Almost every single Senior Pastor I’ve coached over the last two years have dealt with depression and burn out. I don’t think this says anything specifically about the people I’ve coached as much as it does about how hard it is to be a Senior Pastor in the 21st century. I can say with certainty that virtually no-one understands the immense, unrealistic, and unrelenting … [Read more...]
Why Senior Pastors Should Quit Social Media (or, what Cal Newport can teach us about sermon writing)
In his book Deep Work, Cal Newport warns about the danger of what he calls “attention residue,” the lingering effects of switching back and forth between tasks. We sit down to study for a sermon, then we check our email. We sit down to study for a sermon, then we check social media. We sit down to study for a sermon, then we are interrupted by a knock at the door. We … [Read more...]
How To Staff Churches Under 600
For Senior Pastors, the PROCESS we follow for how to staff churches under 600 is just as important as the PEOPLE we hire utilizing that process. To be perfectly honest, in the early days of my ministry, I had no staffing process to follow, and consequently the churches I served gained very little kingdom traction. I had no clue what I was doing. But once I developed an … [Read more...]
14 Ways Introverted Senior Pastors Can Be More Relational (without wearing themselves out)
One of the most common complaints I hear from churches is how they wish their introverted Senior Pastors were friendlier and more approachable. The good news is this can be very easily addressed, without Senior Pastors running themselves into the ground. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the years to help introverted Senior Pastors practice being more … [Read more...]
3 Ways To Double Your Energy In 90 Days (or less)
Many Senior Pastors I meet confess that they don’t have the energy necessary to consistently function at their highest capacity for extended periods of time. They fluctuate. Their energy comes and goes in spurts. One day they’re focused and passionate. The next day they’re lethargic and unmotivated. What is in danger, to borrow a publishing phrase, is the Senior Pastor's … [Read more...]
5 Scheduling Mistakes Pastors Make That Hurt Productivity (and how to fix them)
If churches aren't growing, I promise that a good bit of the cause is their Senior Pastors have made personal scheduling mistakes that are sabotaging their productivity. The first thing I do when coaching a Senior Pastor is to require them to (a) see a dietician, (b) get a complete physical, (c) meet with a financial planner, and (d) consult with (or hire) a personal … [Read more...]
Enhance Your Hiring With A Ministry Staff Questionnaire
My goal when hiring someone is to get as much information ahead of time to help me decide whether or not I want to take the next step with them. I accomplish this by giving all candidates a lengthy questionnaire to fill out before we move to face-to-face interviews. Part of the reason for giving this to people is to get actual information. I want to know everything that is … [Read more...]
Creating Executive Limitations For Senior Pastors
Purpose The purpose of this policy is to establish and communicate certain limitations to the authority of the Senior Pastor as set forth by the Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV) Leadership Team. Scope The Senior Pastor is empowered with the responsibility and authority necessary to conduct the day-to-day affairs of the church, including the establishment of a strategic … [Read more...]
Setting Up A Cash Flow Management Policy
I've attached the cash flow management policy we use at CCV. It guides what we do when we experience a budget shortfall, and the required actions necessitated to trigger moving to the next level of seriousness. I highly encourage that you and your team adopt one for your team, especially before you head into summer. CCV Cash Flow Management Policy Level 0 - Business as … [Read more...]
The Power Of Vision
I believe churches only grow when their Senior Pastors have a crystal clear vision of where God wants to take their church, and that vision is broadly shared, and owned. Here is a three-year snapshot of a twenty year plan we believe God has set before us as a church. It contains specific, actionable shifts that must be made and opportunities that must be capitalized upon to … [Read more...]
Your Church Needs A Church Discipline Policy
Your church needs a written church discipline policy outlining how you will deal with church members who are divisive, unrepentant of immoral behavior, or teaching unsound doctrine. Unfortunately I can tell you that virtually none of the Senior Pastors I've coached had such a policy in place; or at the very least did not have their policy documented and agreed upon. Both are … [Read more...]
8 Ways Senior Pastors Can Prevent Burnout
I’m seeing a disturbing trend. As of late a number of highly gifted Senior Pastor friends of mine leading smaller to medium-sized churches have come perilously close to burning out. Now, there has always been burnout in ministry as long as there have been Senior Pastors. But my read on this is that the stress placed on the shoulders of leaders in the trenches is … [Read more...]
Is Islam A Religion Of Peace?
While I don't normally post sermons or videos on this site, I thought this was an event worth sharing. As a part of our sermon series "One Nation Under god(s)" I invited world renown Islamic debater, theologian and Imam Dr. Shabir Ally to discuss whether or not Islam is a religion of peace. Dr. Shabir was both brilliant and kind. I learned as much as our people did. I … [Read more...]
Why Consensus Is Killing Your Church
If your church has plateaued it could be because you have tried to lead everything by consensus. There’s a colossal difference between pseudo-leadership (leading everything by consensus) and biblically-based, godly, unifying, strong, decisive, servant leadership. The Consensus Trap In Smaller Churches I see this occur most often in smaller churches where a leader has … [Read more...]
Tasks For Senior Pastors Between Easter And Mother’s Day
Take advantage of the decreased church-wide activity at your church over the next six weeks to prepare your congregation for it's best Fall season ever. Perform A Church-Wide Evaluation I’m convinced that the time between Easter and Mother’s Day is the best time to evaluate the overall effectiveness of you, your staff, and your church’s ministries. There are three reasons for … [Read more...]
Senior Pastor Administrative Assistant Job Description
So many Senior Pastors I’ve coached over the years haven’t had the administrative support they’ve needed, not because there isn’t help available (both paid and volunteer), but because they’ve never taken the time to completely flesh out all the ways other people can help them. Below is an exhaustive list of all the administrative tasks I need support for. I shared this list … [Read more...]
How To Break The 100 Barrier
If your church has been stuck at 25, 45, or 75 for more than three years and God has laid it on your heart to reach lost people in your community, you have two choices that lay before you: take massive action or find another job. There is no third option. Trying to break the 100 barrier is more akin to making it through Navy Seals basic training than any other ministry … [Read more...]
A Month By Month Guide To Understanding Your Listener’s Mindsets
All great communicators begin with focusing on their listener's mindset, not their topic. Senior Pastor’s who are great preachers are no exception to this rule. Below is a guide that our Teaching Team created a few years ago to help us when planning upcoming sermon series. Over the years we had found that oftentimes what seemed like a great sermon series in January, wasn’t … [Read more...]
How To Handle Critics, Complainers, And Mean People
The one thing all Senior Pastors have in common is that we are constant targets for critics. Sometimes we get criticized for very good reasons. We need to own that. While constructive feedback can often be delivered in misguided ways, too many of us mistake solid leadership feedback as backbiting. Many times its legitimate, helpful, and constructive advice that we need to … [Read more...]
When Should I Hire An Executive Pastor?
One of the questions I get asked a lot is, “At what point should I hire an Executive Pastor?” This is an easy one to answer. Let me briefly sketch the challenges that must be addressed at every stage of growth up to 1,000 so you can see the natural place this hire should occur. 200 Barrier – Senior Pastor and Congregation Breaking the 200 attendance barrier is all about … [Read more...]
