September 12, 2023
Lincoln Christian University is entering the second year of a massive overhaul of its educational model. And it’s doing so with a mixed bag of early results. . . .
February 24, 2022
Lincoln Christian University has announced sweeping changes to its program offerings as it grapples with a difficult economic environment in higher education. The university says it plans to eliminate all its non-ministry degree programs.
July 10, 2019
Compiled by Jim Nieman Pat Gelsinger, whose association with William Jessup University, Rocklin, Calif., goes back many years, recently was named “Best CEO in America.” Bloomberg reported that Gelsinger, chief executive officer of Silicon Valley software maker VMware Inc., was ranked the top boss in employment website Glassdoor’s annual survey. A brief article at Jessup.com describes Gelsinger as “a longtime partner, supporter and friend.” Gelsinger previously served on Jessup’s board of trustees, and in 2008, Jessup awarded him an honorary doctorate of letters. A story in Business Insider from 2015 says Gelsinger and his wife give away about half of
May 28, 2017
By Eddie Lowen If vengeance comes easier than forgiveness, I understand. But for every Christian, and most certainly for church leaders, there is a better way. Have you seen the movie The Revenant? In the gruesome film, Leonardo DiCaprio”s character, a fur trader named Hugh Glass, is attacked by a grizzly, assaulted by his companions, and left for dead. He somehow recovers, tracks down those who abandoned him, and takes violent revenge. But the real-life events that inspired the film may have played out differently. Glass was, in fact, mauled by a bear and left for dead. Historians believe he
April 29, 2017
By Eddie Lowen This is no self-righteous rant about abandoning social media. But I do wonder if I””and many Christians I encounter online””have always thought through the implication of what we post. There were no newspapers, radios, or TVs. No blogs, podcasts, or social media. Sending a letter to 100 people meant scratching it out on parchment 100 times (that was a punishment when I was in elementary school). E-mail? Tweets? Voice mail? Unimaginable. In an age when no instant or mass communication tools existed, when fewer people lived on earth than in the United States today, James wrote, “Everyone should be quick to listen,
December 22, 2016
By Eddie Lowen Three attributes we should seek when we say we want a strong leader. In Disney”s animated film Beauty and the Beast, a strapping young man named Gaston cannot fathom why Belle (the Beauty, herself) is so disinterested in him. After all, Gaston is Mr. Everything. As the song sung by Gaston”s sidekick exclaims, he”s the slickest and quickest, and his neck is the thickest! No one can “hit” or “match wits” like Gaston. And for the record, no one can spit like him, either! With a bio like that, what young French maiden could resist? Answer: Belle. She
October 2, 2016
By Eddie Lowen A question for church leaders: Do you make time to worry about whether or not people think you”re inclined to serve? I met the world”s best restaurant server. From the moment he approached our table, he was the personification of service. He flawlessly memorized orders. He was fast without seeming hurried, informative without being verbose. He was genuinely friendly. He succinctly offered great recommendations, anticipated all we needed, and even kept the table from becoming cluttered. But what registered with me strongest was that he enjoyed taking care of us. His final words were, “I”m glad I
September 2, 2016
By Eddie Lowen “Our minister doesn”t teach on giving, at least not very directly or often.” I haven”t counted how many times staff members or elders from other churches have said something similar to me, but I”m sure the tally is approaching 50 by now. It makes me wonder. . . . During the last year, how many churches have hosted a four-week series on biblical money management that emphasizes tithing (or growing generosity) to the church? How many churches regularly offer Financial Peace University or a similar series that equips people to master their finances? How many churches have
February 26, 2016
By Eddie Lowen For a long time, I believed every church needed a target group: the irreligious, the unchurched, men, young families, singles, young adults . . . some group that is underrepresented in most established churches. But my thinking has shifted. I am now cautious about identifying target groups. Let me walk you through the New Testament passage that altered my philosophy and shaped our church”s mission language. Acts 10 introduces Cornelius, captain of the Italian Regiment. It”s safe to assume Cornelius looked and sounded much like the soldiers who brutalized and killed Jesus. That unsavory association made Cornelius
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
October 17, 2015
By Eddie Lowen Pixar”s movie Inside Out is clever. It”s about an 11-year-old girl whose family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. The genius of the film is its vivid and humorous portrayal of the memories, thoughts, and emotions that compete to control the girl”s behavior. If I had to select one word to capture all three of those elements””memory, thought, and emotion””I”d choose the word instinct. How good are your instincts? Let me guess: pretty good. As you read my question, you thought, I trust my gut. My instincts are above average. That”s the problem. Everyone thinks his or
October 12, 2015
Four ministers. One concern: How to find a “band of brothers” for accountability, insight, and help to finish well. By Eddie Lowen I was set apart for ministry by the first church that employed me. I was only 19 when they hired me (and 20 when they ordained me), yet they took a chance. They took a chance that I would graduate a year after my ordination. They took a chance that I would mature in many ways. They also took a chance that I would find a wife! Seriously, at the time, an unmarried pastor was rare. Most of
September 29, 2015
By Mark A. Taylor Every August and September, I was gripped by panic. As part-time education minister with a smaller church (now it”s mega), I was responsible to recruit Sunday school workers for every age level and to staff a fully graded program on Wednesday nights. When kids choirs took a break on Sunday evenings (we had Sunday-night church back in those days), my job was to create and find workers for kids” classes then too. In a church of a few hundred, that was a lot of volunteers, and we never seemed to have quite enough. We encouraged people
August 31, 2015
By Eddie Lowen Over the last couple of years, I”ve heard several of my pastor heroes reveal what they would do differently (and the same) if they could start over in church leadership. Those talks have been rich with wisdom. Since I emulated them in multiple ways, I listened closely each time, wondering if they would express regret over something I mimicked. I carry notes from their leadership talks on my phone, an indication of the regard I have for the wisdom of these men. I reread and meditate on them. It seems wise to give weight to the reflections
April 24, 2015
By Eddie Lowen In August 2014, our church raised up 700-plus brand-new volunteers and commissioned our entire volunteer force for a new era of volunteer ministry. Below are excerpts of the talk I delivered at Volunteer Bootcamp 2014. Readers are welcome to adapt and use it. When Marshall Faulk played college football at San Diego State, he entered training camp as the team”s fifth-string tailback, eventually working his way up to second-string. Early one game, the starting tailback was injured, so the coach gave Faulk the nod. The rest is football history. In the remaining three and one-half quarters, Faulk
February 27, 2015
By Michael C. Mack On a recent Facebook discussion of Christian leaders, T. J. Lawson, senior pastor at West Side Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas, asked, “What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Christian leaders?” Here are the three most popular responses: 1. Self. This one was phrased a number of ways: “Christians,” “themselves,” the idea that “if it”s to be it”s up to me,” and “pride.” Leaders and other church members often put themselves and their desires (a form of consumerism) above God and his purposes. This is more than just a challenge; it”s idolatry. 2. Apathy
December 7, 2014
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
October 27, 2014
By Eddie Lowen My family keeps in touch almost exclusively by text message, so only a small percentage of our communication is by phone call. But when my wife or children do call me, I nearly always answer. If I”m in a meeting or a conversation, I excuse myself to take the call. Years ago, I allowed those calls to go to voicemail because I wanted to be “professional” in my work. I later concluded that was a misplaced priority. I”ve decided it”s more important to be a reliable husband and dad than a perfect employee, so I always answer
August 29, 2014
By Eddie Lowen Why are you serving on that board or with that mission? How do you decide when it”s better to say no? Have you ever heard the wife of a construction contractor brag about all the work her husband does around the house? Neither have I. Normally, Mrs. Contractor complains, “My husband does amazing improvements on other people”s houses, but it”s like pulling teeth to get him to work on our home.” Some churches have a similar dynamic. Here”s how it develops: a capable minister does good work and establishes a positive reputation. He is asked by parachurch
August 19, 2014
By Mark A. Taylor No group will understand or fulfill its mission without a leader sounding the charge and setting the example. Eddie Lowen and I talked about this during my Beyond the Standard interview with him July 31. Churches need to be led, he said, and led by leaders with high integrity. We could say the same for school boards, corporations, or the government of any nation. But our experience with bad leadership in all of those environments may be one reason some are suspicious of leaders in the church. Can we find a leader more interested in his
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