Articles for tag: Ministry: Specialized Leadership

April 17, 2014

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

A Smooth Transition

By John Plunkett In September 2011, I had preached at Creve Coeur (Illinois) Christian Church for 33 years, more than half its existence. But I was ready to retire. I had been thinking about this for some time. As early as 2006 I proposed a plan with an associate minister that would have implemented a three-year transition moving me to retirement and him to the senior minister”s role. But that plan fell apart when the associate was called to be senior minister of another congregation. In September 2011, I told the elders of my pending retirement and that my last

January 25, 2014

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

The Elder and Staff Relationships

By David Roadcup For centuries, the devil”s playground in a congregation has been the relational web between the paid staff and elders. Love, encouragement, support, understanding, and communication must flow between staff and elders. In many cases however, struggle, misunderstanding, lack of communication, and sometimes extreme frustration are more likely to be prevalent. Ministers need the relational support and undergirding of the elders. Elders need the encouragement and support of the paid staff members. It”s a two-way street. The need flows both ways. This issue is important in the life of a church because when unity is broken and a

September 19, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

I Did a Cannonball in the Jordan River

By Tim Harlow I”m writing this from Israel. We brought a group here to walk where Jesus walked, pray where Jesus prayed, and get baptized where Jesus got baptized. I did a cannonball. A cannonball is when you jump into the water with your arms holding your knees tight against your chest. It makes a huge splash. I thought it would make a good video moment for our church as we are in the last months of a capital campaign we”ve called “Cannonball””All in and Making Waves.” We borrowed the metaphor from our friends at Mountain Christian Church in Joppa,

July 25, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Titles or Testimonies?

By Tim Harlow In his book Who Switched the Price Tags? Tony Campolo tells of an African-American pastor who was preaching to some students who were about to graduate. He said, “Children, you are going to die! One of these days the hearse is going to take you to the cemetery, drop you in a hole and everyone”s going back to the church to eat potato salad. When you were born, you were crying and everyone else was happy. Here is the question, “˜When you die, will you be the only happy one with everyone else crying?” The answer depends

May 30, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Moving Beyond Average

By Phil Scott Of the more than 350,000 churches in America, 85 percent are stagnant or declining in membership. This means that “average” churches are actually unhealthy. Healthy growth comes to churches that rise above being typically average. The need of the day is unaverage churches. Average congregations are led by a small number of key older men and some women, paid and volunteer, who replaced previous older leaders. The strong influence of the charter members, founding fathers and mothers, or the founding pastor may be unknown or gone. The first generation is made up of the founding mothers

May 20, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Dan Cathy = WWJD?

By Tim Harlow Dan Cathy is the president of Chick-fil-A and has borne the brunt of a great deal of criticism in the gay marriage debate because of a statement he made affirming biblical marriage values. That is NOT why I think he represents “What Would Jesus Do?” I know Jesus would affirm his Father”s plan for human sexuality, but he would never stop there. This Chick-fil-A debate was very unfortunate, in my opinion, because of the polarization it caused between the two sides. Cathy became the whipping boy for the gay lobby, representing all things evil about Christianity. I

May 6, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

How to Take Your Ministries to the Next Level

By Brian Mavis The church has a problem. The things that matter the most””spiritual growth, changed lives, ministry impact””are the toughest to measure. How are you supposed to measure things like peace, patience, kindness, a transformed heart, and kingdom impact? As the saying goes, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” Our mission is to go and make disciples of Jesus; not merely decisions for Jesus (though that is a start), but disciples. Yet it seems to me there is a disconnect between our mission and what we measure. It is not

April 18, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Steps to Healthy Growth in Ministry Relationships

By Susan Lawrence “My senior staff member just went behind my back and told my volunteer team about plans for significant change in my ministry before I was informed. What”s up with that?” “Why can”t my team just do what needs to be done without being babysat? What happened to personal motivation and responsibility?” “It”s time for change, and I don”t care what the rest of the staff thinks. They need to get on board or leave.” Working with ministry staff and volunteers is tough. Individuals bring their teams different personalities, experiences, and skills; and those differences can lead to

April 14, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

The Chemistry Quotient

By Carl Kuhl Have you heard about The Three Ingredient Cookbook? True to its name, every recipe has only three ingredients. One of my friends got it as a wedding present when she was inexperienced in the kitchen, the idea being that even she would be capable of these recipes. But here”s the thing about The Three Ingredient Cookbook: if you leave out one of the ingredients, it doesn”t work! Some more complicated recipes call for a dozen or more ingredients, and if you are out of one particular spice, you usually can omit it with no problem. But when

February 24, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

When Things Go Well

By Eddie Lowen When church leaders need to crack a code or solve a problem, help is everywhere. Books, blogs, coaches, conferences, e-zines, and webinars are so plentiful that the trick is no longer accessing information, but evaluating and organizing it. And there”s help for those tasks, too (there”s always an app for that). If you need a strategy that fits your vision, you can find it. If you face a mystery, someone can help solve it. If you need an expert who specializes in evangelizing 38.5-year-old suburban males who work in financial services and eat their cereal with tablespoons,

February 15, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

The Pastor as Spiritual Companion

A pastor as spiritual companion not only makes disciples, he offers spiritual direction. The intent of both ministries is to cultivate a deeper and more intimate encounter with God, an encounter that touches mind, heart, soul, and spirit. By Kevin Dell In his desire to connect with God, the young man finally makes his decision. He repents of an empty way of living, confesses Jesus as Lord and Savior, is immersed in baptismal waters, and entrusts his life to following Jesus. By God”s grace, he responds with faith and receives a new life, a fresh start, and a hopeful heart.

January 22, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

My Greatest Leadership Challenge

By Arron Chambers Have you ever played the trust game? You know, the one where you fall back and someone catches you? If you ever belonged to a church youth group and had a youth minister who didn”t always prepare, and occasionally needed a time “filler,” you”ve certainly played it. Yeah, I hate that game too. When I was younger, I hung out with the kids in the youth group who thought it was funny to let the preacher”s kid keep falling till he hit the ground. Yeah, that was a fun game . . . for the kids with

January 21, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

When the Minister Leaves

By Jeff Chitwood I reached two milestones in my life at about the same time: turning 50 and being at the same church for 25 years. Those milestones began a journey that would last a couple of years. A nagging question had settled in my heart and mind that would not go away: Does God have somewhere else he wants me to serve?Â Things were going well at the church, and I had no yearning desire to follow what some perceive as the ultimate success in ministry””go to a bigger church. But that burning question caused me to seek God in

January 20, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

The Birth of a Ministry Meltdown

By John Hampton The birth of a baby usually is one of the happiest life experiences a family can have. Usually. However, I witnessed firsthand what happens when the circumstances around the birth of a child take bizarre twists and scary turns down an unfamiliar road you don”t know if you”re ever coming back from. My wife, Melinda, and I are the parents of two daughters, Anna and Rachel. Both are beautiful, grown-up, married young women. We are so blessed to be their parents and the in-laws of two young men who we proudly call “our sons.” Our oldest daughter,

January 17, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Afraid of Change

By Mark A. Taylor Most crucial attributes of the Christian life are more easily discussed than demonstrated. All of us want to be forgiven, for example. But when wronged grievously, most of us struggle to forgive. In the same way, we laud grace, chastity, love, and perseverance. But when faced with another”s failure, our own temptation, a difficult coworker, or an overwhelming trial, how often do we react with something less than the ideal we”ve studied and taught? This disconnect between belief and behavior is universal. Realizing that sanctification is a process and not an event, we need not beat

January 14, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

Advice for Rookie Pastors

By Josh Tandy You don”t have to be 22 and just walking away from the welcome potluck to read this article. Here”s how I define Rookie Pastor: someone who is brand new to ministry, or someone who just took on a new role, or one of those veterans who refuses to stop growing, learning, and adapting. As I wrote my e-book 30 in 30: How to Start or Restart Well*, I realized I did some of my 30 pointers in my first 30 days, and some I have yet to do. My goal is to help the recent graduate who

January 12, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

When You Can”t Find Your Donkey

By Tim Harlow One day, Kish lost some donkeys, so he sent his son Saul out to find them. Saul looked for days but couldn”t find the donkeys anywhere, so he went to Samuel the prophet for advice. Little did Saul know God orchestrated the whole thing so that he and Samuel would meet, because God decided Saul would be the new king of Israel. When Samuel told Saul about God”s vision of leadership, Saul was understandably reluctant. One minute he was out looking for some stubborn animals, and the next he was being told God had picked him for

January 11, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

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

January 11, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

How Do You Define Your Leadership? Brent Storms

ByÂ Brent Storms When I started playing soccer, it was hard to find shin guards that didn”t come up past my knees. I didn”t get very good until about the time my voice changed. I played three years on the varsity team in high school (we were terrible) and four years in college (we were pretty good). I stopped playing in adult leagues a few years ago when most games ended with an injury of some kind. I”ve always been a forward, an offensive player. Of course, every forward loves to score goals, and I”m no exception. But there”s something else

January 11, 2013

Christian Standard

Church Leadership

How Do You Define Your Leadership? Melissa Sandel

By Melissa Sandel My role is to serve as the chief architect of staff culture. I find high-capacity leaders who are determined to grow, and equip them to hit the ball out of the park in their respective roles. Crafting the environment in which this process unfolds is one of my most vital assignments. Several principles define our staff culture and have shaped the way I lead. Require development. We don”t believe anyone is so sharp or devoted that he or she can play a productive role on our team without growing. To model this, I invite our lead pastor