When someone asks me what I’ve learned as a CEO of two ministries, I quote Bobby Clinton’s The Making of a Leader (NavPress, 2012): “Leadership flows from being.” For good or ill, who I am is how I lead. Many of the leaders Clinton studied lived the narrative known as “The Hero’s Journey,” in which … Continue reading Canopies of Restoration

Just a couple of years ago, whenever I represented Haven Ministries at local gatherings, it was not uncommon for people to say, “I’ve never heard of you.” This was frustrating. I would think of our long track record and all the press releases. I would recall our countless fundraisers and constant advertising. Then I would … Continue reading Business Partnerships

My first job out of college was as a development director for a Christian school. I honestly didn’t even know what a development director was when I applied for the position, but quickly fell in love with how the role combined two passions God had been stirring in me throughout my college years: ministry and … Continue reading Ride the Wave

The most important aspect of a vision for an organization is that it evokes passion and hope. The two most important stakeholder groups who must resonate with this desired image of the future are those who work in the organization to achieve the vision and those who financially support the organization. The key to ensuring … Continue reading My Lesson in Dreaming BIG!

These are a few comments that have been left on our organization’s social media in the past month. “I have major FOMO. TFW you just mistakenly poured orange juice in your coffee instead of creamer and all your friends are at MOPS and you aren’t. AWHFY?” “Say Bible. Do you like this video I made?”    … Continue reading The New Rules of Communication

When it comes to encouraging generosity among donors, I believe that we must first be generous before we can teach and ask others to be generous. One of the most important Scriptures to follow is Matt. 6:31-33. “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ … Continue reading Faithful Stewards

Strategy implies that we know what we are doing. And I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. Most of the time, I don’t really understand what’s going on exactly. What I mean is that I find kingdom strategy a bit more like a connect-the- dots game than a management system. I know it … Continue reading Go and Ask