Category: Leadership
What Real Rest Looks Like for a Pastor
by Brandon A. Cox: Resting isn’t nearly as easy as it sounds. Our traditional definition of rest is simple enough: Do less. A more fleshed-out, biblical understanding of rest, however, is a bit deeper than merely doing less. It’s really doing less to allow time and space to become more. And […]
Do You Have the Passion Level of a Successful Leader? How to Tell
by Carey Nieuwhof: If there’s one characteristic I see in successful leaders in growing churches and organizations, it’s passion. The more church leaders I connect with, the more I see this trend: leaders of growing churches (and growing organizations) have a white hot passion for their mission. You can hear […]
It Feels Good When Your Team Is Winning
by Peyton Jones: The leaders of microchurches don’t tend to do all of the heavy lifting. The burden is shared like the moving a piece of heavy furniture. The same piece of furniture that threatened to break the back of a solo lifter reduces to the weight of a peanut […]
What if Everyone Leaves Your Church…to Plant More Churches?
By Ed Stetzer: People in your church are going to be nervous. They’re going to say, “Now, wait a second. If we send people out, won’t our church decline?” Statistically, the most likely scenario is that it won’t. Jeff Farmer (researcher and professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) did a […]
5 Ways Analysis Paralysis Might Be Killing Your Church
by Rich Birch: Are you spending too much time making decisions? Are you and your leaders digging deeper into the reasons why you should or should not do something without actually making a decision? Analysis paralysis is what happens to leaders when we spend too much time thinking and not […]
Declining Attendance and 7 Preaching Shifts That Are Happening Right Now
by Carey Nieuwhof: Every week you host services at your church hoping to reach more people, which is admirable and appropriate. The problem is that the culture is changing and never bothered to ask you permission. In many ways, preachers are using a method that’s been around for centuries…if not millennia…which […]
5 Church Leaders You Should Follow in the Post-Hybels Era
by Rich Birch: It’s hard to believe it but it’s true. We live in a post-Bill Hybels era. Over the last few months, watching from the sidelines has been heart wrenching to say the least. The resignation of the entire elder’s board, Heather Larson and Steve Carter this week does […]
9 Surprising Challenges You’ll Face When Your Church Grows
by Carey Nieuwhof: It’s easy to believe that there will come a day when your church or organization will never struggle and you’ll never struggle as a leader. As tempting as that is to believe, it’s just not true. Every church struggles. And every leader struggles. And—yes—even growing churches struggle. I outlined the struggles […]
How to Fire Your Best Friend
By New Churches Team: Have you found yourself in a situation where you need to fire your best friend? Maybe he helped you plant the church five years ago, but as the church has grown he just can’t seem to keep up. It’s not from lack of effort and he […]
6 Stock Expressions Every Leader Should Stop Using
by Carey Nieuwhof: You say things every day as leaders that work against you, not for you. Have a look at the list below, and you’ll immediately recognize that you probably say some (or all) of these things without even realizing it. They’re almost verbal ticks in our culture. They’re stock […]