflection, reevaluation, renewal, and a reenvisioning of ministries across the country. Theology of the Church We all know the church is made up of people—it’s not the building or the worship service—but our everyday theology would say otherwise. Whether we like it or not, our default theology turns church into a place or time. (“We are going

June 14, 2020

Jim Estep

Dual Citizenship

By Jim Estep Lyrics by Buffalo Springfield from 1966 are coming true: “There’s battle lines being drawn, and nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong . . . singing songs and they’re carrying signs, mostly say, ‘hooray for our side.’” Democrat, Republican, independent. Red, blue, purple. Radical right and social democrats. We live in what may be the most polarized period in U.S. history, short of the Civil War. Regardless of where you live, in what country, within which state or province, we all live in the tension between two worlds. Our dual citizenship between here and Heaven. Living in the Dichotomy

February 22, 2020

Jim Estep

Leveraging Technology for Ministry

By Jim Estep I recall Dave Stone once saying something like, “You can’t reach an MP4 generation with 8-track methods. The problem is that half of you are asking, “What’s an MP4?” and the others are asking, “What’s an 8-track?'” It is not just that technological innovation continues at an unprecedented rateI actually think Dave said, “MP3 generation”or that its presence within our culture and our lives grows more pervasive daily, but that technology has changed how we perceive our lives, society, and especially the church. The simple lesson is this: We either will learn to leverage technology in our

January 22, 2020

David Roadcup

What Does God Want from Elders of His Church?

By David Roadcup My 23 years of coaching and consulting with churches and their leaders has led me to conclude, As go the leaders, so goes the church. Leaders set the example, tone, faith, and practice for believers in the church they serve.   So we, as leaders, need to ask ourselves, What does our Father want from us, and how do we accomplish his ultimate task? Using Scripture as our guideline, here is an overview of what the Lord wants from the primary leaders in his church. 1. A Healthy and Growing Spiritual Life God wants all church leadership

December 14, 2019

Gary L. Johnson

Children Matter . . . All Year Long

By Gary L. Johnson  “Christmas is for children,” declares one song of the season. We can see the truth of that statement in society simply by observing parents and grandparents as they buy gifts to make children’s Christmas wishes come true. As elders, we understand the importance of children all year round. We have a serious problem in the church that will directly impact the next generation and can claim the spiritual lives of countless people. Elder teams must respond quickly with strength and wisdom from God so we can avert this crisis. The Problem Elders need to be keenly

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