Aim to be mistaken for an elder before you are appointed an elder. All pastors are elders, and every elder is a pastor.
Articles on Church Leadership
336 results found
You need to be willing to stand on the shoulders of those that have come before.
The 2 Battles Every Minister Fights
In ministry, there will be a war in which you’re called to come and lay down your life as Christ laid down his life.
Dear Pastor . . . in a Lonely World, Cultivating Community Is Worth It
Of all the many things we do, cultivating spiritual community in a lonely world ranks among the most difficult, time-consuming, and personally demanding efforts.
What Churches Should Look for in a Missionary
Churches should carefully assess the character, fruitfulness, and Bible knowledge of the missionaries they hope to send.
Podcast: What Pastors Can Learn from Richard Baxter (Tim Cooper)
Tim Cooper discusses the importance of Richard Baxter, a Puritan responsible for many key (if not misunderstood or difficult to read) treatises on church doctrine and the role of ministry.
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Using Creeds and Confessions in Your Church
Not long ago a friend asked what I’d say if I had thirty seconds with someone in an elevator and had to explain why I think Christian Confessions are so important. As you can see, I know what I’d say.
God Blesses Holiness, Not Pastoral Talent
If you’re not cleansed from the things that corrupt your life, you’re not a vessel fit for the Master’s use.
Developing doctrine in the church is one more in a series of improvisations.
Podcast: A Better Way to Talk about the “Call to Ministry” (Bobby Jamieson)
Bobby Jamieson talks about his own path to church leadership, what role seminary played, and as well as what advice he'd give to those aspiring to be pastors.
Preach the Bible, Not Your Dog
One of the big dangers that faces pastors today comes from a desire to connect with people.
Spiritual Authority in an Anti-Authoritarian Age
God-appointed church leadership is for our good, stability, health, and protection.
The antidote to hypocrisy is humility. What good deeds do you do that are seen by few or none? When did you last volunteer for a menial task?
Zach Eswine shares his own story of loss and the stunning realization that true faithfulness is not synonymous with ministry success.
Dear Pastor . . . You Have Wonderfully Unique Opportunities to Counsel
Pastoral counseling is unlike any other form of counseling because of the many unusual opportunities a pastor has to engage lives. Here are seven unique facets of the pastoral life that open doors.
How Spurgeon Avoided the Calling Calamity
Spurgeon understood the critical importance of helping men evaluate whether they were genuinely called to pastoral ministry.
Growing a Disability-Effective Church
How can churches become equipped to be disability effective? By living transparently with weakness and allowing these weaknesses to issue forth in fruitful labor in Christ’s church.
3 Questions Leaders Should Ask Themselves about Equipping the Church for Ministry
Here are three questions for church leaders to ask themselves before trying to help their people love each other better.
Pastor, Are You Prepared to Shepherd Your Flock through Dementia?
The tragedy of dementia is more common than you think. Over 30% of the average church congregation will die with some form of dementia. That represents an enormous challenge in pastoral ministry.
6 Joys and Perils of Full Time Ministry
Josh Moody shares with us 6 joys and perils of full time ministry.
Podcast: When Churches Get Doctrine Right and Everything Else Wrong (Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry)
Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry discuss the connection between gospel doctrine and gospel culture and share what it looks like when a church is theologically careful but culturally sick.
Shouldn’t God’s Power Fast Track Me to Big Things?
There is to be no Christian guru. We must reject this constantly and carefully. Leaders are to serve in humility.
7 Tips to Help Your Church Support Adoption
A congregation that embraces the priority of adoption will find all sorts of ways to help those who want to adopt.
When Ministry Becomes a Mistress (by Dave Kraft)
Ministry idolatry is becoming increasingly widespread, reaching epidemic proportions.
Pastor: Your Ministry Is a Mercy
Paul’s deeply rooted understanding that his calling was a totally undeserved expression of God’s great mercy to him was itself one of the core convictions that kept him faithful to the end.
Help! I Don’t Know How to Reestablish a Healthy Church after COVID
Not meeting together has meant missing out on the countless interactions that establish and enable the very practical supports which overflow from our spiritual unity in Christ.
Pastor: Expound, Apply, Repeat
You are hired as a minister in your church to be a preacher—not just to expound the Word, but to apply it.
What I Learned from Pastoring a 106 Year Old Widow
Although she died a few years ago, I am often reminded of what an amazing lady she was and what the Lord had graciously taught me through her as a young pastor.
Dear Pastor, in a Celebrity Culture, Your Call Is Contentment
Our desire is to do well in ministry so that God is glorified. We want our work to be great so that people will see God’s greatness, not to show off our talents or to be greater than others.
3 Ways Youth Leaders Can Help Parents
Many youth pastors are young, but they still have valuable insights on teenagers that can be of great help to parents.