It’s the last day of 2020. 2020 has been a bear of a year for everybody . . . especially leaders. Pastors are telling me, “John, it feels like the struggle has no end to it.” “I’m not sure how…
Have you ever wondered, “Do I really have what it takes?” Ever felt a gnawing sense of inadequacy, a creeping fear that you’re ill-equipped, and not up to the challenge your calling presents? Do you occasionally hear the lying whispers…
In the book of Revelation, chapter 2, Jesus makes an impassioned plea to the church of Thyatira: “Hold on to what you have until I come.” “Hold on.” Jesus was speaking about finishing. As the stress and strain of COVID-19…
After 3+ months of crisis after crisis, leaders feel frazzled and exhausted. Some leaders are so tired that they want to stop leading and start selling ice cream. More than a few strong leaders who lead thriving organizations are seriously…
Can you believe 2020 is less than three weeks away? Near the end of every calendar year, I take time to reflect and write down the two or three most important things I learned during the year. I want to…
It’s not easy to finish. It’s even less easy to finish well. Recent public denunciations of faith by well-known ministry leaders bring this reality to the forefront. In August of this year, Marty Sampson, a worship music writer, singer, and…
Have you ever wondered, “Do I really have what it takes?” Ever felt a gnawing sense of inadequacy, a creeping fear that you’re ill-equipped, and not up to the challenge your calling presents? Do you occasionally hear the lying whispers…
The older I get, the faster time seems to go. It marches on unabated. 2019 is half over . . . can you believe that? I’m looking forward with great optimism to the second half of 2019. I think most…
Healthy leadership is all about alignment. A groundbreaking 2017 report from Barna Institute, studying 14,000 Protestant lead pastors in the United States, revealed some alarming statistics: 37% of lead pastors are at medium to high risk of burnout 40% are…
“John, I can’t take the pressure anymore . . . I’m thinking about resigning.” You’d be surprised how often those words or some variation of them travel across the cellular airwaves to me each month. Lead pastors who feel desperate, tired,…
