Worship is a gift of God – a venue or opportunity for us to experience wonder and majesty. Most of us live “contained” lives; squeezed by limitations, rejections, disappointments. Worship is where the Lord opens the skies and reveals, reminds and re-energizes us. In worship, we enter the stories of God’s moving. In worship, we join in community to defy… Read more »
More than leaders who are skilled, who have certain personality traits (extroversion/ D’s and I’s) our people need LEADERS WHO ARE LED! When we serve under leaders who are led, we can follow with hope and joy. We can trust that our church is fulfilling the calling of God upon us. We may or may not immediately see the results,… Read more »
Powerful theology forms powerful SPIRITUAL leaders. When the word forms our worldview we see differently. We see those we lead differently. We see obstacles and opposition differently. Ultimately the skills of a leader do matter. But the key factor is the leader’s soul. When leaders experience theology (meaning the power of the word in their world) they become powerful spiritual… Read more »
Over the past few decades the call has been to shape the Sunday worship around the unchurched. Continually leaders speak of how they are implementing this tactic. This model is certainly one option and does indeed have impact. However, the implications flowing from that one decision to implement that model can also be treacherous. For instance, if the Sunday experience… Read more »
Responsibility, deadlines, appointments can all come crashing down to squeeze the leader’s schedule. With no clear decision, and mostly without awareness, the leader begins the “leadership run”. Each day they hit the floor running, excited, hectic. One day is skipped in worship and then another. And then the weekend assignment pulls their focus to their “speaking” and anxiously await the… Read more »
I’ve heard leaders, in conversation with other leaders, say “I really don’t need worship but maybe once a month.” What does that mean? Do they feel it is a need or feeling that can be satiated one time a month? Have you looked carefully at the pattern of Jesus? To begin with, he was an Israelite. The people of Israel… Read more »
The need to succeed. Do you have that? I do. Embedded in me by my parents I became driven to succeed. One person even commented to me, “you seem to have such a need to succeed.” When the need to succeed becomes the driving force in the life of a leader, compromise is waiting at the door. Relax the standards… Read more »
The statement is often made, “I want to do this for the Kingdom.” Maybe so, but then again, maybe not so much. I find myself often hearing the Spirit processing my motive, “Why do you want that? Why would you like to be that speaker, that leader who does that?” And my heart is split open. Though I want a… Read more »
I was stuck in O’Hare airport. My flight had just been canceled and I was given an overnight stay plus a food voucher. But… I had already rushed dinner before my original wheels up time. So, what to do with the $25 food voucher? Cheesecake? Of course. There before my eyes was a cheesecake stand, “Eli’s”. But $25 worth of cheesecake? How in the… Read more »
Powerful leaders have in their history painful times. The difference is that spiritually powerful leaders have learned that the Lord shows up in those seasons and uses them to catalyze a future that they do not want to miss! Don’t waste your pain! Bring it to the Lord as a sacrifice and allow Him to sanctify it.