We all have emotional needs. Those who lead in ministry spend much of their time tending to the emotional needs of others and expend a tremendous amount of emotional energy. We can assume that we do not have needs, ignore those needs or even believe God will magically meet those needs, but none of these […]
Blog Posts
What are the most life giving aspects of my relationship with God right now? What are the most challenging aspects of my relationship with God presently?
At the very heart of the effectiveness of every ministry or faith based leader is their relationship with God. One must have a dynamic, growing relationship with Jesus to be an effective, Christian leader. Our relationship with God is not always easy, not always good, not always on a high point. Yet, we also find […]
What goals am I going to set for better self-care?
Those who aim for nothing, hit their target every time. Goals are important. So often we are good with goals for our professional lives, ministry and work, but not for our self-care. When it comes to your physical well being, what goals are you going to set to have and maintain optimal health so you […]
What can I do to make self-care a part of my regular schedule and routine?
This may be one of the most important questions that any leader must ask in order to be healthy. It is probably the most significant question on the inventory as well. Self-Care is essential to be a good, healthy and effective leader. Self-care, like most things, does not happen on accident. In order for self-care […]
Do I have relationships with my colleagues and peers in my ministry setting? In my community?
Leading, especially in ministry settings is not easy. Not only is it difficult, it can be quite isolating. It can also be hard to have confidents and friends to share with openly without creating a problem within your ministry. Its critical that every leader, especially ministry leaders have relations with colleagues and peers. If possible, […]
How have I dealt with joy, praise and victories in my life? How have these experiences changed me?
How we handle victories is almost as important as how we handle failure. Often times, we tend to look at failure by excusing it, ignoring it or dwelling on it. For victory (as with joy and praise) we tend to either dismiss it or revel in it. Both lack humility in different ways. CS Lewis […]
Do I spend a good amount of quality time with my family? My friends?
One of the hardest things as a leader is making sure that you carve out time for yourself. This is especially difficult in churches and Christian organizations which is both ironic and hypocritical as all Christians should make time with family as well as friends a priority. This is a tremendous part of self care. […]
Wesley, Knee Surgery, and Leadership
Life truly is the greatest teacher, especially as we reflect both on faith and leadership. Lately, two very different sources have caused me to remember something important about leadership, John Wesley and knee surgeries. John Wesley is credited with saying the following: ‘work like everything depends on you, pray like everything depends on God.’ I […]
Leadership Distractions
One of the great challenges as a leader is dealing with distraction. Leading any organization, especially faith based organizations and other non-profits comes with distractions. Worries, complaints, drama and conflict are common. In a need to address those concerns in a healthy and productive way, it is very easy to get distracted from the mission […]
How and what am I learning about leadership?
Leaders are learners. You cannot be a leader and refuse to continue to learn about leadership in a variety of ways. In fact, you must be proactive and intentional in your learning about leadership. Maybe you learn from reading, from seminars, classes, events, conversations with mentors or colleagues, listening to podcasts and others. There are […]