by: HN contributing author, Amanda Box When elders need to address the congregation to communicate significant information, they are usually limited to a precious few minutes during the Sunday morning hour that is rightly designed for worship. This presents some special challenges for church leaders who want to keep the congregation informed and involved in […]
Archive for Shepherds/Elders – Page 6
by Jason Thompson Minister transitions are difficult, especially when it involves the Senior Minister or Preaching Minister. These transitions can result in congregational discord bordering on mutiny, or they can be managed and survived. No two situations are the same. Sometimes the minister certainly deserves to be fired. He has gotten lazy, staff morale is […]
HOPE Network co-leaders, Grady King and Jon Mullican, were recently interviewed by The Christian Chronicle and asked to discuss the WORK of HN. Click below to read what they had to say about the importance of a clear governance structure, how HOPE Network consults with churches and mentors leaders…and much more.
Why Some Church Elders Have Trouble Making Decisions by Bobby Ross Jr. (The Christian Chronicle)
by Jon Mullican Almost every church chooses leaders. Churches of Christ usually select “elders” to serve and lead congregations. Some churches also call them “shepherds.” Paul writes in Timothy 3 and in his letter to Titus (Titus 1:5-9) about the qualities a shepherd and his wife should possess. Most Churches of Christ use these passages […]
by Greg Anderson This is the last post in a series on church staff performance evaluation. In previous posts, we discussed how co-discovery, defining essential competencies, writing job descriptions, etc., can benefit staff, leaders, and the local church. In this post, we broaden our perspective to include how performance evaluation benefits the Kingdom of God. […]
by Greg Anderson Ministry can be difficult and there are many reasons why. Sometimes ministers create difficulty by not being team players. At other times, church leaders’ formal expectations, those written in a job description, do not match tacit expectations, those written in their hearts. Sometimes, church member attitudes encourage ministers to scour the classifieds. […]
by Greg Anderson Luke 14:28-30 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began […]
by Greg Anderson How do you know your church staff members are performing their jobs satisfactorily? Do you base opinion of staff success solely on member feedback or are you more intentional with performance criteria? Have you defined performance criteria? Do you have a set schedule in place to provide feedback to church staff members related to […]
by Tim Woodroof “Showing up” may be the first step of effective congregational leadership. But exuding a calm, principled, hopeful demeanor is the “other shoe” that has to fall.[i] In times of crisis, members will be anxious enough for us all. If leaders allow themselves to be infected by such anxiety, if leaders become transmitters of such […]
by Tim Woodroof When it comes to congregational leadership, showing up is half the battle.[i] Leaders should never underestimate the power of simple presence. Most of the time, church members don’t need their leaders to be charismatic, eloquent, brilliant, and wise. They do need their leaders to be there, to be accessible and approachable, to be visible […]