By Cindy Jansen In my last blog, I wrote about the leadership development famine many churches are experiencing. I discussed how churches often recruit availability instead of intentionally developing leaders. But there is a second famine I see just as often: Leaders who are not intentionally developing other leaders alongside them. Many church leaders carry […]

By Cindy Jansen Over the last several months, I’ve had conversations with numerous churches about their desire to sustain, strengthen, and build leadership within their ministries. In those conversations, I see a theme surfacing: We are experiencing a leadership development famine in the church. Across congregations, ministry leaders are asking similar questions: The answer may […]

By Marilyn Sievert What if someone called you a classic lion? Would you know what he was talking about? Would you be curious to know other people’s perceptions about your otter personality? Would you ask a trustworthy coworker about why someone referred to your animal personality, if they said you are a faithful golden retriever? […]

Recently I was speaking at a church leadership retreat, and one of the topics I was speaking on was emotional intelligence.  Here was a comment from a participant, “I found the discussion reflecting how God wants leaders to be refreshing and was vastly different from worldly stereotypes. The lessons were applicable to ministry leadership and […]

I guess I would begin with another question.  Who is responsible for engaging members in ministry at your church?  Is it one of the pastors’ primary responsibilities? Is it everyone’s responsibility? No one’s responsibility? Well actually I’ve seen it done or not done all three ways!  Often, when member ministry is not a specifically assigned […]

After 26 years in the pastoral ministry, there aren’t too many “firsts” anymore. Long ago I preached my first sermon, conducted my first wedding , and performed my first baptism. I’ve had EMTs arrive for someone having a medical emergency during worship. I’ve conducted a funeral for a family of 5. I’ve had a lot […]

Let’s be honest—when it comes to leadership development in the church, we don’t always do a great job. More often than not, we identify someone who looks like a leader (you know…faithful, reliable, shows up on time), hand them a title, and say, “Congrats! You’re in charge now.” No training, no mentorship—just a best wishes and God bless. And then […]

Last month was pastor appreciation month. From cards to verbal thanks and beyond, the pastors where I attend services were showered with gratitude from our members and friends. Is that where your thanks ends? While praise to God for appreciation for pastors fills our thoughts, who else’s serving warrants thanksgiving at your church? How can […]

5 Ways to Level Up Your Emotional Intelligence (Without Losing Your Cool) Emotional intelligence might sound like one of those “self-help” terms that doesn’t quite fit in the church, but let’s face it—if Jesus could calmly deal with people who questioned, betrayed, and downright misunderstood Him, we could probably use some of that grace too. […]

by Cindy Jansen What is Emotional Intelligence? Let’s be honest—”emotional intelligence” (EQ) isn’t exactly a buzzword in most churches. We’ve heard sermons on humility, patience, and love, but understanding our emotions? Not so much. Yet, if we look closely, the Bible is full of examples where emotional intelligence is at work, and secular research shows […]