During this challenging season, everyone is saying, “What do we do?” The situation forces us to ask deeper, harder questions. This article features six of them related to stewardship and giving. With each one, we explore the example of Paul and his response to the famine in Jerusalem. This process provides six practical insights for … Continue reading Crisis Stewardship and Giving

Indeed, no one saw this coming. If you asked any leader in January (even February) of 2020 if they foresaw a national quarantine that would forcibly shut down businesses, churches, whole communities, even an entire nation, the solid bet is that they would answer with a hard “No.” And yet, it happened. The result? We … Continue reading Embracing Generational Diversity

One of my direct reports had come to me for advice on how to solve a problem he was facing. His options were several—all with good and bad consequences. Which one should he choose? As I listened, I was having a conversation with myself. “He’s going to expect me to have an answer. What should … Continue reading Kingdom Wisdom

What would be the first words from a man who just had his right arm cut off in an industrial accident? Over forty years ago, Tom Heflin, a seminary student assigned to me as my “big brother,” told me the following shocking story in our first phone conversation. “I work in a warehouse with several … Continue reading Sustainable Faith

Equipping people to serve, achieve higher performance, attain goals, and become better people is what leadership is all about. As a leader, a part of your legacy is developing other people and growing your team. Jesus Christ was the ultimate equipper. In Ephesians 4:11-12, we see five ministry gifts that are given by Jesus Christ … Continue reading Equipping Your Team

When asked to cite a favorite Bible passage dealing with generosity, many pastors, ministry leaders and development professionals will point to the Apostle Paul’s instruction to the church at Corinth: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have … Continue reading Donor Discipleship

Do you feel pressed for time, caught up in the swirl and white water toxicity of a never ending work culture? It doesn’t have to be that way. Words like rest, alone, a quiet place, and sacred space can and need to be operative realities for how we practice our leadership. For example, when Jesus … Continue reading Sacred Space

We live in contentious times. A brief scroll through our social media feeds or a quick click through evening news stations will affirm just how combative our culture has become. It can be challenging to engage one another in an increasingly divisive society. It seems everywhere we turn we encounter another problematic scenario requiring our … Continue reading Leadership and Engagement