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Healthy Things Grow: Rethinking Church Growth - Week 1

Week 1: Healthy Things Grow—A Biblical and Global Approach to Natural Church Development Church growth may be one of the most misunderstood subjects in pastoral ministry. For some pastors, growth means increasing Sunday attendance. For others, it means constructing a larger building, expanding the budget, adding staff, launching new programs, or becoming more visible in the community. These things may accompany growth, but none of them automatically proves that a church is healthy. A church can attract a crowd while becoming spiritually shallow. A church can increase its income while weakening its discipleship. A church can build an impressive ministry structure while exhausting its leaders and neglecting its community. Conversely, a small congregation may possess deep relationships, passionate prayer, generous service, effective discipleship, and a faithful witness far beyond what its attendance numbers suggest. This does not mean numerical growth is unimportant. Every number re...
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Guarding the Shepherd’s Heart - Six Leadership Traps Every Pastor Must Avoid: Week 7

When a Pastor Refuses to See: The Danger of an Uncorrectable Heart One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a pastor is not that he has weaknesses. Every pastor has weaknesses. It is not that he makes mistakes. Every pastor makes mistakes. It is not even that he sins. Every pastor still needs the grace, mercy, correction, and cleansing of Jesus. The greater danger is when a pastor can no longer see his weaknesses, confess his mistakes, or acknowledge his sin. The most dangerous pastor is not the pastor who struggles. It is the pastor who has become uncorrectable. An uncorrectable heart is not formed overnight. It usually develops slowly. A pastor is criticized unfairly, so he becomes guarded. He is misunderstood, so he becomes defensive. He carries heavy burdens, so he begins to believe others could not possibly understand. He experiences ministry success, so he begins to trust his instincts too much. He receives praise, so he begins to believe his own press. He fac...
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Guarding the Shepherd’s Heart - Six Leadership Traps Every Pastor Must Avoid: Week 6

More Than Charisma: Why Personality Can Never Replace Pastoral Character Some pastors are naturally gifted communicators. They can hold a room. They can preach with clarity, passion, humor, conviction, and emotional strength. They know how to tell a story, cast vision, motivate volunteers, comfort the hurting, and challenge the complacent. Their presence carries weight. Their words move people. Their leadership inspires action. Those gifts can be a blessing to the church. A compelling personality is not automatically a problem. Strong communication is not sinful. Visionary leadership is not dangerous by itself. Confidence is not the same thing as pride. Decisiveness is not the same thing as domination. A pastor does not become unhealthy simply because he is persuasive, passionate, or gifted. The church needs leaders who can speak truth clearly and lead courageously. But there is a danger every gifted pastor must face honestly: personality can open doors that character is not read...
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