February 15, 2009
Great Leaders Are Broken
Glen Elliott reflects on learning that effective Christian leadership requires more than strength, competence, and drive. True influence grows through brokenness, dependence, vulnerability, and trust.
Articles for tag: Leadership Development
November 2, 2008
The Knife Wasn’t Even Sharp (A Parable for Elders)
Robert Kitchen encourages elders to focus on shepherding, mentoring, and teaching while equipping volunteers with clear expectations, useful tools, and meaningful opportunities for service.
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 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.
September 7, 2008
Golf Scores & Dashboards: Keeping Track of How the Church Is Doing
Dave Ferguson challenges church leaders to move beyond attendance and offering by developing a dashboard that measures discipleship, baptisms, leadership, artists, services, and sites.
July 20, 2008
ONLINE EXTRA: Making Disciples–An Interview with Ethan Magness
Ethan Magness of Mountain Christian Church discusses how churches can resist pandering, pursue deepening faith, and use both large events and small groups to make disciples.
Interview with Robert Stradley
Robert Stradley of Harmony Pines Christian Camp explains how sled dogs teach leadership, teamwork, humility, and spiritual fervor as they follow the guidance of the “Good Musher.”
Making an Impact
Michael Brown shares how soccer, Jesus Pizza, and Total Athlete helped him build real relationships outside the church and connect with unchurched people in his community.
April 20, 2008
Leading Men
Three churches are discipling and training men and boys for long-term spiritual maturity and leadership—from battle-themed mentoring for teens to a demanding program designed to identify and develop future elders.
December 9, 2007
Leadership in the Church
Churches need leaders, but Scripture defines greatness as serving. Doyle Roth calls believers to trade titles and status for the towel and basin—leading people to Christ through humble, practical service.
December 2, 2007
How Emmanuel School of Religion Is Training Second-Career Ministers
Emmanuel School of Religion is expanding flexible training for second-career ministry students through new institute-based programs, digitally captured seminars, church-based education around the world, and developing online and blended courses.
October 7, 2007
Cultivating Church Leadership Through Internships
Church leadership internships: How internships can help churches raise up leaders from within As churches grow, leadership gaps can stall momentum. This article explains how one church developed a practical, step-by-step approach to identify potential leaders, disciple them, and progressively increase responsibility through internships. The goal is to cultivate gifts and build a healthy leadership pipeline from within the congregation. Identify leaders early and build intentional pathways for development. Use internships to formalize responsibility and increase accountability. Create a clear process that moves people from volunteer roles toward staff roles. By Kevin Stone As Christ’s Church of the Valley’s executive
Testimony of a Coach
After coaching 16 lead pastors from large churches, Bob Harrington shares 10 insights on grace-centered leadership, rigorous self-care, building leaders of leaders, healthy eldership, and serving the community with generosity and relational intentionality.
April 1, 2007
Raising Up the Next Generation of Kingdom Leaders
What makes a leader’s work endure? This article challenges the church to raise up “Timothies” who will carry the gospel forward—because there is no success without a successor.
They Deserve Our Support!
A reflection on the enduring value of Christian colleges and seminaries—forming faith, scholarship, and future leaders—while honestly naming pressures and questions that deserve cooperation and thoughtful support.
March 18, 2007
Coaching God’s Team (Part 2)
Using a coaching metaphor, Jim Putman urges church leaders to equip believers for ministry and prioritize disciple-making over spectator Christianity—developing leaders from within so the whole body works together.
June 11, 2006
The Risk of Staying Put–Thirty Years in One Congregation
After decades in the same congregation, Nancy Karpenske weighs the risks of getting too comfortable against the rewards of credibility, perseverance, and long-term spiritual fruit—learning again and again to depend on God, not experience.
3 WOMEN IN MINISTRY: ‘There’s Nothing I’d Rather Do!’
Debbie Jones reflects on her calling to ministry, the expectations women often face, and the ways churches can encourage women to develop and use their gifts to build up Christ’s church.
March 5, 2006
Our Acorn-to-Oak Story
John Faust reflects on four early elders at Southeast Christian Church and the leadership qualities that helped lay a lasting foundation—quality, trust, unity, and availability—for the church’s growth in Louisville.
December 11, 2005
Why Ministers Need a Coach
Coaching helps ministers move forward with clarity, courage, and accountability. Ken Gosnell explains why pastors need a coach to navigate isolation, prioritize wisely, and model continual growth—because even champions don’t thrive without one.
