Jon Taylor moved into the lead pastor role at First Christian Church of Phoenix during a major staff transition: the church shifted to a team leadership model. Two factors helped pave the way for the transition. First, Jon had been serving at the church as executive pastor, so he was already familiar with the staff…
Read More
Today, Christ’s Church of the Valley (Peoria, AZ) is known as one of the largest, most dynamic multi-site churches in the U.S. But during its initial expansion about a decade ago, the staff discovered a startling fact: ministry talent was in short supply, and those who enter vocational ministry do not stay. 85% of the…
Read More
3 Roadblocks That Leaders Can Overcome By Dale Sellers* I knew the day was coming—I’d been sensing it for some time. Our church had been cruising along for years, experiencing steady growth and a vibrant community anchored around a strong vision. New people checked us out every week. We saw people committing their lives to…
Read More
Al and Lori Elmore have been married for more than three decades and describe themselves as “happily incompatible.” Their enthusiasm for healthy relationships is evident in the marriage classes and retreats they’ve led over the years, which took an exciting turn when they were introduced to the Different By Design (DBD) curriculum. The Elmores first…
Read More
One Multisite Church’s Story of Simplifying Communications Guest Post by Judy Stallwitz Our staff loves each other. We’re a healthy team that balances humility and willfulness. But just like maintaining a healthy diet or a healthy marriage, maintaining good team health requires attention to drift. “Drift” isn’t a mystical cloud that materializes. It can easily…
Read More
Insights are short, biblical truths to equip you to lead from your strengths. As Mrs. Lightner waited in the busy checkout line, her eyes rested on a young family. They were her neighbors! She noticed young Mikayla pulling hard on her mother’s jacket. Meanwhile, Mikayla’s baby sister began to cry in her mother’s arms. Dozens…
Read More
Guest Post By Gabe Kolstad One key skill separates effective leaders from ineffective ones: the ability to find their fit. According to the American Institute of Stress, “job-fit” is a leading factor in workplace satisfaction and performance. So it stands to reason that your leadership impact can multiply by making sure you’re doing the things…
Read More
Guest Post by Pam Taylor One reason we experience stress in our family and in relationships is our differences. God created each of us with different personality types and different spiritual gifts. We subconsciously expect people – even family members – to see things from the same perspective as we do. I see this problem…
Read More
Why Ministries Need to Rethink a Common Mantra By Dale Sellers There is a popular phrase often attributed to iconic management consultant Peter Drucker (1909-2005) that says, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” After careful research, I discovered that there is actually no evidence that Drucker ever made this statement. In fact, there is no evidence…
Read More
“A wrong hire was my responsibility and cost our ministry momentum as well as valuable dollars,” says senior leader Matt. “But part of the problem was that we didn’t define the strengths needed for the position before we started recruiting candidates.” Like so many of us, Matt and his team had been blindsided in the…
Read More