2011
Hitting the Wall
Every once in a while...especially in busy seasons of life or ministry, I hit the wall.
I know I've hit the wall when:
• I've reached my compliant quota. When one more complaint, question, or criticism will put me over the edge.• Questions become personal attacks. A simple question for clarity feels like a personal attack on my judgment or character.• The idea of being with ...
Amped Up from the Blackout
Hurricane Irene blustered her way up the East Coast, downing trees, toppling cars, and leaving seven million people (including our family) in the dark. We were without power for four days. I missed it desperately–my laptop, smartphone, televisions, refrigerator, hair straightener, and garbage disposal. (Yes, I missed my garbage disposal.) But now that I'm back on the grid, ...
Do You See What I See?
My favorite Christmas song growing up was "Do You Hear What I Hear?" With each verse, the anticipation grows: Do you hear what I hear? Do you see what I see? Do you know what I know? Listen to what I say! The person singing longs for someone with whom to share the joy of Christ's birth.
As leaders, we find tremendous joy in sharing ministry with others. Ministry ...
In Search of a Safe Harbor
Ten years ago my husband and I embarked on a year-long adventure at sea with our four sons. One leg of our journey took us to Albany, New York, where we docked our boat at a marina on the Hudson River. We'd planned to be in New York City by then, but we'd made a spontaneous decision to take a road trip to Boston for the weekend instead.
The morning after we returned to our ...
Facebook Pages vs. Groups
So you want to get your church into the Facebook social media world? But, alas, some well-meaning individual in the church has already created a Facebook page on behalf of the church.
Sigh. This can be really frustrating, when multiple Facebook Pages and Groups exist for one church. Plus, they may or may not accurately represent what the organization is about.
You can attempt ...
The “Gender Ghetto” in the Church
In a recent article in the Huffington Post, Cathleen Falsani asks readers to list three of the top evangelical women leaders under sixty. Falsani contends it's hard to do and the title of her post suggests the reason why: "Jesus is Still Surrounded By Too Many Men." To lend readers a hand with the question, Falsani suggests that author and speaker, Margaret ...
Leading Absent
"The test of your leadership is not what happens when you're there, but what happens when you're NOT there." Ken Blanchard
Just reading that quote makes me a bit anxious. How about you? Have you ever found yourself creating exhaustive notes for your team or maybe even your family in preparation to be away for a few days? Have you ever feared what's ...
John Stott Remembered
Gifted for Leadership's parent site ChristianityToday.com has run several stories following the death of John Stott, long-time theologian and evangelical leader.
According to their recent article, "Global Reactions to John Stott's Death," "His death has elicited a broad range of tributes from Christian leaders throughout North America. But acknowledging ...
5 Things I’ve Learned in Ministry
Next month marks my one year anniversary of working in paid ministry. It's been a year full of joy, surprises, and challenges of all kinds. Here are five things I've learned in my rookie year:
1. If it was easy, it wouldn't be leadership.
I wasn't expecting every decision that I made to be so difficult. Despite my years as a volunteer in ministry, I was shocked by the number ...
Is Michele Bachmann the Right Person for President?
GiftedforLeadership.com writer Margaret Feinberg recently contributed to The Washington Post in a roundtable discussion on the issue of biblical submission, servant leadership, women leaders, and the changes taking place in conservative Christianity. Her article looks at questions including:
How do modern evangelicals understand biblical teachings on women's roles? ...