Clayton King writes:   I’ve been asking myself lately what failure would look like for me.  Not mistakes.  Not mess-ups.  I’m talking about utter, unquestionable failure.  Because if I don’t actually know what failure would be for me, then it will be most difficult to avoid it.  Here are 10 ways to fail. 1.  Build a great ministry while destroying a great marriage 2.  Compromise my convictions in a moment of fatigue or weakness, and lose my family, my reputation, and my anointing 3.  See thousands of strangers believe the gospel when I preach yet watch my own children reject...

What’s the difference between an ‘embattled’ leader and a ‘challenged’ leader in the church? Margaret Marcusun tries to answer this question in a post over at ChurchCentral.com. Here’s part of Margaret’s assessment: What is the difference between a church leader who is embattled, and one who is challenged? From one perspective, nothing is different. Circumstances may look exactly the same: A big budget deficit. Members up in arms. A media frenzy. A staff crisis. And yet. And yet….you can see the difference in the leader’s eyes. Embattled leaders are...

A Colorado pastor is causing a national stir equating homosexuals to cannibals, child molesters, rapists, and murderers. Pastor David Beuhner of Christ the King Church is calling for discrimination against the gay community as state lawmakers revisit marriage equality this...

I really like the post that Michael Lukaszewski posted yesterday.  He talks about how pastors always think that the people in their churches are just like them. The reality is… they’re not. Here are some of Michael’s examples: They don’t know who John Piper or Steven Furtick are.  They are confused when you quote them without context. They aren’t familiar with their Bibles.  When you say, “You know…like it says in First Timothy,” they absolutely don’t know. They don’t work in a Christian environment.  They aren’t surrounded by Christians who love worship music and...

A respected Southern Baptist pastor and author says “wimpy” pastors and laypersons are the reason Christians are losing the culture war. Why are many Christian leaders silent when religious freedom comes under attack? That question was raised Tuesday evening by Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly and posed to Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church Dallas and author of How Can I Know: Answers to Life’s 7 Most Important Questions. “I think one reason is a lot of Christian leaders have the wrong idea about Jesus,” Jeffress replied when asked the...

Unsettling.  Ugly. According to the pastor: The PURPOSE of this website and the videos on it is to protect Beaverton Grace Bible Church and our families from ongoing slander and criminal accusations of the worst kind. Meaghan Varela has lied to her family, friends, pastors, the police, the Department of Human Services (Child Protection), the court, and the world. Julie Anne Smith has joined her in her lies and heralded them forth to the world on her blog (BGBC Survivors) dedicated to the destruction of our church and families. Exodus 20:16 says, “You shall not bear false witness against your...

Artie Davis reminds us that feedback is critical for those of us in leadership.  As church leaders, we can’t just go it on our own.  If we’re wise, we will value the leadership of three groups of people:   1) Your Leadership Circle These are the ones closest to you. You lead and work with them on a daily and weekly basis. They know your habits and what you expect, and how you react in certain situations. 2) Those on the Inside Those inside your church also have a unique perception of you. They are generally positive, but what about those on the fringe? How will you pull them in to the...

Interesting… Here are the top ten posts from the website for the month of November.  It’s a good insight into what most pastors and church leaders find interesting: 1.  Tim Keller or Andy Stanley:  Who’s Correct? 2.  Stylish Adult Baptisms 3.  Is Joel Osteen Smilingly Leading People to Hell? 4.  Three Areas You Can’t Neglect As a Pastors (But Probably Are) 5.  Andy Stanley Talks About Quitting First Baptist and the Healing Process 6.  Megachurch Opens $55 Million Facility in Anaheim 7.  5 Things Pastors Hate to Hear About Their Messages 8.  Church Growth: It’s...

Dan Reiland writes: Money follows vision. That’s true, but oh, if it were only that simple. There is so much more to it! There are many churches where there is vision, and yet the financial resources do not show up let alone keep up. So what separates the vision in a leader’s heart, from a vision that gets traction and takes off, and one that never seems to travel far from the lips of the leader? First, I think the primary leader, (the senior pastor), the key staff and church board members must have a deep and abiding sense of confidence in the vision. It’s not as if they don’t need God, in...

It was a pretty simply ploy according to prosecutors.  Set up a separate account called with “Ministry” in the name of it; forge your treasurer’s signature, and you’re off to the races. Not sure how he got the money into the account without being caught… … for TEN YEARS. // Read the story here… Lessons: 1.  If you’re a pastor… DON’T TOUCH THE MONEY 2.  If you’re a pastor… DON’T TOUCH THE MONEY… EVER. 3.  If you’re in a position of authority, make sure you don’t let the pastor touch the money…...