Tag Archives: church leadership

Wanted! Shepherd Leaders

We desperately need leaders today, particularly Christian leaders. How else will we effectively make disciples and bring Christ to the world amidst the enormous challenges confronting the church today? In Jesus’ commissioning of Peter in John 21:15-21, he lays down four indispensable truths about Christian leadership for us. They describe what I call: a shepherd leader. Jesus uses problematic humans like Simon Peter as leaders. Jesus addresses Peter as “Simon Peter,” reminding him he is more “Sandy” (up and down) than “Peter” (an immovable rock). Maybe he is first among the apostles because he is the chief sinner and the most broken? Be encouraged. Jesus seeks one quality from leaders above all else – love for himself. Three times, Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” This one simple, penetrating question is the first item Jesus wants on our job description. So simple, so clear. Be encouraged. Jesus gives us one major mission — to. Read more.

The World is Changing Faster Than You Think

Thomas L. Friedman released an important book a few months ago called Thank You For Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations. I usually take notes on the blank white pages in the back of a book. For a few seminal books, however, I actually type out key things God might be saying to me personally and as a leader. Thank You for Being Late was one of those books. My goal here is not to do a book review, but to share with you my top applications: We must be self-motivated, life-long learners. The world is changing at a pace so fast it has risen above the rate at which most people can absorb all the changes. Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, says it best: “The 21st century will be equivalent to 20,000 years of progress at today’s rate of progress; organizations have to be able. Read more.

Christianity Without Discipleship

“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer A number of years ago, I was asked by a good friend: “Why do so many Christians make such lousy human beings?” She shared how she had grown tired of the judgmentalism, the defensiveness, the superficiality, and the lack of self-awareness of many in church. To address our great problem of a “Christianity without discipleship,” as Bonhoeffer has called it, we have committed ourselves at EHS to equip the church in a discipleship strategy that deeply changes people for the sake of long-term mission. Our work with churches over these years has confirmed how countercultural and radical this is in our world today. Last month, we offered our first Live Stream training event on “How to Lead the EHS Course.” The day far exceeded our expectations in helping Point Leaders/Pastors bring the EHS Course to their churches. Our largest surprise was how effectively the. Read more.

The Pathway to Good Judgment

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. –Will Rogers Every day we make many judgment calls. Some of these are larger than others. Who do I hire or invite to fill a key volunteer position? When do I launch an initiative I am passionate about? Who do I include for counsel on a key decision? When I look back at some of the judgment calls I made in my early years, I am astounded, especially as it related to hiring decisions. How could I have been so blind, so shortsighted, and so unwise? So let me encourage you: Continue your prayerful process of discernment (get wise counsel, move slowly, be clear about expectations, etc.). Do a low risk, “test “run whenever possible. Relax and don’t beat yourself up. You will make mistakes, especially in your first 10-15 years! You will learn good judgment – but it will. Read more.

The World’s Most Inaccessible Church

Located in the Tigray region of northeastern Ethiopia is the Abuna-Yemata-Guh Church, rightly called the world’s most inaccessible place of worship. (I also call it “the world’s least seeker-sensitive church” as well). My daughter and son-in-law visited there last month and returned, like many before them, struck with wonder at the vitality and richness of the church and her ministry. The church is carved into the rocks (from around the 6th century) and located at the top of a mountain. The 2-hour hike involves climbing barefoot and walking along narrow cliffs. (I am told, however, that people from the village can do the hike in around thirty minutes). Consider the pictures below: Evangelical Protestantism has a very short history compared to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church that traces her history back to Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40). Perhaps you can help me with the question I am holding before the Lord: How. Read more.

A Few Observations from Singapore/Malaysia

During this visit to Southeast Asia, we have given 3 different Emotionally Healthy Spirituality conferences in 3 very different venues. This included a conference for the 27 churches of the Anglican diocese of Singapore (along with a number of other churches) and the Eagle’s Leadership Conference with over 1600 leaders representing 19 countries. We joined a diverse group of speakers that included high-ranking government officials, CEO’s, bishops, pastors, and the President of Fuller Theological Seminary. While we spoke on “Leading out of Your Marriage or Singleness” to the whole conference, we also gave an all-day EHS seminar to about 200 participants that was simultaneously translated into Bhasa Indonesian, Cantonese, and Thai. The third leg of our trip was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where Pete preached at a dynamic, 3000+ member SIBKL church. Over the next two days he will be giving a conference on “Transforming Your Church through the EHS Course, EHS Skills, and. Read more.

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