Have you ever been envious of another church or another minister? Come on, all of us have been affected by such emotions!
As a young preacher I sometimes dreamed of walking in Billy Graham’s shoes. As a pastor I sometimes dreamed of leading the next Saddleback. Our desire to reach such heights varies in intensity and scope, but it is there.
Joe McKeever gets real with advice learned by the hard experience of many Easters.
Here are 12 things we church leaders do on Easter Sunday that undermine our effectiveness in reaching people for the Lord Jesus.
Are you a Wounded Pastor? 5 Critical Choices to take if you are
Written by Charles Stone
Woundedness: a condition this side of heaven we will all face from time-to-time. Pastors are not immune. I’ve been hurt and you probably have been as well. If you’re a wounded pastor right now because of what someone in your church or family said or did, what should you do? Consider these five critical choices that can help you deal with your hurt.
Some things I have learned about leadership–and have the scars to prove
Written by Joe McKeever
“But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to become first among you shall be slave of all.” (Mark 10:43-44)
People do not want to follow.
Sorry about that.
Ask anyone clamoring for high political office. They do not want to acknowledge you as their leader and themselves as your followers. So, if you have a yearning to be a leader of people, you automatically have chosen an uphill task.
Several days ago I found myself riding a wave. A wave is one of those times when you feel high, emotionally, spiritually and physically. During this phase I relish ministry and enjoyed little things, such as listening to a favorite preacher.
How to Do your Best and Leave the Results to God
Written by Charles Stone
Do your best and leave the results to God. That phrase may seem a bit worn and trite, but it’s well worth heeding. So, just how do we do that?
Email has become endemic to our culture. Without it, it would be difficult to communicate as much as it seems that ministry and the marketplace require. I receive scores of emails every day and I know some pastors and leaders who more than 100 a day. YIKES! It can be a useful tool if used correctly. But it can also be a deadly tool if used poorly. If you want to make matters worse with people you know or within your organization or church, these 12 practices will definitely get the results you want.
Last Friday I came home from work and was struck with a strange emotion, panic. That was unusual. I had not felt such emotion in some time. We Christians are, in theory, supposed to have it all together. And we pastors are to be an example to everyone else. Right!
Bogged down in minutiae: The occupational hazard of the pastor’s daily existence
Written by Joe
“I feel like I’m being eaten alive by a school of minnows.”
“I felt like I was being stoned to death by popcorn.”
More...
Peter Drucker, one of the world’s greatest leadership experts, once listed what he considered the four hardest jobs in the world. Here are those four: President of the United States, a university president, a CEO of a hospital, and a pastor. Wow, strong words from a wise man. Although I’ve not held the first three jobs, I have served as a pastor for over 35 years. It can be tough and pastors must care for their souls. Consider these 8 ways to refresh your tired soul.
Today while reading J.D. Greear’s book, Jesus Continued, I was struck with a disturbing challenge. The challenge to Do Nothing! This thought was expressed within the context of a chapter on the Holy Spirit.
Greear develops his thoughts from Jesus words to the disciples in Luke 24:29. “I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Jesus instructed the disciples to Do Nothing but to wait. Doing nothing is not in the DNA of most pastors.
Five Essentials Necessary to Build Church and Team Unity
Written by Charles StoneUnity is a powerful force in God’s Kingdom, in our lives, in our families, in a business, and in the local church when it includes five essentials, seen in the great leader Nehemiah.
Every leader wants his or her organization, team, or church to be unified. Without it teams lose, churches flounder, and businesses drift. However, when your group is unified it’s fun, refreshing, invigorating, motivating, and productive.
The great leader Nehemiah could not have completed his massive building project of rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall without unity. Nehemiah 3 lists scores of projects and people involved in the project and gives insight into these five essentials necessary to build unity. I use the acronym
UNITY to make it easy to remember them.
Are you as busy as you think? In looking back at my years of ministry I often struggled with a question: “How busy am I?” All of us know that pastors are extremely busy. That is a fact! However, there have been times when I was my own worst enemy. I perceived myself to be too busy.
Do you ever wonder what you would do differently if you could start over in ministry? As I draw closer to retirement age (I am 64) I find myself pondering this question more often. The beginning of a new year also challenges us to reflect on new beginnings. (We call them resolutions.)
Do you remember a time when a gift you gave lit up the face of a child or someone special? During the holiday season we are given the opportunity to repeat this action a number of times. As a believer it is my prayer that I would always remember the joy of giving.
Do you ever get up in the morning and feel flat? I equate this feeling to a flat tire. A flat tire is depressed, of no value, and not prepared for the purpose at hand. Surely pastors never feel this way. LOL!
So, what can we do when we feel this way? I share these thoughts from my journey.
Christmas Giving: 10 ways to transform your Christmas
Written by Joe McKeever1) Never pass a Salvation Army kettle without dropping in some money.
My friend Annie got me started on this. Recently, I noticed on her Facebook page that she was re-emphasizing this commitment, and told how after finding herself with only big bills on one occasion, she has made it a practice of having a number of ones and fives in the front of her purse, just for this reason.
Years ago I heard a speaker say, “The modern church has been given the task of maintaining an institution.” How true! Buildings, budgets, meetings and administrative tasks are a necessary part of church life, but it can be a drag.
In Romans we find a warm word of thanks from Paul for his co-workers Priscilla and Aquila. “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles” (Romans 16:4).
We are in the Thanksgiving season and want to take this opportunity to give thanks for you and to offer a holiday greeting.
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