Speak to the intersection of theology and life. If your theology doesn’t “become flesh” it won’t provide anything useful.
Speak to the Middle Space
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Tag: Leadership
Balance your Commentators
As you prepare to speak, how do you go about researching what you will share? It might help to balance out the commentaries with which you’re interacting.
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The Two Things You Should Know for Church Leadership
Know these two frameworks, and you’re largely up to date on contemporary thought about healthy church leadership.
My Favorite Reads of 2019
Here are my favorite books I read in 2019, along with a full list of all the books I read this year.
Church and The Infinite Game
Are you trying to play an infinite game with a finite mindset? Just less than a month ago, Simon Sinek released his new book The
Dear Church Leader
Let me begin by saying, “Thank you.” Of all the ways you can expend your energy and talents, that you are using them in service
Don’t forget this one BIG thing on your mission trip!
Short-Term mission trips have the potential to do a lot of good abroad, but also at home! Here’s something you definitely want to do as you go on your trip.
Helping Women Grow Spiritually with Dr. Anessa Westbrook
Dr. Anessa Westbrook shares her original research about what factors help young women to grow spiritually.
My Favorite Reads of 2018
If there is anything that bothers me, it’s that I feel like I never have enough time to read. As I started compiling a list
Book Review: What About Kids Ministry? by Bill Emeott
Emeott, Bill. What About Kids Ministry? Practical Answers to Questions About Kids Ministry. Nashville: B&H Books, 2018. One Sentence Summary: A collection of mini-essays by
W.A.Y.S.?: The Search for the Search by John Dobbs
Note: This post is part of the blog tour series: What Are You Seeking? God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many
Make Serving A Joy
Not Employees Volunteers aren’t employees. When you’re leading in a church setting, there isn’t a single person involved who doesn’t have the real option of
Enneagram Ups and Downs
The Enneagram The Enneagram is a personality system which groups people into Nine Types, partially based on their behaviors, but even more so based on
Pastoral Leadership: It’s About The Sheep
The Shepherding Metaphor A good shepherd cares about his sheep. When we talk about leadership, we would do well to stay close to that imagery.
Productive Online Conversations: with Matt Dabbs
These days, talking about important subjects online is a lot like walking through a minefield. Matt Dabbs provides tools to help us with online conversations–and any conversations–where both the people and the issues matter. I always enjoy any time I can spend with Matt, as he absolutely embodies the healthy principles shared here in this video. This is great advice for anyone to consider before you hit “post”, which is just as valuable to practice at your office, your church, and at home.
Having Productive Online Conversations: with Matt Dabbs
These days, talking about important subjects online is a lot like walking through a minefield. Matt Dabbs provides tools to help us with online conversations–and
Questioning Forward: Appreciative Inquiry in Action
What does it look like when you put Appreciative Inquiry into action? I’ve made lots of posts the last few months about Appreciative Inquiry, and
Tools & Tech for Productivity
Ministry isn’t the only vocation where productivity, organization, and efficiency are important. Here are a few things I use to help me accomplish as much
Kevin Burr: Worship As Spiritual Formation
In this Research Spotlight, I am excited to share a conversation I had with Kevin Burr. Kevin is a Ph.D. student at Asbury Theological Seminary, having previously completed his M.Div. at the Harding School of Theology and a Masters in Education at Harding University. He is also one of the ministers at the Nicholasville Church of Christ in Kentucky.
Kevin had recently conducted a retreat for worship leaders on how worship functions as spiritual formation. I wanted to hear some of the ideas Kevin had been cultivating, and am glad to share them with you.
Appreciative Inquiry and Congregational Change
As the conclusion to the Questioning Forward series about the assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry, Dr. Mark Adams describes his use of the Appreciative Inquiry method at the Old Hickory Church of Christ to help him discern a path forward to renewal at the congregation that would not come at the cost of division, but would promote unity and ownership.
Short-Term Missions for Long-Term Impact
Dr. Mark Adams shares information about his original research into best practices for Short-Term Missions when he completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at Lipscomb University. How can a congregation’s involvement in short-term missions help the congregation to become more missional at home?
Short-Term Missions for Long-Term Impact
In the video, I walk through: Basic info about short-term missions and their rapidly growing popularity Brief information about the missional church movement, and why
Stories We Need To Tell
When I was preparing to preach about the parables of Jesus, I came across John Dominic Crossan’s book, The Dark Interval: Toward a Theology of Story. The
Questioning Forward: A Case Study for Appreciative Inquiry and Congregational Change
I’ve enjoyed posting about the assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry. In this video, I explain how I utilized this method at the Old Hickory Church of
Questioning Forward: In This Together
I’ve been making posts about Appreciative Inquiry, an effective method for studying an existing group of people and discerning how to implement positive change in
Questioning Forward: Better Than When It Started
I’ve been sharing reflections on the different assumptions of a group evaluation method called Appreciative Inquiry. One assumption that seems especially obvious is that in
Questioning Forward: Speaking Your Reality
When Genesis describes God creating the universe, God is speaking the world into existence. “Let there be…” In the beginning was “the Word”, John tells
Questioning Forward: What Gives You Life?
People are like plants. We grow best when we are close to what gives us life. When it comes to sunlight, the scientific term is heliotropic.
Questioning Forward: Differences Matter
Differences matter, and it is important to value them. For smaller churches trying to grow, one way they undermine themselves is by insisting on uniformity.
Questioning Forward: Bringing What’s Best
Appreciative Inquiry assumes that people have an easier time moving into the future when they can bring parts of the past with them. Another slightly
Questioning Forward: How Tradition Can Help
Don’t be too hard on older folks. They’ve seen and been through a lot. It isn’t uncommon to hear someone throw the older generation under
Would-Be Disciples, Beware!
If I ever make it to Greece, one of the places I most want to go is to the Monasteries of Meteora. This is a
Questioning Forward: Every Group Has Its Strengths
One of the core assumptions of Appreciative Inquiry is that in every organization, some things work well. An unfortunate aspect of leadership is that it
Questioning Forward: A Series On Appreciative Inquiry
John Maxwell has stated correctly that change is inevitable, but growth is optional. No one in the world is safe from the effects of change.