Natasha cradles her coffee cup between her trembling hands. Holding that cup, it seems, is the one thing she can do to keep herself together.

Usually she sits erect—shoulders back, head up, chin square, eyes tuned in. Natasha typically leans in during a conversation and engages her audience, however small or large, with hospitality, confidence, and grace. This day she is a ...

Last week, the Catalyst Conference blew through Dallas with more force than the gusty winds we experienced in the parking lot. This was two and half days packed full of church leaders, hip plaid shirts, soulful worship, and a who's who lineup of Christian authors and speakers. I attended Catalyst because it is one of the best leadership conferences of its kind and it was conveniently ...

The Struggle

"Too much ministry; not enough money!"

That's how one pastor replied when asked about the biggest hurdle in the relationship between ministry and money. I agree. Or I did in the past. I have stumbled over that same hurdle, but now I am careful to avoid it, having discovered a secret.

That secret, however, first revealed a greater hurdle that exists ...

I remember creating my children's ministry budget for the year. This is what it looked like:

• VBS (a program inside the building): $6000

• Sunday morning celebration (a program inside the building): $10,000

• Team building and training (for the people who volunteered inside the building): $1000

• Conference and further education (so I could get better at planning all my "inside ...

When my husband and I came to a new church plant immediately after seminary, we knew there were going to be some financial challenges for the small congregation. They had only 10 members and about 40 attending, including children. But they were a devoted, expansive-minded people, which gave us hope for the future of the church. And they offered us a livable wage, which was ...

Money complicates ministry.

Sure, there is the difficulty of talking about money in your organization – sermons and stewardship campaigns. Salaries and budget shortfalls. But that's really the easy stuff.

What about a leader's personal relationship with money?

I am a ministry leader and a pastor's wife. While I earn money through my writing, teaching and leadership coaching, ...

It's not uncommon for my husband, Leif, and I to spend more than 200 days a year travelling for work. We bounce from airports to rental car terminals to hotels and back home on a regular basis, and along the way we've discovered a few tips to stretching our travel budget—enjoying better hotels, rental cars, and amenities for a fraction of the cost.

Need an example? We recently ...

Worship leader Kari Jobe grew up traveling with parents in ministry before experiencing a "divine appointment" at the age of 10, when she decided to commit her life to writing songs to help people communicate their feelings to God. She's currently on tour with Chris Tomlin, but recently took a break to lead worship for 8,500 women at Gateway Church's Pink Impact Conference. ...

The hymnist Fanny Crosby wrote these words: "Chords that were broken will vibrate once more." I included her words in the first chapter of my upcoming book, Victory Song. Below is an excerpt describing my up-close encounter with suicide and the remnants it left behind.

I was 17 the night it happened: the single, tragic event that would shape my journey and life's purpose from ...