The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorite movies as a kid and I see its reemergence as something worth noting. Recently I found myself reflecting on three of the characters from the original movie and realized each has something to teach us about leadership. While the scarecrow without Read more…
Preparing for Amazement focuses on the health of people and congregations. To aid you in thinking through such health, I want to take a moment and consider what it means for congregations to ask another question focused on spiritual health: Do we practice spiritual disciplines on a regular basis? Before Read more…
In working with churches around the world for more than two decades, I have had the opportunity to observe trends, good and bad throughout the years. One of the more challenging trends recently has been the dramatic rise of church hubris. Hubris: ‘excessive pride or self-confidence.’ Many theologians over the Read more…
Out running through our neighborhood with a friend the other morning, I inhaled a whiff of intense exhaust emitted from a car passing by. I coughed to regain rhythmic breathing to maintain our pace. Just being in the world in that moment and place, breathing in the toxins was inescapable. Lately I’ve been Read more…
I have had the honor of working full-time for a number of churches in a number of roles over a 20+ year period. Of those jobs that I had and quit (yes, from some I was fired) the reason for my departure always boiled down to one or more of Read more…
In a recent blog post, I wrote about the Great Resignation and the impact on the church. In that post, I noted that I would be writing more about the pastor and church staff shortage in a future post. Welcome to that post! Many research organizations that study church trends Read more…
On an unusually warm winter day in Columbus, Nebraska, I found myself before an art display at Pawnee Park called the “Quincentenary Belltower.” It was dedicated in 1992 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ first voyage to the “new world.” The belltower housed ten bells within an “aesthetically pleasing Read more…
In 2021, the United States experienced what has come to be known as the great resignation; a voluntary mass exodus from the workforce. There are many reasons for this exodus, most of which we will not cite or debate here, instead examining the great resignation through the lens of the Read more…
“What does health look like?” a church leader asked me the other day while I was sipping a chai tea latte at a local coffee shop across the table from him. We were reflecting together on the past year; a year that has been quite trying for our faith community. “I Read more…
While lying in front of the fireplace with my eyes closed, I sensed our dog, Lizzy, near me. Opening my eyes, we were nose to nose, and she licked my face. “Gross, Lizzy,” I said as she laid down next to me with her head in my lap. She had just wanted to Read more…
