August 2016

We Are Free Indeed

Sojourner Truth used her God-given freedom to set others free—and we can too.
We Are Free Indeed

Powerhouse is not a word often used to describe women of the 19th century, but Sojourner Truth is not like most of our spiritual mothers. An itinerant preacher turned abolitionist, and an early voice in the fight for women’s rights, Truth poured out her life for the marginalized and the oppressed.

Born into slavery in 1797, Isabella Van Wagenen—as she was called ...

continue reading

Tell a Good Story When You Preach

How to teach in a way that connects, compels, and builds trust.
Tell a Good Story When You Preach

My stepsons come barging in the door after seeing a movie with their dad. They are laughing and talking and quoting lines from the movie as they scour the cupboards for snacks.

“How was the movie?”

“It was really good! So funny.”

Then I ask this question: “What was it about?”

I usually get a play-by-play of the story line, with one of them talking ...

continue reading

When Leadership Development Is a Bad Thing

I used to think I had to change to be a good leader. Now I see the strengths I had all along.
When Leadership Development Is a Bad Thing

“How do you know?”

I can’t tell you know many times that question has stopped me cold. As a highly intuitive and introverted person, my favorite way of knowing is through my intuition. I naturally collect information without conscious reasoning, synthesize it behind the scenes, and come to a quick and convincing conclusion. The problem is intuition doesn’t ...

continue reading

The Sound of My Voice

Discover the value of your unique voice.
The Sound of My Voice

Have you ever winced as you heard your own voice played back on a voicemail or video? Upon hearing the playback most people lament, “Do I really sound like that? Is that really me?” We grow up hearing our voices one way, as they come to us internally, echoing through our inner ear. As a result, you may experience your voice as deep and husky, yet in reality it ...

continue reading

How to Figure Out Your Calling

Amy Orr-Ewing says it takes a combination of being proactive and listening for God’s leading.
How to Figure Out Your Calling

I was 19 when I met Amy Orr-Ewing—the British speaker, writer, and evangelist that CT’s Katelyn Beaty deemed “among the most prominent apologists in the UK today” in a recent cover story. We were both students at Oxford University at the time, and we met through the student ministry at St. Aldates Church—a lively group that went by the memorable, ...

continue reading

How to Steward Your Ministry Well

What does it look like to invest in the resources God has entrusted to you?
How to Steward Your Ministry Well

Stewards are people who care for someone else’s property. They oversee, protect, and care for what is entrusted to them. That’s also the management responsibility of a leader. As people of faith, we are accountable as stewards on behalf of two different owners: (1) God, who created it all and entrusted it to us, and (2) for the ministry for which we work.

A familiar ...

continue reading

When You Feel Like You Can Never Do Enough

How to follow a sacrificial Savior without losing yourself in ministry
When You Feel Like You Can Never Do Enough

If you are in ministry, you most likely have a strong desire to serve others. But where does it end? When have you served enough? Where are the limits?

It’s popular to talk about having healthy boundaries, but how do we know where to set them in ministry? Since we have a Savior who died to fulfill his mission, how do we emulate him while still maintaining our mental and ...

continue reading

What Simone Biles Is Teaching Me about Innovation

Throwing out the old scorecard has changed gymnastics—and it can change your ministry.
What Simone Biles Is Teaching Me about Innovation
Image: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

On August 5, the 2016 Summer Olympics will officially begin with the opening ceremonies. And on August 7, I will grab a bowl of popcorn and watch the start of the gymnastics events, paying special attention to Simone Biles, the most decorated American female gymnast, as she competes at her first Olympics. This isn’t a new tradition. I have fond memories of watching the ...

continue reading

Stop Leading from a Scarcity Mindset

With God, there’s more than enough (gifts, opportunities, ministries, work) to go around.
Stop Leading from a Scarcity Mindset

There were 60 of us in the room that day, and only 8 were women. We’d been chosen, called, or assigned (however you want to say it) to speak at summer camps across the United States. I wish I could say that as I sat in two days of intensive training, every part of me was marked by Paul’s words in Romans 10:15, “Blessed are the feet of those who bring good ...

continue reading

Follow us

FacebookTwitterRSS

free newsletters: