A recent story from Religion News Service reminded us of something that we knew, but don’t like to admit: The seven deadly sins have new partners in crime. Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride still attract a lot of attention. But as the Internet and other media invade American life, our vices have also gone virtual, according to a new study. Nearly half of Americans say they are tempted to idle the hours [...]

Last night I finished Brennan Manning’s All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir. The book is the story of Manning’s life, written from his home in New Jersey as he heads into the last stages of his life. I accidentally read this book… my initial plan was to read Manning’s The Furious Longing of God but as he kept referring to parts of his life story, I couldn’t help but track down this book and dive into [...]

Much has been said about what makes a team healthy, or unhealthy. Books have been written, conferences put on, and yet many times we like to pretend that they are talking about someone else’s team… not yours. So, can you tell if YOUR team is unhealthy? Here are five things that we have seen in healthy teams: You actually enjoy being around one another instead of trying to find ways to avoid each other. Truth is [...]

A laid-off man has won $1 million after buying some lottery tickets on a whim against his wife’s wishes, in Southern Oregon. After receiving his winnings the man immediately gave a 10 percent tithe to his church. According to reports, Riley Gunn was traveling with his wife and three children to their one bedroom residence when he stopped to purchase some corndogs. It was a rare treat for his family, because after he had been [...]

Over the last eight years I have had the privilege of getting to know the team at Blessing Point Ministries. Ken Quick, Mark Barnard, and the rest of the Blessing Point team have a phenomenal ministry that serves hurting churches, and helps to mend the tapestry of church life. If you have served on a church staff, or in ministry at any level, for more than three days, you know how quickly rips and tears can unravel a [...]

How often do you ask direct reports to do you a favor? The correct answer is never. Sure, you may say the words “do me a favor”, but according to our friend Chris Huff there is no such thing: It is never a favor when my boss, supervisor, or anyone else “above me” asks me to do something. It’s my job. No matter what it is…no matter how small or seemingly unrelated to my day-to-day responsibilities. This morning Todd [...]

The title “Executive Pastor” covers a pretty broad range of job functions in the church today. According to David Fletcher, the job typically falls into one of three categories: Overseer of Operations The Ministry Strategist The Second-in-Command In this edition of Ministry Briefing we discuss the evolution of the role, how it functions in the church today, and what churches need in the days to come. How does YOUR church define the role of Executive Pastor?

Every February, for the last few years, Theresa and I make a trip out to Benihana, a Japanese steakhouse chain. The pilgrimage is a birthday tradition (birthday boy eats free!), and we have enjoyed the experience each time that we have gone. For those of you unfamiliar with the Benihana experience, a chef prepares your meal for you at your table, where you eat with eight of your new best friends. The chef puts on [...]

Those who lead others take on special responsibilities…and must hold themselves to the standards that they ask of those they lead. That is not always easy and it takes a humble vigilance because none of us do these things perfectly. But the “commitments” of leaders ought to be the norm not the exception. In this edition of Ministry Briefing, we discuss TJ Addington’s Nine Commitments Leaders Make, and share our thoughts and experiences… Click through, [...]

Are you a dripping faucet leader? Dripping faucet leaders are constantly tweaking, suggesting changes (improvements!), and critiquing… all in the name of excellence. While we like to think that we are trying to make things better, what we are really doing is driving our teams crazy… and encouraging them to quit. Today we react to a conversation between Dan Rockwell (Leadership Freak) and Mark Miller (Chick-fil-A), on how to not be a dripping faucet leader. What [...]