Shepherds Are Sheep Too
If you pastor, lead, or mentor others in the church then you are a shepherd. You are what the Bible refers to as an “overseer” (Acts 20:28) and those who are placed under your care are your sheep. A shepherd’s primary responsibility is to the safety and welfare of the flock. I our world, that […]
3 Values to Cling to in a Busy Season
No one is immune to the many demands of life. Everyone has a busy season. You would think the more active we are the more we would rely on God. Unfortunately, that’s often not the case. When the demands of ministry, work, family, and more weigh on us we often lean more on our own […]
Receiving in the Midst of so Much Giving
Recently during a staff devotional, my senior pastor was leading us through discussion on the announcement regarding the birth of John the Baptist found in Luke 1:5-25. If you are not familiar with the story, here is a summary: Zechariah, a priest from the line of Aaron, and his wife are both described as “upright […]
Small Group Leadership Essentials with Carolyn Taketa
Q Do you need some encouragement, fresh strategies and practical advice as a small group point person? If your answer is “Yes,” then you’ve come to the right place! Carolyn Taketa is the Executive Director of Small Groups at Calvary Community Church in West Lake Village, CA. She is the author for such publishers as “Christianity […]
Becoming a Discerning Leader
I was recently challenged by a quote by Ruth Haley Barton: The spiritual leader is distinguished by his or her commitment and ability to guide the discernment process so the community can affirm a shared sense of God’s desire for them and move forward on that basis (Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership). I don’t […]
Dealing with Disappointment in Community
Last month, I wrote a blog about Bonhoeffer’s challenge to us about not approaching community with our list of demands, but rather to enter into community as thankful recipients of what God has already done. But even when we do not demand our vision for community but gratefully receive where God has placed us and […]
6 Reflections on Community Inspired by Bonhoeffer
My church has recently launched a series on community called Better Together. In conjunction with the sermon series, I, in collaboration with my senior pastor, wrote a small group curriculum to compliment the series. I love community, which is why I love small groups. Like many of you, I work hard on our small group […]
The Only Basis for my Leadership
A few weeks ago, I invited some dear friends of mine, Matthew and Monica Green, to conduct some training for my small group leaders. They used 1 John 1 as their guiding text throughout the training. What I especially loved about what they shared is that they combined in such a seamless manner both a […]
Splash Mountain Small Groups Hosted by Walt Disney
What if Walt Disney was a Small Group Host? This question was bouncing around in my head a few weeks ago as I enjoyed a family vacation to Disneyland! In fact, I started penning this post as I waited in line for over 60 minutes to ride the newly renovated “Hyper Space Mountain!” Tens of […]
Tips for a Personal Retreat Day
In my last blog post, I mentioned the need to make sure we care for ourselves, and gave some ideas on how you and I might go about doing that, one of which was taking a personal retreat day. Today, I want to offer some tips on how to go about doing one. What is […]
