Pastors and ministry leaders pay close attention to several numbers in their ministry leadership context. Two of those — worship attendance and financial giving — can serve as early warning signs of the health of a church or Christian ministry. What should pastors, elders and ministry leaders do when giving is soft in the churchContinue reading “When Giving is Soft “
Tag Archives: church
God Honors Work
We are not saved by our work, but we are saved to do good work. Paul makes both points crystal clear in Ephesians 2:8-10. And God honors our work. Proverbs 12:11 reminds us, “Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense.” Since work pays off inContinue reading “God Honors Work”
How Can We Help?
Kentucky Baptists are known for showing up and helping out. Whether it is Disaster Relief work in eastern Kentucky, foster care through Sunrise Children’s Services or helping ministerial students receive training for their calling, KBC churches stand ready and willing to respond to needs. No place has that been seen more clearly than in ourContinue reading “How Can We Help? “
Wandering Can Improve Your Leadership
Before Tom Peters introduced the term “MBWA” in 1982, Ben Cates had been honing the practice for decades. MBWA, better known as Management by Wandering Around, refers to the management principle popularized by leadership guru Tom Peters and defined by one online dictionary as “a style of business management which involves managers wandering around, in an unstructuredContinue reading “Wandering Can Improve Your Leadership “
Winning Against Insecurity
Insecurity is less of an either/or issue in the lives of most ministry leaders, but more of a reality on a spectrum. While not all leaders are debilitatingly insecure, most battle this malady at some level. I have met only one leader in my lifetime who I feel reasonably sure is not stricken with thisContinue reading “Winning Against Insecurity “
Growing into Your New Role
I’ve never accepted a ministry position that — in the first six months — I didn’t want to go back to what I was doing before. In fact, if your new ministry position doesn’t require you to grow into it, then I wonder whether the Lord called you to that role. The Lord stretches HisContinue reading “Growing into Your New Role”
Reaching Our Foreign-Born Neighbors
I had an interesting experience a few days ago while eating at a Mexican restaurant with a KBC pastor in one of our Kentucky counties. As is my custom, I learned the name of our server and offered to pray for her. The pastor already knew her and was doing his best to communicate inContinue reading “Reaching Our Foreign-Born Neighbors “
I Want to Pastor
It is not unusual for young men who serve on church staffs to reach a point in ministry and leadership development where they start thinking about becoming senior pastor of a church. Not every senior pastor has his first ministry experience in a church staff position, but many will. Others, however, discover along the wayContinue reading “I Want to Pastor”
From Adversity to Action
Not all opportunities present themselves as such. One showed up recently as a record-setting snowfall, and a good dose of ice that canceled most church services in our neck of the woods. My home church did not cancel services (no judgment here for those who did cancel because it is always a difficult decision). Continue reading “From Adversity to Action”
The Dangers of Passive Leadership
I read a statement in a leadership journal that points to one of the dangers of passive leadership. The requote from Catherine Rymsha was given at the HR Specialist Summit this past year. She said, “The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate.” Pastors, as aContinue reading “The Dangers of Passive Leadership “
Dr. Todd Gray 