Pastors – ChurchLeaders

Pastor, Use This Checklist for Better Preaching

Michael Lukaszewski — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 07:59:00 +0000

I am not the best preacher on the planet, but I am passionate about better preaching. Here are a few things that I have learned along the way and things that I am currently trying to implement.

Not All Marketplace Leadership Works in the Church

Eric Geiger — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 06:28:47 +0000

Ironically, the world often recognizes marketplace leadership principles long after they have been revealed in Scripture.

The Heart of Great Preaching

Peter Mead — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 06:03:00 +0000

I was particularly struck by the main Bible teaching. It was great preaching. I was challenged by the obvious passion for the Word.

Immigrants and Election Week: How Churches of Welcome Go From Rhetoric to Relationships and Reaching

Daniel Yang — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 18:02:48 +0000

For Great Commission Christian churches, whether we are churches of welcome or churches of apathy has some correlation to how we are motivated to obey Jesus’ words “to make disciples of all nations.”

20 Signs of a Great Speech That Sadly Changes No One’s Life

Brian Dodd — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 06:55:32 +0000

We all want to know how to give a good speech. But what if we give a good speech that changes no one's life?

New Pastors: 7 Pitfalls to Avoid

Charles Stone — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 06:28:28 +0000

In this article, adapted from my book on on-boarding for pastors, I list 7 pitfalls new pastors must avoid in a new church job.

Pastoral Ministry Is Never a Competition

Erik Raymond — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 06:55:00 +0000

As pastors, one way we can emulate the King is to give ourselves away in the service of other pastors. That, too, is pastoral ministry.

5 Ways to Overcome Being an Insecure Leader

Ron Edmondson — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 06:37:25 +0000

Being an insecure leader will weigh you down and hold you back as a pastor or leader. It will keep you from doing all you were called to do. Don’t let it!

5 Qualities to Seek in the Heart of a Leader

Ron Edmondson — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 06:55:34 +0000

Someone asked me recently what I primarily look for in the hiring of a staff position. I said, without reservation, first and foremost, I look for the heart of a leader.

Pastor: Here’s the Best Thing You’ll Ever Do for Yourself

Joe McKeever — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 06:51:34 +0000

The best you can do for yourself is also the hardest thing for a pastor or staff member or lay leader to do: to call out for help.

Porn Is a Women’s Problem, Too. Our Solutions Need To Be Woman-Oriented.

Ashley Jameson — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 11:29:32 +0000

The data clearly dispels two common misconceptions about porn use: that it’s just a “man’s problem” and that it’s solely a “secular problem.”

Dealing with Your Hurt from Your Pastor’s Moral Failure

Kelly Williams — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:34:01 +0000

Do you remember the first time in your life that someone you looked up to as a spiritual leader had a moral failure? I do.

Is the New Testament Just History, or Expectant Christianity?

Ray Hollenbach — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 06:09:33 +0000

Do we read this book as history, or are we looking for what to expect in our new life in Christ? The New Testament should be our version of expectant Christianity.

9 Strategies To Achieve Balance as a Leader: A Combat Veteran’s Advice

Dr. Damon Friedman — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 11:28:20 +0000

As a former combat soldier, I know all too well the toll that service can take on a person— physically, mentally and emotionally.

Practical Steps to a Small Church Discipleship Strategy

Darrell Stetler II — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 11:15:19 +0000

As a pastor of a smaller church, you know the joy of seeing someone come to Christ. But let’s be honest—when it comes to actually discipling that new believer, it can feel like you’re winging it. Here are five practical steps to help you create a clear discipleship strategy for your small church.

How Much Time Should You Spend on Sermon Prep?

Charles Stone — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 06:55:24 +0000

Haddon Robinson wrote that experienced preachers he surveyed spent an average of 16 hours in sermon prep. That sounds more like it to me. That’s probably my average and I’ve been preaching for 25 years.

Millions in This World Are Blinded by the Enemy

Joe McKeever — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 06:10:47 +0000

As they walked away scratching their heads, clueless to the lovely little paradox the Lord had just laid on them, one could be heard to say, “I just don’t see it.” Exactly. Blinded by the enemy.

Jesus Wants Us To Ask How To Serve, Not Who To Serve

Keith Cureton — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 13:49:42 +0000

There’s a lot of dialogue going on right now in America over who “deserves” or “gets” to be our neighbor. But God has already settled this debate, decisively.

With Our Help, Kids Impacted by Incarceration Can Flourish

Betsy Wright — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 11:32:54 +0000

Research on resilience suggests that adverse childhood experiences don’t inevitably lead to childhood trauma. But preventing this adversity from becoming trauma with lifelong consequences requires consistent, loving, intentional support from individuals and communities.

5 Tips That Will Definitely Make You a Better Communicator

Carey Nieuwhof — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 06:08:22 +0000

The bottom line, though, is this: People may admire your strengths, but they resonate with your weaknesses. It makes you a better communicator.

It Isn’t About Overcoming Language—It’s About Using It for Good

Stan Jantz — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 11:14:57 +0000

Language has always been a centerpiece of God’s plan to have a relationship with us. In fact, God is the ultimate linguist. There are nearly 7,000 languages in the world, and God knows every single one.

Is Clarity Better Than Kindness?

Garry Ingraham — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 18:09:41 +0000

Biblical kindness does not affirm sin, false identity, or what separates a person from God. Rather, genuine kindness loves a person too much to stay silent, or speak untrue affirmations about our sexuality.

4 Resources Small Churches Can Put Toward Discipleship—Today

Darrell Stetler II — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 11:14:21 +0000

Small church pastors are used to using phrases like, "We just don’t have the resources." The truth is, when it comes to building a strong discipleship culture, resources are exactly what you have—more than you realize.

Surviving Feedback From Friends

Michael Voll — Mon, 07 Oct 2024 06:03:32 +0000

Don’t ask for feedback unless you intend to receive it with humility and openness.

The Vital Role of Prayer for Hospital Chaplains: Bringing Comfort and Hope

Jamie Peplinski — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 11:06:44 +0000

In the bustling, often overwhelming environment of a hospital, where the stakes are high and emotions run deep, hospital chaplains play a crucial role in providing spiritual support and comfort.

Asking for a Raise – 10 Tips From an Executive Pastor

Rich Birch — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 06:01:39 +0000

Don’t Say These 5 Things When Asking Your Executive Pastor for a Raise

Small Church Pastor, Respect Thyself

Darrell Stetler II — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 11:04:01 +0000

Small church pastors bring unique contributions that make a tremendous impact. It’s time to respect what you do, and where you do it.

Failure is Not Final: Embracing Rejection for God’s Glory

Troy Gramling — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 11:30:38 +0000

Failure. Rejection. As a fellow church leader, I understand the weight of these words and the emotions they elicit.

Why Are Church People so Mean – 8 Reasons

Chuck Lawless — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 06:45:46 +0000

Why are church people so mean? Based on interviews and surveys over the years, here are just some of the reasons church members can be mean.

6 Church Members Who Build Up the Church

Chopo Mwanza — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 06:30:08 +0000

Healthy local churches make a powerful and attractive testimony to a watching world. This means that all of the church members have to be devoted to building others up.

4 Idols That Kill Leadership Development

Eric Geiger — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 06:55:39 +0000

Are any of these idols stopping you or your team from leadership development? We are wise to heed the apostle John’s encouragement: “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” If we don’t, we will neglect one of our chief roles as a leader.

It’s Getting Crazy (Again) for Pastors and Politics

Brandon Cox — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 11:07:54 +0000

Should pastors address politics from the pulpit—or in any format that flows from their platform as spiritual leaders?

3 Insights for Creating Community

Allen White — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 06:14:42 +0000

While the Enlightenment hijacked the Western church’s approach to disciple making, neuroscience is showing the importance of creating community in developing godly character.

Christians, Let’s Not Stand in the Way of Kinship Care

Heather Dyer — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 11:07:29 +0000

September is Kinship Care Month, a time to celebrate the family members who step up to care for a relative’s child.

Why Small Church Pastors Can Drive a Revival of Discipleship

Darrell Stetler II — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 11:07:13 +0000

A small church pastor is uniquely positioned to drive a revival of discipleship in ways that larger churches and celebrity pastors simply cannot replicate. Why? Because discipleship requires some things that don’t scale well.

The Need to Be a Pastor-Theologian

Hershael York — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 06:03:04 +0000

Done correctly, biblical pastoral ministry is inherently theological because, unlike secular counselors, psychologists and social workers, pastors deal with the eternal and spiritual nature of things.

Practical Insights to Overcoming Worry

Dan Reiland — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 11:07:09 +0000

Corrie Ten Boom said, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength." That is such good wisdom.

2 Realities That Often Stifle Conviction for Developing Leaders

Eric Geiger — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 11:07:23 +0000

If you can imagine leading without developing leaders, then leadership development is not a conviction.

Why We Need to Start Preaching and Teaching the Basics of Christianity

Phil Cooke — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 06:20:20 +0000

The ramifications for preaching and teaching are enormous. False teaching and wrong believing create Christians who aren’t just weak, they’re actually damaging to the cause of Christ.

Will Our Relationships With Others in Heaven Be Part of Our Eternal Rewards?

Randy Alcorn — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 21:07:41 +0000

Many would list people and relationships as their treasures. Other than Jesus, the greatest treasure I’ve ever had on Earth is my wife Nanci.

Apostasy and the Rise of the Nones

James Emery White — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 11:07:14 +0000

Can someone commit apostasy? It’s an important question facing the church in light of our entry into a post-Christian world, one where increasing numbers are claiming to have once been Christians and now claim to be “nothing.”

3 Reasons Why God Doesn’t Give You a Map

Michael Kelley — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:33:04 +0000

God does not give us a map. And there are some good reasons why he doesn't. Here are three of them.

Only You Can Stop Boring Preaching

Joe McKeever — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 06:29:33 +0000

What boring preaching does–without exception–is answer questions which no one is asking.

7 Improvements New Leaders Should Bring to Your Organization

Brian Dodd — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 11:07:21 +0000

New leaders have the ability to change the entire dynamic of an organization. Here are seven improvements new leaders should bring.

When Good People Get Depressed

Brandon Cox — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 21:20:49 +0000

Good people get depressed. Godly people get depressed. Depression isn’t sin. It’s a state.

The Tension Between Leadership and Likeability

Carey Nieuwhof — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 06:33:42 +0000

The tension between likeability and leadership is much older than social media. Every leader in every generation has had to struggle with it at some level.

Overwhelming Leadership Muscles for Development

Eric Geiger — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 11:11:29 +0000

You cannot grow physical muscles without the muscles being overwhelmed. Your muscles need resistance and challenges to grow. The same is true for leadership muscles.

The Second Coming – 4 Lessons From Parable of the Bridesmaids

Ray Hollenbach — Mon, 16 Sep 2024 06:05:59 +0000

Using the parable of the bridesmaids Jesus Himself instructed us to “keep awake” and be aware of the signs of the times.

An Eternal Perspective Brings Us Great Comfort in Grief

Randy Alcorn — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 11:15:56 +0000

Our grief has an expiration date. The world as it is now is under the curse, but God will lift it once and for all: “No longer will there be any curse” (Revelation 22:3). No more sin. No more cancer. No more dementia. No more suffering. No more death.

Leaders Can’t Avoid Conflict—It’s How You Handle It That Matters

Dan Reiland — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 11:11:57 +0000

Conflict is inevitable but divisiveness is avoidable. How we handle human conflict determines whether the outcome is unity or division.