Leadership (Carol Stream, IL) articles from June 2007

Leadership (Carol Stream, IL) archives from June 2007

The best visual ever.(From the Editor)
June 22, 2007... Bible teachers have always used visuals. I vividly remember my mother, a second grade Sunday school teacher, amazing the class by staining a heart-shaped cloth with iodine while talking about sin. Then she dipped the cloth in some mysterious...

Coming soon to an event near you.(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... We have always considered Leadership "more than a magazine." Church leaders have told us that they consider its arrival like a visit with a friend and mentor. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Over the years we've found other venues to connect...

Why hoppers hop.(WHERE FAITH MEETS CULTURE)
June 22, 2007... The Joneses left their church because they were dissatisfied and wanted something more. The researchers asking people why they switched churches say that's a good thing. Most weren't lured to the new church, but said they felt a lack of...

I love my job.(WHERE FAITH MEETS CULTURE)
June 22, 2007... Clergy are tops in job satisfaction. Really. Clergy! Despite what you heard at the last ministerial meeting. While a survey by the University of Chicago shows 47 percent of all workers are satisfied with their jobs, clergy scored their jobs...

Trendex.(WHERE FAITH MEETS CULTURE)
June 22, 2007... Volunteerism was down in 2006, with only 27 percent of the U.S. population working with a charitable organization at least once. But those who do give time work hard, spending a median of 52 hours during the year doing charity work. ...

A church that "clicks".(NEWS YOU CAN USE)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... Welcome to St. Pixels, a church that exists only in cyberspace. This virtual church was launched in May 2006 by the Ship of Fools website, with funding from the Methodist Church of Great Britain. Its purpose is to use technology to explore...

ATMs: automatic Tithing Machines.(NEWS YOU CAN USE)
June 22, 2007... How can you pass the plate to people who don't carry cash? You can't. So the next big wave may be the "Giving Kiosk" in your church's lobby. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "A lot of people no longer carry cash or a checkbook," says Marty...

Stand-ups for Jesus.(NEWS YOU CAN USE)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... British clergy are seeking preaching tips from stand-up comedians. Not that there's anything wrong with that. (rimshot) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In February, the annual Leicester Comedy Festival introduced a new workshop to help clergy...

Anatomy of a sermon series.(NEWS YOU CAN USE)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... We've seen sermon series that incorporate movie titles and TV shows before, including Survivor, 24, and Lost. Try this one: "Gray Anatomy." The five-week series at Snellville United Methodist Church in Georgia focused on the top-rated...

Thumbnail on godcasting.(NEWS YOU CAN USE)
June 22, 2007... Joel Osteen's podcasts top the religious downloads at iTunes. That might be expected, but his podcasts are so popular, they often peak in the overall top-IO list, along with "The Best of YouTube," "The Onion News Network," and "ESPN Radio...

Not-so-quiet desperation.(COUNTER CULTURE)(Interview)
June 22, 2007... I thought I could handle being married to a pastor... but now I'm not so sure," says Lisa, a character in Desperate Pastors' Wives by Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell (Howard, 2007). The novel tells the story of four pastors' wives in...

But now I see: words once dominated Western culture, but now images are changing everything from our theology and preaching to the way our brains process information.(VISUALCY)
June 22, 2007... Writing is not often thought of as a technology. We certainly don't consider it in the same league as the Internet or cell phones. Yet writing is a technology, because it requires special tools (pen and paper or brushes and animal skins)....

Preaching by faith & by sight: how oral communicators are joining the visual revolution.(VISUALCY)
June 22, 2007... We are entering the third age of communication, according to Andy Crouch, culture guru and director of our Christian Vision Project. The first age was oral communication, when history and theology were captured in stories and shared around...

The tech effect: technology is changing the way we preach. Is this a good thing? A Leadership interview.(VISUALCY)(Interview)
June 22, 2007... Twenty-five years ago, the film Tron told the story of video game maker Kevin Flynn who was transplanted into the virtual universe within a computer. Flynn battled sinister digital forces to survive and partnered with friendly programs to...

Power pointless: the way we distill the gospel for presentation can take the life out of it.(VISUALCY)
June 22, 2007... Stanley Hauerwas says that the best preparation for preaching today is to have previously taught high school French. The skills required to thrust complex French verbs into adolescent brains are wonderfully pertinent to pastoral ministry. We...

Is PowerPoint fading? While the technology is ever-present, expectations are ever-changing.(Interview)
June 22, 2007... Leith Anderson is both a pastor and a careful observer of culture. The pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is also author of Leadership That Works. Lee Dean of Leadership's sister site BuildingChurchLeaders.com asked Leith...

Birthing a sermon: a step-by-step guide to bringing the text alive.(VISUALCY)
June 22, 2007... Garrison Keillor, on A Prairie Home Companion, tells about Uncle Cal, a deacon at the church in fictitious Lake Wobegon. Uncle Cal evaluates his pastor's preaching this way: "It's a lot of, 'On the one hand this, on the other hand that.' He...

Glimpses of glory: how many voices speak of God in your church? And what messages are heard?(VISUALCY)
June 22, 2007... Fifteen hundred years ago, the emperor of Rome built a tomb for his beloved sister. The small building was designed in the shape of a cross with a vaulted ceiling covered with mosaics of swirling stars in an indigo sky. The focal point of the...

Incarnate preaching: it's not just living your words, it's knowing the lives of those you're speaking to.(VISUALCY)
June 22, 2007... The man's 51-year autobiography took more than an hour to read, and it disclosed struggles with addictions, difficult personal relationships, and career disappointments. It included accounts of success and failure, discoveries and...

4-H sermons.(IN THE PULPIT)(the head, the heart, the hands, and health)
June 22, 2007... Some pastors pride themselves on didactic preaching-teaching of the Bible, expressing profound theological truths. These sermons will often be prepared with the same attention given to a college term paper. Didactic preaching nourishes the...

Editor's choice: Spirit-Led Preaching.(IN THE PULPIT)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 22, 2007... Spirit-Led Preaching by Greg Heisler (B & H Academic, 2007) Greg Heisler tackles a controversial subject: how preachers experience the work of the Holy Spirit in preparing and delivering their messages. This Baptist addresses...

The prosperity gospel.(MONEY)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... 61% of Christians believe God wants people to be financially prosperous. 48% of Christians believe Jesus was not rich, and we should follow his example. 49% believe Christians don't do enough for the poor. 57% do not believe 10%...

Reap what you sow.(CHARACTER)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... Marilee Jones, dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), recently resigned after admitting the resume she submitted 28 years ago was filled with lies. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ms. Jones has written a number...

Christian vs. Christ-follower.(FAITH VISUALS)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... Apple created a cultural phenomenon with its "Mac vs. PC" commercials. One church created a series of parodies comparing a stuffy "Christian" with a more culturally savvy "Christ-follower." While the Christian is concerned with proper...

Consuming gods.(CULTURE)(excerpt from "The Brand Gap")(Excerpt)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... In his book The Brand Gap, Marty Neumeier uncovers the ways corporate brands affect individual consumers: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Depending on your Unique Buying State, you can join any number of tribes on any number of days and feel...

Clothing not optional.(SEX)
June 22, 2007... A survey of 1,000 American women found that most valued their favorite clothes more than sex, and would gladly abstain for 15 months in exchange for an entirely new wardrobe. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Source: The Week, February 16, 2007...

Made for glory.(COURAGE)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... Akeelah and the Bee tells the story of a talented South Los Angeles girl who overcomes her fears and many obstacles to compete at the National Spelling Bee. Akeelah is encouraged by her spelling coach, Mr. Larabee (Lawrence Fishburne), to see...

Sidelined by failure.(WORSHIP)
June 22, 2007... Q I had to remove a worship band member for moral failure, but I have been accused of being judgments. Some are saying, "We all sin and fall short of the glory of God." What should I do? A It is true that all have sinned and fall short of...

Full range of God.(WORSHIP)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... I recently read through the psalms of Asaph and listed all of the attributes and characteristics of God. I was struck by Asaph's comprehensiveness. Though he wrote only twelve psalms, Asaph managed to present a balanced picture of God....

One Thing groups.(SPIRITUAL FORMATION)
June 22, 2007... When piles of clutter are slowly eating my garage, I often try not to notice. But after weeks of mess fatigue, I'll decide it's time to clean. When I survey the magnitude of the job, however, I am often overwhelmed and don't know where to...

Couple questions.(PASTORAL CARE)
June 22, 2007... Couples often come for counseling claiming they want to help their marriage, when what they really want is some justification to get out of it. I have seen some seriously damaged marriages, but I have not found one beyond repair if both...

The Blogging Church.(READ ON)
June 22, 2007... The Blogging Church by Brian Bailey with Terry Storch (Jossey-Bass, 2007) The message is simple: If you aren't using blogs to broaden your ministry, you should. Brian Bailey, web director at Fellowship Church near Dallas, is...

Jesus at the movies.(OUTREACH)
June 22, 2007... Christians have come a long way in finding creative ways to use even mainstream films to reach out. We've gone from boycotting Hollywood's objectionable fare (remember the picket lines when The Last Temptation of Christ released in 1988?) to...

Security against shooters.(THE OFFICE)
June 22, 2007... Churches are notorious for minimal security. While acts of violence at church are rare, recent shootings raise the question: what can leaders do to protect their people? Work with local police Learn their plans and capabilities. Most...

Your hourly costs per employee.(THE OFFICE)
June 22, 2007... You probably know what wages you pay employees, but do you know the cost of the benefits you provide? Employer costs averaged $25.52 per hour worked in 2006. Wages and salaries, averaging $18.04, accounted for 70 percent of these costs....

It's not about Rick: what the globally connected, purpose driven pastor is learning and unlearning about mission.(Rick Warren)(Interview)
June 22, 2007... It's not about you." Those are the first four words in a book you may have heard about--The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren. While that sentence alone is a much-needed tonic for a culture that's becoming increasingly me-centered, it has...

The real worship war: forget about choruses versus hymns--what about justice?(Excerpt)
June 22, 2007... At a worship service I attended, my attention was drawn to the enthusiastic worship leader. He opened our time with prayer, asking God to meet us and draw us into the Lord's presence. Then he stood with eyes closed and the band playing. He...

Neighborhood dogfight: how four pit bulls chewed through my pastoral role.
June 22, 2007... Scholars debate what Paul meant when he said he "fought wild beasts in Ephesus" (1 Cor. 15:32). Some think he was describing heretical enemies; others suggest Paul was attacked by animals. Personally, I'm convinced they were pit bull...

Cracking the code: each church has unique DNA that's essential to its life, health, and future.(VISION & DIRECTION)
June 22, 2007... Heritage Church in Moultrie, Georgia, was nothing like I expected. Instead of a colonnaded building with a white spire reflecting southern charm, I found a warehouse with bare concrete floors and heating ducts snaking along the ceiling. ...

When God Comes to Church: is it wrong to pray that God will show up?(SOUL & SPIRIT)(Excerpt)
June 22, 2007... It was a warm spring Wednesday night in West Tennessee. Fifty or so of us faithful Southern Baptists were in church for prayer meeting. I was the 20-year-old college intern. It was part of my job to show up for these kinds of things. "Our...

Education resource directory.(Directory)
June 22, 2007... Washington Bible College Capital Bible Seminary Discover Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary--a diverse community where you receive Scripture-centered education, equipping you for lifelong service in ministry or the...

Church resource directory.(Directory)
June 22, 2007... Need Chairs Quick? Ask about our QUICK SHIP PROGRAM. Chairs commonly shipped in as few as 2 weeks or faster. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Church Chair[R] seating is famous for its comfort, elegance, durability, quality, great...

Church-free Christianity.
June 22, 2007... They Like Jesus But Not The Church: Insights From Emerging Generations by Dan Kimball (Zondervan, 2007) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A recent special on CNN was titled: "What Is a Christian? Where Do You Fit?" Obviously, many people...

Virtual virtue and real presence.(COMMENTARY)
June 22, 2007... I've had a couple of semi-sleepless nights lately because some members of my congregation got into trouble and needed my pastoral help. Their situation seems so messy, so ugly, so intractable, and I feel the weight of trying to help them get...

Shepherd or CEO?(POSTS & RIPOSTES FROM OUR BLOG)(chief executive officer)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... Sally Morgenthaler wrote a provocative chapter in the new book, An Emergent Manifesto of Hope (Baker, 2007) that caused an uproar on Out of Ur. Morganthaler believes our culture is moving away from top-down autocratic leadership toward a more...

Good things come in small congregations.(POSTS & RIPOSTES FROM OUR BLOG)
June 22, 2007... Pastor of Life on the Vine in Long Grove, Illinois, David Fitch, wrote a self-described "rant" on why being a small church pastor is more difficult, and more fulfilling, than pastoring a megachurch. He said, "The real heroes are the missional...

McLaren thanks God for enemies.(POSTS & RIPOSTES FROM OUR BLOG)(Brian McLaren)(Brief article)
June 22, 2007... Brian McLaren credits a prayer written by a Serbian bishop who endured the persecution of the Nazis for helping him process the increasing criticism he's received in recent years. In a short interview posted on Out of Ur, McLaren shared his...

The Art of dying.(COMMENTARY)
June 22, 2007... People die like they live. Of course, some diseases and some treatments can change personalities, but barring that, people seem to face death like they face life. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On the Saturday before Easter, I anxiously made...