There is much confusion today about Church Planting and its connection with the command of Jesus to “Go and make disciples.” I have often heard the phrase, “Jesus didn’t command us to plant churches but to make disciples.” In the industrialized West, this is often used as an objection to planting more churches. It also reflects a concern that some …
Relational Leadership in the Church – Whiteboard Wednesday season 4: episode 11
A mentor once said to me, “It is seldom that our theology gets us into trouble. More often, it is our relationships that cause us trouble.” Relationships are tricky for all of us, but especially for those of us who lead. Today we explore some thoughts on relational leadership. Note: This is the final episode of Season 4! Look for …
The 4:12 Leadership Barrier – Whiteboard Wednesday Season 4: Episode 10
In 35 years of church leadership, I’ve recognized that one biblical principle is more often associated with healthy and missionally-effective churches than any other… The 4/12 principle. Paying close attention to the 4/12 principle sets healthy priorities, healthy relationships between church leaders and the congregation, and values those processes that should be high value in the church. There is not …
The Great Rescue
In the space of 18 days, one of the most riveting stories of our time unfolded slowly and with great risk and uncertainty. By now you know the story … On June 23, 2018, twelve boys and their assistant coach ventured into a cave network in northern Thailand after soccer practice, and were trapped when flood waters rose rapidly. On …
Join Us In Chicago for City to City North America
Join the Luminex Church Multiplication Team October 17-20 at Moody Church in Chicago for the Gospel & Our Cities conference with Dr. Tim Keller. North America needs thousands of churches started and revitalized through the good news of the gospel so that cities will be renewed through those churches. As we prayerfully anticipate gospel renewal in our cities and prepare …
Balancing the Missional End Game – Whiteboard Wednesday season 4: episode 9
Balancing the Missional End Game is a constant challenge for leaders in the 21st Century. The Bible teaches us that kingdom transformation and personal conversion are complementary missional priorities, not mutually exclusive goals. When we pit these two missional trajectories against one another, we end up committing the error of mere social activism on the one hand, or the error …
Pushing Against the Rock
I recently came across a fictional story, written by an unknown author, that encouraged me to “keep on keeping on” with the ministry calling God has given me. I hope this story encourages your heart as it did mine. There was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light from the …
Church Planting Infographic
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The Self-Aware Leader
One of the most important qualities of a high-performing, healthy leader is self-awareness. The longer I’ve been in ministry, the more I’ve learned about the importance of self-awareness. We humans have a profound propensity to self-deception. In other words, we fool ourselves. In truth, facing our weaknesses, our sins, our short-comings, our failures, and our unintended impact is incredibly difficult. …