Shallow Leadership

Ron Edmonson writes: "Growing in our leadership abilities, knowledge and relationships should be a goal for every leader. Many leaders settle for status quo leadership rather than stretching themselves as leaders."

Keeping Work in Perspective

In his excellent little book The Character of Leadership (B&H Books), Jeff Iorg talks about the danger of defining ourselves by our work. He writes: "Leaders struggle to keep work in perspective because of their insecurities."

Scottish Pastor Tells Members: Get with It or Get Out

A Church of Scotland pastor has written a letter to his congregation of 600 members -- only 200 of whom regularly attend services -- saying they must act more like Christians or else leave the church, according to the Nov. 1, 2003, edition of ReligionJournal.com.

Sermons Can Include Homework

In a recent issue of his Ministry Toolbox newsletter, Rick Warren suggests the use of homework assignments as a way to make sermons more practical for listeners.

Private Worship Essential to Effective Ministry

Private worship is an essential part of a healthy relationship with God, author and professor Donald Whitney said in a lecture series at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, as reported in a Nov. 11, 2003, Baptist Press story.

Wesley’s Rules for Preachers

In a recent blog entry, Nathan Finn shares this: "Wesley laid out 12 rules for preachers who wished to serve as Methodist itinerants. While some of the rules themselves are not strictly applicable to a settled, non-Methodist ministry, there is still much wisdom to be gleaned from the principles Wesley articulated. The following is taken from John Telford's The Life of John Wesley, which is available online at the Wesley Center for Applied Theology at Northwest Nazarene University."

Leaders Shouldn’t Be Easily Offended

Hugh Hewitt is a nationally-syndicated talk show host and former staffer in the Reagan White House. In his book In But Not Of: A Guide to Christian Ambition and the Desire to Influence the World (Thomas Nelson), Hewitt offers an assortment of brief chapters with insights for leaders, especially young ones. Among his observations:

Millenial Generation Is Pluralistic but Seeks Strong Families

In a recent column, John Leo talks about the generation born between 1977 and 1994: "Now the focus is almost entirely on millennials, 78 million strong and the largest birth cohort in American history. Speaking at the American Magazine Conference, (Ann) Clurman (of the Yankelovich Partners) described millennials this way: 'They are family oriented, viscerally pluralistic, deeply committed to authenticity and truth-telling, heavily stressed and living in a no-boundaries world where they make short-term decisions and expect paradoxical outcomes.'"

Use of Scripture in Preaching Reaffirms Its Authority

Scott Hafemann of Wheaton College writes: "Unless we regain a serious study of Scripture in our pulpits and pews, we will end up redefining the role of the Protestant pastor altogether by denying in practice the authority of the very Bible we are purporting to preach. If the pastor, not to mention those of us in the congregation, no longer struggles to decide for himself what the text means, the authority for preaching will once again reside in our pope, wherever we find him. The pastor then downsizes his role into that of a book reviewer. What is worse, because the pastor is still going to 'preach' from the Bible, the authority for preaching now resides in the rhetorical power of the presentation, not in its content.