Articles for tag: Mentoring

February 22, 2015

Christian Standard

Next Gen Preacher Search (Previewing the 2015 NACC)

By Trevor DeVage I never dreamed preaching is what I would be doing. I had my sights set on living out the “American dream.” I was going to be an attorney. I had prepped my entire adolescent life for that path. In high school, I worked for an attorney”s office, was on the mock trial team at our school, and watched Law and Order and Matlock. Preaching was never on my radar””it just couldn”t generate income the way busting criminals would. But something happened during my junior year of high school. I was visiting a friend in the hospital and

February 17, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Your Church: a Boys Club?

By Mark A. Taylor Many, many years ago I bumped into the president of a parachurch ministry who was considering a woman for an executive role with his organization. “You know,” he said to me, as if he couldn”t quite believe the statement he was about to make. “She”s really sharp.” She would be the first woman to serve (with distinction, I might add) with such authority at his institution. That incident reminds me of a Christian college teacher who wrote on a student”s paper, “You write really well for a woman.” Admittedly, both these incidents occurred decades ago. But

December 7, 2014

Christian Standard

In Praise of Pretending

By Eddie Lowen Few values have bigger buzzword status in the Christian community than authenticity. I”m glad. Sincerity is always in season. When churches and church leaders are genuine in motive and style, spiritual seekers find and follow them. Everything written about reaching young adults stresses the importance of “authentic community.” While the phrase now seems overused, the value can”t be overemphasized. It”s crucial. But I do have one caution concerning authenticity. In my own journey with God, growth has not always felt natural. Some of the progress I”ve made has been forced and awkward, rather than instinctive. So, I”ve

September 20, 2014

Christian Standard

Advice for Volunteers and Those Who Recruit Them

By Susan Lawrence Change affects people differently. Some people thrive and others struggle. Change excites some and paralyzes others. But ministry and service are not about us or our comfort level. If we”re volunteering to serve and honor God, we need to yield to him. When we yield, we grow. When we grow, we change, and that change includes our service.  But when should we change, and how can we change in healthy ways? What questions do we need to ask?   WHY ARE YOU SERVING? Ask yourself . . . “¢ What is the purpose of the ministry I”m

September 1, 2014

Christian Standard

Three Ways to Improve the Attitude of Your Team

By Michael C. Mack Your attitude as a leader can either kill or build your team, says Carey Nieuwhof, author of Leading Change Without Losing It and lead pastor of Connexus Community Church in Barrie, Ontario. What can you do to cultivate a better attitude? Nieuwhof gives three solutions: 1. Get more sleep. Someone once told Nieuwhof that 70 percent of discipleship is a good night”s sleep. How holy, passionate, and kind can you be when you”re exhausted? 2.Create white space on your calendar. Be sure you create margin in your life””space on your schedule that is not filled with

July 25, 2014

Christian Standard

Right Here, Right Now

By Rick Rusaw (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) I had moved to Fort Myers, Florida, to begin my first ministry in a local church. I was a young man, and I was filled with aspirations, not only for this opportunity, but for other places with other opportunities. It wasn”t that I considered this church to be merely a stepping stone, something to endure until a better situation arose. No, it was a wonderful place with plenty of opportunity. But I also knew that those who do their ministries well are usually offered leadership positions

July 20, 2014

Christian Standard

Time Pout

By Janet McMahon (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) Some of the best advice I ever received was from my friend, mentor, and then boss, Jon Ferguson, one of the founding pastors of Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois. As one of the kids” ministry directors, I remember complaining to Jon that there was not enough time in the day to do all the urgent things that needed to be done. I never had enough time to strategically plan, pray, and think about the future of the ministry I was entrusted with. (Sigh . .

December 21, 2013

Christian Standard

Mondays with Roy

By T.R. Robertson For nearly two years, from the first Monday in September 2004, until the first Monday in June 2006, I made a weekly trip from the Mizzou Christian Campus House to the Missouri state prison for women in Vandalia, Missouri, in the company of campus minister Roy Weece and an ever-changing group of students and CCH alums. Roy was always the driver. No one ever considered asking if he”d rather just ride along and let someone else drive. After decades of driving a succession of white Volkswagen beetles for hundreds of thousands of miles to hundreds of speaking

November 4, 2013

Christian Standard

Learning to Lead

By James Riley Estep,  Jr. It”s a complaint commonly heard in some churches: “We”re having trouble finding men to serve as elders,” or “Younger men aren”t stepping forward to serve as elders!” Leadership is oftentimes more caught than taught. Solomon wrote, “Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). He understood what we now understand””leaders form other leaders.  Recruiting and equipping elders in the church is not just a matter of programming, and the solution is not as simple as starting a leadership class. Leaders are formed over a lifelong process of experience, training, nurturing, and intentional relationship

October 4, 2013

Christian Standard

Extra Time, Attention a Step in Right Direction

By Jennifer Johnson Raise your hand if you”ve ever felt guilty because you don”t want to be a foster parent. I firmly believe Christians should be leading the way in fostering the needy kids in our communities. In fact, one of the moments I knew I wanted to marry Matt was when he initiated a conversation, during a road trip a few months before our actual engagement, about being foster parents someday. But fostering is not for everyone, and it”s certainly not for everyone at every time. Matt and I just wrapped up a successful first year of a new

August 19, 2013

Christian Standard

How We Serve Single Moms

For nearly a decade LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado, has been trying to figure out how to bless single moms. We”ve had some breakthroughs and some setbacks. Here is the one clear truth: God doesn”t measure success the same way we do.  By Nancy Karpenske I”ll call her Debbie. When she started attending our group, she sat hunched over, making no eye contact. I kept expecting her to storm out. Ever so slowly her protective layers of hostility began to melt, just a few degrees. She has three children, each with a special needs diagnosis. She typically works three

July 5, 2013

Christian Standard

40 Under 40: Rich Gorman & Dori Gorman

RICH GORMAN & DORI GORMAN Campus pastors,  Community Christian Church,  Edgewater, Illinois My former students Rich and Dori Gorman are an extraordinary pastoral couple with outstanding leadership gifts and a passion to reach urban people via the church. Their marriage and family are models for young couples and families. They are on the cutting edge of missional church planting and are creating a new model for new church development that reaches people who live in the margins. They are all about relationships and helping to empower people to find their gifts so every person is able to figure out his or

July 3, 2013

Christian Standard

40 Under 40: Jeremy Brown

JEREMY BROWN Lead pastor, Journey Church, Medina, Tennessee You need spend only a little time with Jeremy to see he is an influencer. He has charisma and witty charm that makes him an easy guy to be around. But he stands out as a leader because of his generosity and vision. Many leaders in their later years begin to mentor others and look to leave a legacy; Jeremy is doing that naturally in his 30s. He is very generous with his time, willing to coach peers and the next round of church planters. Jeremy leaves a footprint of encouragement with

March 14, 2013

Mark E. Moore

Interview with Mark Moore

By Paul Boatman Mark Moore is teaching pastor of Christ”s Church of the Valley (CCV) in Peoria, Arizona, a congregation with weekly attendance of about 19,000. He left a 22-year professorship at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri, to lead a creative ministry-equipping program through this congregation. You left a respected professorship after two decades. Why? Influence. I loved teaching in Bible college. I also love preaching. When pastor Don Wilson opened the door at Christ”s Church of the Valley, I realized I could pursue both loves. It gives poetic balance to my career: The first half in academia and

March 11, 2013

Christian Standard

Semester in Ministry””a Unique Partnership

By Ethan Magness What is required to train the next generation of leaders for the church? How can you make a difference? Whom will you disciple for leadership? These are questions that drive the Semester in Ministry program partnership between Tennessee”s Milligan College and Mountain Christian Church in Joppa, Maryland. Here is what we have seen: “¢ A college sophomore preaches for the very first time to 100 squirming middle school students. She is nervous but she is ready. She has practiced a half-dozen times on her own and twice in front of a team of staff who gave her

January 12, 2013

Christian Standard

The Knife Wasn”t Even Sharp

By Robert Kitchen One day Vic came into my office to discuss a construction project at our church. Vic is a retired executive from a large machinery manufacturer, gentleman farmer, elder, and willing volunteer. Me? I”m a semiretired accountant, writer, woodworker, elder, and part-time business manager. I said, “Vic, you”re my friend and a willing volunteer. I need some surgery and I think you can do it. Do you have a pocketknife?” Vic knew my off-the-wall manner, so he played along. He pulled out his knife, held it to the light, and said, “It may need some sharpening.” I was

January 11, 2013

Christian Standard

How Do You Define Your Leadership? Tony Twist

By Tony Twist Ah, leadership! Do we even have a prayer? Lately I”ve been thinking there is much to be said for “muddling through and keeping your nose clean.” I know that”s not very profound. But not “muddling through” has certainly short-circuited many with much greater leadership skills and potential than I. So, first things first: stay on the path and out of the dirt. Joe Dampier, one of my mentors at what is now Emmanuel Christian Seminary, used to tell us: “Boys, you”ve got to sink your wells deep so you don”t wind up sucking mud.” We would all

April 30, 2012

Christian Standard

What I”ve Learned in 20-plus Years of Middle School Ministry

By Kurt Johnston My middle school ministry career began when I was 22 and trying to finish college. Over the years I”ve made a lot of mistakes, done a few things right, and learned a ton of lessons. In no particular order, here are some of the more significant lessons and aha moments I”ve experienced.   God Is in Control I”m sure that, like me, you believe that. I”m also sure that, like me, your actions often betray that belief. But I”ve learned that I”m not smart enough, creative enough, savvy enough, or spiritual enough to manufacture the things that

March 22, 2012

Christian Standard

Johnson Honors Alums Featured on TV Show

By Jennifer Taylor In January, Johnson University (Knoxville, TN) surprised Daniel and Mandy Watson with full tuition scholarships for their three children and the establishment of a scholarship fund for children in The Restoration House program. The Watsons, 2001 graduates of Johnson University, now operate The Restoration House of East Tennessee, a nonprofit organization ministering to the needs of single mothers. The organization offers transitional housing, team mentoring, and connections to social services and local resources. Families participating in the program must meet weekly with a leader to set goals, pay 30 percent of their income toward rent and utilities,

March 2, 2012

Christian Standard

Lead with Style!

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

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