No one warned us that we’d get mad at our church. You would hope that church work would be different, right? But church people are still people, and when the stakes are high and emotions are higher, most of us do a lousy job at holding a constructive conversation. The authors of “Crucial Conversations” say…
Several years ago I made the shift. I had always kind of enjoyed experimenting in the yard with different plant combinations, colors, and layouts. I would be lured in by the big bloomers at the big box stores and I would often come home from a trip to get some nails with a plethora of…
Most leaders lead backwards. The problem is they don’t know it. Until they figure it out and do something about it though, they will never lead up to their full potential. Last October, I accepted a new job. It was at a bigger church than I had ever served at and came with more responsibility…
There I was, sitting across a desk from an eager youth pastor (I’ll call her Cindy). We had just spent a few days with her church and prepared a youth ministry assessment report. The presentation went over like gangbusters. People were excited because we put a plan together to help them put effective systems and…
Why is it that some ministries are more successful than others? One church reaches hundreds while another reaches tens. One church disciples it’s people, while another distances them. One church grows while another groans. So what’s the difference? There are a lot of things that go toward a church’s level of success. However, there are…
How many of you are permanent youth directors working in churches or other ministries right now? I was a permanent youth director in Nashville for about two years…until I moved. Then I was a permanent youth director in a suburb of St. Louis for four years…until I was called to another church. I’m coming to…
[mp_row] [mp_span col=”12″] Introduction A young college student approached me one day and said, “I’m in a part-time youth ministry job in a small, growing church. My brother gave me a ‘youth ministry manual’ that had enough content for about three good program nights in it, and that’s about all I know about youth ministry….
Contributor – David W. Carroll – Lead Consultant with Ministry Architects, one of the country’s leading ministry consulting firms. He retired in June after 34 years of pastoral ministry in the United Methodist Church. By stroke of good fortune, and I’m sure the grace of God, I was afforded the opportunity of a November beach trip. …