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In Integrity Is a Lost Art, Eric Herrstrom writes, Leadership formation is as much about character as it is about competency. --Integrity Is a Lost Art (Kindle Locations 217-218). Illustration by Jim L. Wilson Proverbs 2:6-8 (AMP) (6) For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come…

John Maxwell asked God to send leaders to build the church at every one of his pastorates. Maxwell says for fourteen years, at least once a month he would meet someone who was visiting the church for the first time. As they introduced themselves, Maxwell says the Lord would speak to him, saying, “John,…

LEADERSHIP In Leadership Is an Art, Max DePree writes, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.” -- Leadership Is an Art, p. 11 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Tony Lee Zechariah 8:16a (NLT) “ But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other.”

In the book Christian Reflections on Leadership the Challenge, Kouzes and Posner define leadership as, “A process ordinary people use when they are bringing forth the best from themselves and others.” --Christian Reflections on Leadership the Challenge, 2. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rowdy Morris.…

Florida Woman Says Former Church Plans to Make Her Sins Public Thursday , December 18, 2008 By Diane Macedo ADVERTISEMENT A 49-year-old Florida woman says her former church is threatening to reveal her sins to its congregation after learning that she is in a "sexually immoral relationship." Rebecca Hancock…

To be a lone chief atop a pyramid is abnormal and corrupting. None of us are perfect by ourselves, and all of us need the help and correcting influence of close colleagues. When someone is moved atop a pyramid, that person no longer has colleagues, only subordinates. Even the frankest and bravest of…

One reason there are so few shepherd elders or good church elderships is that, generally speaking, men are spiritually lazy. Spiritual laziness is an enormous problem in the Christian community. Spiritual laziness is a major reason why most churches never establish a biblical eldership. Men are more…

The same leading and managing principles involved in shepherding sheep also apply to shepherding the local church. A congregation needs leadership, management, governance, guidance, counsel, and vision. Hence all elders must be, to some measure, leaders and managers. The eldership must clarify direction…

Preacher: I’m having trouble communicating with my elders. Meetings not going well. Randy Lowry to elder: Can we get together and talk? Elder: No use. We fired him six months ago. We just haven’t told him yet! - Randy Lowry, 5-11-95

INFLUENCE In their book, "Lead Like Jesus", Blanchard and Hodges write, "Leadership is a process of influence. Anytime you seek to influence the thinking, behavior, or development of people toward accomplishing a goal in their personal or professional lives, you are taking on the role of a leader." —"Lead…

John MacArthur, well-known radio preacher and author, echoes this point when he writes: “Whatever the leaders are, the people become. As Hosea said, ‘Like people, like priest’ (4:9). Jesus said, ‘Everyone, after he has been full trained, will be like his teacher’ (Luke 6:40). Biblical history demonstrates…

God's People "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philip. 4:13 (KJV) In Laos: All the People of God, Owen Cooper writes, "I believe that the greatest heresy among Southern Baptists is that we have divided the people of God into two groups: First: pastors, teachers, missionaries,…

At the end of each year, it is a good idea for the elders to send out “report cards” in which they note how many services each member attended and how many services that member missed – along with some appropriate words of praise or correction. Church Leadership and Organization, Flavil R. Yeakley, Jr.,…

Some people say, “You can’t expect laymen to raise their families, work all day, and shepherd a local church.” But that is simply not true. Many people raise families, work, and give substantial hours of time to community service, clubs, athletic activities, and/or religious institutions. The cults have…

Courage such as David possessed is an essential leadership quality. An internationally known statesman was once asked by reporters, “What is the most important quality for a national leader to possess?” His answer: “Courage.” This is true not only for political leaders, but for church elders as well.…

Patternism, Again A friend says a “legalistic pattern” of church government “does not exist” in the Bible. I am trying to figure out what a “legalistic” pattern is, and whether he really believes there is no pattern at all. Some churches have Church Mothers in white dresses as the official decision making…

Nowhere is this definition problem more evident than with the vocabulary Christians use to describe their church officials. Much of our church vocabulary is unscriptural and terribly misleading. Words such as clergyman, layman, reverend, minister, priest, bishop, ordained, and ministerial convey ideas…