I have read many parable books on leadership throughout my ministry, but this is the first one that features the dynamics of a church staff.  In the fictitious setting of the “Community Covenant Church” author Dave Kraft describes how various personalities affect the overall synergy of the typical church leadership team, and how we have replaced various aspects of genuine leadership with superficial aspirations.

The format of the book is comparable to the writing styles of leadership gurus Ken Blanchard and Patrick Lencioni.   As a matter of fact, Lencioni gives Kraft a nice endorsement in the book.  Kraft does a …

Years ago on older gentleman asked me to pray for him.  He said, “Preacher, pray until you break through.  Pray until you can feel the presence of God.  Pray until you cross over into another world; and when you finally get there, then pray for me.”

The single-greatest thing you can do for any person is call their name before a Living God.  We all know it is our duty to pray for others; but many times we struggle with how to pray. If we are not careful, we can approach God with a long list of names and circumstances …

Books abound in the preacher’s life.  At times I feel they overtake me.  They are on my desk, on my shelves, on my nightstand, on my electronic devices, in my briefcase, in my car, in the floor, at the house, at the church, at the office…everywhere I see them, I read them, and I pour them into my life.  Some of them inspire me, others offend me.  Some solidify my convictions, others rebuke them.  Some are creative, while others are contentious.  I love books; most preachers do.

It was Mark Twain who said, “A man who doesn’t read good books …

I have a general rule of thumb about visiting places for the first time: if I feel uncomfortable or unwelcomed, I typically don’t go back.  This is true with restaurants, vacation spots, individual homes, and yes, even churches.

Some of the most joyous places I have ever visited have been churches; and unfortunately, some of the most miserable places I have ever visited have been churches.  It is sad to say, but some congregations don’t do well with visitors.  They feel threatened by their presence, and aggravated by the fact that someone different just might sit in their pew (I …

A pastor told his congregation one Sunday that he would be taking a few days off to repair a broken fence in his backyard.  A little boy heard the announcement and showed up the next day at the pastor’s home.  As the preacher began working on the fence, the little boy just stood there silently and watched the man of God as he worked.  This went on for several days until the man asked the boy if he would like to help.  The boy responded, “No sir, I just want to see what a preacher does when he hits his …