Former pastor now congressional candidate
One of the lesser-known victors in the nation’s spring’s primary season is a former pastor who served as president of the North Carolina Baptist Convention from 2011-13. In the May 8 Republican primary for the 9th Congressional District, Mark Harris upset a three-term incumbent, Rep. Robert Pittenger. Harris will face Democrat Dan McCready in the November election. A political science major at Appalachian State University, Harris had planned to attend law school before sensing God calling him to the ministry. He then earned a master’s and doctoral degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Harris was pastor of Center Grove Baptist [...]
Is your church measuring up?
There are at least two reasons the Western church is struggling.
Have we lost the vision for reaching our community?
We aren’t reaching people because, well, we aren’t trying to reach people.
Church leadership insights from 9 experts
When it comes to important leadership factors and strategies, see what these experts have to say.
5 principles for making your church a haven
Here are five principles to focus your church on reflecting God’s love and reaching those who are hurting and longing for security.
Book review: The Unstuck Church
Tony Morgan’s book, The Unstuck Church: Equipping Churches to Experience Sustained Health is a tremendous tool for ministry leaders.
Setting your course for a new season
Here are two things that need to be in place to set a course for a new season.
Why some pastors are better leaders than others
Here’s my take on the four basic principles pastors can utilize to step up their leadership game.
Have you settled?
Are there areas where you have settled? How does it impact growth? Charlotte Gambill, Pastor of Life Church UK, alongside her husband Steve, encourages leaders to examine what they're building.
The importance of love in leadership
Typically the words “leadership” and “love” are not found in the same sentence unless someone tells you “they love to do leadership.”
5 questions to ask when church members leave
I still have painful memories about the first time I experienced losing church members as a pastor.
Book review: Building the Body
In Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church, Gary L. MacIntosh and Phil Stevenson identify characteristics that distinguish fit churches from the merely healthy.
5 arenas of pastoral leadership
OK hasn’t satisfied me, and I don’t think it was ever supposed to do so. God has called me to lead with excellence in these areas.
Avoiding the church comparison trap
Comparing your church to another church can be one of the worst things you do as a church leader.
5 ways church unity creates a powerful influence
The church is on a mission, and the accomplishment of that mission depends upon the church being a mutually supportive team.
What to do when you’re working with a toxic leader
When you’re in the middle of an unhealthy work environment it may not be easy to see.
How to be well-grounded in a life of ministry
Create a framework for ministry life that is grounded in the biblical and theological truths of who you are.
Church says it’s facing bankruptcy
An Episcopalian church in Washington, D.C. about one mile northwest of the White House says it is facing bankruptcy. That’s because a city department halted construction on a seven-story, 56-unit multifamily housing unit-and-church building. Construction on St. Thomas’ Parish’s new home was about 60 percent complete when the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs recently issued a stop-work order. Several Washington news outlets reported the decision came after a D.C. Court of Appeals decision sent the project back to a district zoning panel. In order to raise the finances to replace its original building that burned down, St. Thomas was [...]
Leadership priorities: 5 thoughts on how we can lead better
I am reminded that effective leadership is not in all the responsibilities or tasks we have, but rather in how well we develop the processes needed to accomplish them with excellence.
4 insights to help you practice servant leadership
When we asked Christian leaders the top leadership skill they’d like to personally develop over the next 12 months, No. 3 on the list was servant leadership.
