This personal growth plan process stems from my desire to develop and disciple young leaders who will serve as fifty-year warriors and not five-year wonders.
Once upon a time in a leadership land “far-far” away there lived a man named Bob (not his real name). Bob viewed himself as an accomplished leader who had “it” all together. He had been performing the same leadership role in the exact same way for seven years. Bob was amazed at his own perceived wisdom and prided himself in…
Let’s be honest: we all like to get credit for the things we accomplish. So, what about those times when you plan, assist, contribute or even make the project happen? How do you respond when you are not recognized or even mentioned in the small print? The story of the first miracle of Jesus turning water into wine is told…
Is trust really that important in leadership? Do you have to be trustworthy to be an effective leader? Is trust in leadership overrated? How do character and competency relate to trust? If trust is important, then is it something which comes naturally or is it something that must be developed? “Some people are your friends all the time and others…
Mechanically living our Christianity as a series of events can eventually lead to becoming weary in well doing (Galatians 6:6-9). Evangelism, discipleship and spiritual growth should be more than events filling prescribed time slots; they should be a part of our personal DNA. Two of the greatest perils to ministry are; just going through the motions and just meeting expectations.…
Although spiritual warfare is real, we must be careful not to role play Christian living like children playing pretend games. When I was a boy (admittedly multiple decades ago), my friends and I would make pretend guns, run across pretend battlefields, fly pretend planes and take pretend casualties. We were children playing a serious game, totally oblivious to the fact…
Did you make New Year’s resolutions for 2021? Are you on track or have you decided to chunk them into the trash with the leftover pizza? Don’t get me wrong, I am not negative about this yearly “Resolution Ritual,” but I want to suggest a better approach. I wrote this blog a couple of years ago and it seemed to…
This is a guest post from one of my African American friends, Ade Oni. In light of the events in our Nation recently I believe it is a timely reminder of our priorities. I never thought I would see the day. A man walking into the Capitol building of The United States of America, draped with a rebel flag. Other…
Some life events just stand out. I am referring to experiences which are life-changing…blazed into your mind’s eye forever. These are so poignant, the sights, sounds and even the feelings can be replayed in your head. There are other events that do not fit into the life-changing category, but they are nevertheless memorable. One of these memorable but not life-changing…
(This is a guest post by Chris Pappalardo, Staff Writer/Editor for Summit Church. Chris recently shared these insights with our Summit Staff. I share them with his permission and I know you will appreciate his insights.) The best comparison I have to living through 2020 is the culture shock I experienced when I moved to Central Asia. “Culture shock” is…