Have you ever heard a catchy jingle on the radio, and then found yourself singing it later? These tunes get stuck in our heads. Advertisers know the power of repetition and simplicity. As we work to motivate disciples to become disciple-makers, we can use the power of repetition to influence them toward action. Jesus knew …
Kids are easily distracted. When my children were young they’d start crying. Maybe they were angry about not getting a piece of candy they craved. I’d point out the window. “Look! See the birds?” Suddenly, their attention shifted. Now I do this with my grandkids. We can be like kids too – easily distracted from …
We moved around the room silently. One person was given a watch. Graciously receiving it, he silently prayed. Should he keep it or pass it on to someone else? Another person turned to his neighbor, he gave him a newly purchased jacket. The power of generosity was being released in the room as we did …
They stood in front of my gate, a group of angry men. Impatiently, they rang the gatebell again and again. They came with demands. Emotions ran strong. Who were they? Angry Hindu fundamentalists? No. Surprisingly (or not), they were a group of Christian pastors from our city. A sometimes unexpected obstacle we frequently face in …
Burnout! A common condition we hate to see fellow workers walk through. Depression. A mental health issue more common in ministry leader’s lives than you would think. Marital difficulty or divorce. Again, not unusual. Heart attack! Almost predictable in busy leaders who don’t take care of their health. As I write that, I think about …
As a kid, I enjoyed going to the circus. I especially liked watching the jugglers. How did they keep all those balls in the air? Then, when I was about 12 years old, my dad bought me a set of bean bags to practice juggling with. It was fun to try to keep a few …
“If you want the movement to multiply, ordinary believers must be released to baptize and serve the Lord’s Supper,” George Patterson, our speaker, announced. “What? Is that right?” I thought. “Did ordinary believers have the necessary qualifications for ministry?” We were a group of young church planters and missionaries. We had come to this seminar …
Our resources are limited. Time, money, energy, and personnel are all stretched far too thin when pioneering in new areas. Some people seem to only drain our precious resources. As disciple makers, how do you avoid wasting time on the wrong people? How do you discover the potential leaders who will be most helpful in …
I personally don’t like saying no. It feels…not nice. It seems…unkind, or like I don’t value the person who is asking me to do something. Yet saying no, and meaning it, is a crucial skill for those of us pursuing DMMs. This is why we need to learn not only what to say no to, …
In recent weeks I’ve had numerous conversations with people. The topic of tracking has surfaced more than once. Is it biblical? Tracking numbers and setting goals can feel like it isn’t relational. While the feeling is real, it doesn’t need to be true. We can be both relational and also track fruitfulness. Led by the …