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“I am crushed by the criticism. I get so tired of all the hats I wear, jobs I do, and time I spend. I’m exhausted by the weight of responsibility I have.” Leadership can be a burden. It will be painful — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Dealing with the Pain of Leadership Begin with the…
Jerrie, We’ve just appointed five elders. Four of those have never served as a shepherd of God’s people. Do you think you could lead a workshop to help them in beginning this work?” The phone call arranged a weekend with the congregation’s elders and wives in Gatlinburg November 1, 2, 2013. That phone call was…
When new shepherds are appointed, they usually go by former shepherds’ rules which are often unconscious, unspoken, but understood. A pattern has been set about agendas (or lack of), who speaks when, prayers (number and time), how the group makes decisions, and how much deacons’ work elders do. Orientation is usually coming to the first…
How do you present the budget in your congregation? Is it simply a business transaction? Do we do it as we’ve always done it — look at last year’s budget, increase it by 7-10%, and tell everyone what they need to give this year? Gail and I have been living on a budget for nearly…
“I get tired of hearing the same preacher Sunday, after Sunday, after Sunday. In two years (from 1998), I’ll have been at Berry’s Chapel seven years. In the year 2000, if I could have three months off to travel, listen to other preachers, rest, and do some special study, it’d be a great blessing to…
He was the most powerful “head elder” I’ve ever met in more than five decades of preaching. When a meeting wasn’t going his way, he’d say, “Well, it’s time to go out and greet the people.” (We met before services.) Without a word, the rest of the elders rose and followed him out of the…
It was one year, seven months, and 22 days since the gift was presented. Bob and Bea McElvain came to our Golden Wedding Anniversary party on August 30, 2014. They gave us a gift card to Patti’s 1880’s Restaurant in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. We enjoyed that meal on April 21, 2016. As we ate and…
A friend asked if I’d come to his congregation to conduct a workshop on setting goals for the church. I replied I’d rather conduct a workshop on setting individual goals. Unless leaders have developed and use a plan to grow individually, they probably won’t lead the church in developing a plan to grow. How can…
Why don’t people respect the authority of elders? Don’t they know the church is to follow the elders — not the preacher?” The Bible does teach that ordained men are to oversee each congregation. I’m sure there are strains of the preacheritis virus around that infect some people. Let me share with you something else…
I’m shopping for two items: an Apple watch and a tombstone. One seems more exciting than the other, but I want to buy both. With the watch, I look forward to more enjoyable runs, sending and receiving messages, checking on news and weather, and looking at emails. With the tombstone, I’m reminded I won’t be…