Many of us have come to believe that the Christian life is synonymous with constant happiness. We think we’re on the right track if the trajectory of our lives is “up and to the right” – always improving, always leveling up. But this way of thinking leaves little room for grief and sadness. When we experience real loss, we see it as an abnormal alien invasion, not as a divine invitation. And yet, Jesus shows us that to welcome and hold sorrow before God is central to our leadership and discipleship. In today’s podcast episode, I share the importance of finding the treasure buried in grief and loss, and how we can train other leaders to do the same. I encourage you to watch our full training video online in our Leader’s Training Vault. It’s completely free and only takes one minute to register. For now, you can listen to today’s episode here… ​​

I was 19 when I came to Christ and started my training as a Christian leader. As a young leader, I was taught many valuable things. But nobody told me about the most powerful gift leaders can bring to those they lead. In my education, I learned how to… read Scripture preach and teach lead communities hear God’s voice develop my spiritual gifts expand the kingdom Each of these gifts and skills are valuable. But I’ve learned (through my own failures) that the greatest gift leaders can actually give is becoming an “incarnational presence” – being DEEPLY PRESENT with people like Jesus. In today’s podcast episode, we look at the norm for most churches and leaders, but then we’ll explore the beauty of what can happen in our church cultures when we learn to lead in this way. I encourage you to watch our full training video online in our Leader’s Training Vault. It’s completely free and. Read more.

As a pastor or leader your primary role is to develop and disciple others. More than simply “getting things done”, we are called to prioritize the growth and maturity of the people and leaders around us. We do this by learning particular skills and tools with which we can coach our leaders, our team, and those in our ministry. One game-changing tool that I use to coach others is called the “Genogram”. The genogram is a powerful visual map to document the history and dynamics of our family relationships and their impact on us, over three to four generations. The reality is – if we don’t understand how we have been shaped by our families of origin, we carry vulnerabilities and blind spots with us into our work and leadership. Conversely, when we become aware of these things, it catalyzes discipleship at a whole new level. In today’s episode, I share the 6 stages. Read more.

As a pastor or leader your primary role is to develop and disciple others. More than simply “getting things done”, we are called to prioritize the growth and maturity of the people and leaders around us. We do this by learning particular skills and tools with which we can coach our leaders, our team, and those in our ministry. One game-changing tool that I use to coach others is called the “Genogram”. The genogram is a powerful visual map to document the history and dynamics of our family relationships and their impact on us, over three to four generations. The reality is – if we don’t understand how we have been shaped by our families of origin, we carry vulnerabilities and blind spots with us into our work and leadership. Conversely, when we become aware of these things, it catalyzes discipleship at a whole new level. In today’s episode, I share the 6 stages. Read more.

Not long ago I was spending time with some young pastors, hoping to learn how leaders today define ministry success. The word “influence” seemed to be a common theme. Many leaders obsess over growing their followers, gaining digital credibility, and creating captivating sound bites for social media. While there is nothing wrong with having a following, there exists a pressure and allure to making that the primary scorecard for ministry impact. This way of thinking only leads to destruction. In many ways, this is nothing new. The 3 deadly temptations that Jesus faced in the desert, are the exact temptations we face as leaders, no matter what generation you are from. Anthony the Great, a desert father, said, “This is the great work of a man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation till the last breath!” But if we learn to face these temptations and receive. Read more.