Jesus, Miracles, & Serving
Servanthood is central to the work of the church simply because it was central to the work of Jesus. Jesus’ ministry included two types...
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elementals: quick reads to sharpen your leadership edge.
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Feb 14, 20233 min read
21st Century Foot Washing
Years ago when I was pastoring, we had a group of people who would go to a particular place where the homeless in Cincinnati would meet...
Nov 22, 20222 min read
What's Your Attitude Indicator?
So here’s an idea as we move into the Thanksgiving holiday… Paul’s short letter to the Philippian church underscored his belief that...
Nov 14, 20222 min read
The Secret of Servant Leadership
Of the four essential elements that every leader must exercise—Integrity, Passion, Servanthood, and Imagination—Servanthood seems like it...
Sep 27, 20223 min read
Are Apologetics Dead?
Don’t get me wrong: apologetics are important. From the launch of the Church in Acts 2, Christians have proclaimed the uniqueness of...
Aug 16, 20223 min read
Ron Sider, Justice & Generosity
Recently I learned of Ron Sider’s death at 82 from sudden cardiac arrest. Fifteen years ago I had him speak at our church and took him...
Dec 7, 20212 min read
“Values, meet Strategy.”
In the early days of our church, founding pastor Steve Sjogren coined a simple phrase for people to use in basic “servant evangelism”...
Aug 11, 20212 min read
Where the Revolution Begins
Ernest Gordon was a Christian, author and former dean of Princeton Seminary who died a couple of decades ago. Gordon was the inspiration...
Aug 3, 20213 min read
How To Dream...
After years of working with churches, we’re finding that the Imagination element is typically the least exercised of the four critical...
May 11, 20212 min read
Spiritual Vitality...and Age
Years ago we identified 4 critical elements all healthy churches practiced, regardless of size or stripe: Integrity: systems, processes,...
Jan 26, 20212 min read
Servanthood = Outward Focus
In our work with Elemental Churches, we identify the 4 critical traits all healthy churches have: Integrity, Passion, Servanthood, and...
Nov 24, 20202 min read
Covid Contrarians
So how does the Church survive in the time of Covid? One day during a Q&A session with Jesus, this query was raised: “If I am to love my...
Jun 2, 20203 min read
Black Lives Matter: A Metaphor
Imagine you have a daughter who is the light of your life. And then comes the day you drop her off at a college two time zones away. You...
Mar 24, 20202 min read
2 Critical Leadership Skills in a Crisis
How Are You Exercising These in Your Church? In the book Elemental Leaders, we identify 4 critical elements every effective leader must...
Feb 25, 20202 min read
Entitlement Cancer
John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight, delivered a stinging indictment several years ago on televangelists and the tax perks of churches...
Feb 12, 20202 min read
Politics, Power, & Servanthood
Want To Hear My Best Worst Prediction? Way back in 2007 when I was working on my first book, The Outward Focused Life: Becoming a Servant...
Jan 21, 20202 min read
The Four Elements of Effective Churches
How About a New Way to Measure Healthy Effectiveness? All healthy churches are characterized by four key traits: Integrity, Passion,...
Jun 14, 20193 min read
Are You An Elemental Leader?
The 4 Fundamental Factors for Effective Leadership Over the decades, I’ve had some good bosses and some not-so-good bosses. And...
Jun 14, 20192 min read
Eating Cheeseburgers With A Coat On
So Who Are We Serving? Some years back I walked into a fast-food restaurant that was freezing. People were eating with their coats on. I...
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