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Ten Signs of Leadership Burnout

This November my wife and I will have reached 36 years in full-time church ministry. In our day, we have seen many a leader lose their zeal for God and fall away from the work of the Lord. Often it is due to the fact they did not take the adequate time needed to seek the Lord on a daily basis for self-renewal. Other reasons include not having a balanced life that incorporated things that advanced their physical and emotional health (instead of just focusing on their work and ministry).

Seven Ways to Develop a Prophetic Culture in Your Church

A prophetic culture is an exciting and much needed element for a cutting edge local church. By “prophetic culture” I am referring to having a sense of anticipation among the attendees that God is going to manifest His presence and speak directly to His people, either through the preached Word of God and/or through the worship experience. By prophetic culture I am not merely referring to a plethora of prophetic words being released during church services. When a church has a true prophetic culture, there is a deep connection to God during congregational gatherings that result in believers getting transformed and consecrating themselves to the call of God. When there are many prophetic words but no personal transformation, folks are mainly prophesying out of their own souls and not representing God’s heart. There are several things needed to bring this kind of atmosphere into a local church.

How to Prosper in a Time of Scarcity

When this article was first drafted, a prominent newspaper in the United Kingdom, The Independent, had as their top headline that the United States is in a Depression.

While it is true that America may face economic challenges, Christians can learn to tap into principles based on the economics of the Kingdom of God, instead of the standards of the world economy.

Finding The Balance Between "Being and Doing"

In our culture we have a proclivity to elevate “doing over being”, to focus more on causes then on Christ; which means that the greatest threat we have as Christians (as defined by Paul in Galatians and Romans when we try to have salvation by works) to our growth in Christ by process is that we live in a future oriented culture that relates time largely to efficiency and productivity. We are more inclined then ever to use time to accomplish results then to enhance relationships.

Seven Contrasts between the Market-Driven Culture and Biblical Christianity

When I say “market driven” I am referring to the contemporary ethos in culture whose only value is infinite growth and production. This market-driven culture is equally in the contemporary evangelical church. This is very different from the Hebraic mindset of the word of God the church should be taking their cues from.

Distinguishing between Prototypes, Types and Counterfeits in the Church

After being in the pastorate for more then three decades, I am convinced that in every church there are prototype leaders that best express the heart, intentions, and characteristics of the overseeing visionary of a church and or organization. This prototype is able to think like the visionary leader and be trusted when it comes to representing them in most situations. These are also the most loyal, faithful and trustworthy of all leaders. In some churches, there is more than one prototype; however, in most cases there is one person above all who embodies and carries the DNA of the main leader. (It is also possible that a married couple may embody a prototype – and or that one spouse does and not the other)

The Sins and Temptations of Young, Middle Aged, and Old Leaders

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Ten Things Effective Ministries Value

1. Effective Ministries Value the Whole Church
To be effective in the current culture wars, Evangelicals can no longer afford to shun their Catholic and Orthodox brethren. It is going to take the whole church standing together on social issues to see societal transformation. We may not be in the same denomination or local church, but we share the same overarching values regarding the Trinity, the need for the cross of Christ for salvation, the deity of Christ, and the Ten Commandments as a blueprint for the laws of a nation.

Twenty-five Signs You Are Leading from Your Dark Side

1. You inwardly celebrate when a colleague or fellow minister falls.

2. Your spirit of competition causes you to inwardly celebrate when other organizations or ministries in your field aren’t doing as well as you.

3. You are more concerned about your local church or organization than the good of the kingdom of God and cultural transformation.

Twelve Different Kinds of Apostolic Leaders

I have been in the apostolic movement since the late 1980’s and have observed many kinds of apostolic leaders. By “apostolic” I am referring to a person who functions in the apostolic ministry gift as mentioned in Ephesians 4:11. They may also oversee an apostolic church that exerts great influence in their community, and/or lead a network of churches.

One size definitely doesn’t fit all in the apostolic, or in any of the other ministry gifts for that matter! They all have different modes of operation and/or function as well as different motivational gifts and bents. Of course, any true apostolic leader may have one or more of the following characteristics.

The following are the different kinds of apostolic leaders I have observed:

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