I believe that every pastor and ministry leader needs models to follow, mentors from whom to learn, and friends on whom to lean. But we, who build the church as a community for the lost and hurting, are often the ones who wind up needing healthy community the most!
Most of those whose ministry we model are outside of our immediate relational circles. In fact, many of them are in heaven, having completed their own leadership courses. It’s hard to find individuals to whom we can be fully vulnerable and transparent, especially among those who serve under our leadership and spiritual care.
Therefore, we need coaches, too!
In all of my years of ministry leadership, the seasons in which I was being coached have been the richest and most growth-oriented seasons of all. I’m not sure how we would have planted a church without good coaching. Every major decision, crisis, and moment of near panic was processed in the company of an experienced leader who could listen and guide without offering shortcuts or personal judgments.
If you don’t currently have a ministry leadership coach, I would love the opportunity to have a conversation with you about your story, where you see yourself currently, and what is holding you back from achieving your biggest goals and leading at your highest level.
I’ve been trained as a coach, and I’ve trained others in the art of coaching, and I’ve decided to re-open my own ministry leadership coaching program. If you’re interested in learning more…
Click Here, Read More, and Let’s Have a Conversation
Also, in this current edition are a couple of extra resources including a sermon idea from the notes of my late pastor and father-in-law, Danny Kirk, and a holiday message series (for those of you who are planning early). Keep reading…
And keep on growing!
Brandon
This Week’s Big Sermon Ideas
Even Them?
A sermon idea based on Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32.
The Hebrew scriptures are the record of God singling out the nation of Israel to be special recipients of the revelation of his grace toward sinners, but by Jesus’ time, many of Israel’s leaders looked at the Romans, the Greeks, the barbarians, and asked… even them?
Read and Share the Full Article »
We Are Thankful for the Home God is Preparing
This sermon was adapted from notes written by Pastor Danny R. Kirk (1955 – 2023) about why we get to be thankful about the future God has planned for his family and the difference our faith makes in our daily lives.
Read and Share the Full Article »
A Christmas Sermon Series: The Gift Exchange
This three-part message series is all about how we can give God our guilt, our grief, and our pain in exchange for the gifts that his Holy Spirit brings to us – his comfort and healing.
Links for Leaders
BOOK: In Ed Stetzer’s book Subversive Kingdom: Living as Agents of Gospel Transformation, Ed contends that:
When Christians start trying to moralize the unconverted from positions of power so that the “nation will be just,” they end up hindering the mission rather than advancing it. They think this tactic will make the world as King Jesus wants it to be, but they have missed the message that this is a spiritual kingdom until Jesus makes it an earthly one.
ARTICLE: Leon Ho writes, in an article on Life Hack entitled The Fear of Delegating Work to Others:
Delegating is not losing control; it’s choosing to lead differently. It’s trading the solo act for a symphony — diverse, harmonious, and resonant. It’s embracing the fact that together, we’re not just faster; we’re better.
ARTICLE: I often wish I could spend time with every church’s staff just to encourage a healthier workplace culture. Satyen Raja offers up The 5 Pillars of Thriving Teams and Extraordinary Workplace Cultures including:
- Empowerment for ownership
- Building a supportive community
- Liberating creativity and potential
- Embracing synchronicity and efficiency
- Tapping into collective knowledge
APP: My own favorite app, which I use every single day, is ReadWise, which collects highlights from my Kindle library, articles I’ve highlighted, tweets I’ve saved, and more and allows me to review 15 of them each day and share them in a nice graphic if I want to do so.
The Latest from Walk Humble
Walk Humble is where I host an ongoing conversation about life, faith, and relationships among people brave enough to admit they don’t have life all figured out yet. Here’s the latest if you’re interested…
- Powerful Morning Declarations (Back to School Edition)
- What to Do with Those Big Family Messes
- Choosing Joy Over Cynicism
Miss an Issue? Read The Reflectionary Archives!
A Coaching Community for Church Leaders
My friend, Jacob Schmelzer, hosts one of the best coaching communities for pastors and leaders of growing churches. UpLevel Leader Church Growth Coaching comes value-packed with
- A weekly coaching session
- Church marketing masterclass
- Facebook invitation system
- The 50 to 500 growth plan
- A library of courses on church growth and leadership
And more. Jacob is a leader who walks both confidently and humbly and has figured out how to lead well in a culture that offers plenty of challenges. Check out UpLevel Leader Church Growth Coaching today!
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