When most of us first start out in ministry vocationally, it’s because we love the Lord. Jesus is lovely to us, and His grace is marvelous to us. We can’t imagine anything greater than coming home to God. But oftentimes, as we go through life as ministers, all the “other stuff” (church duties, our platforms, etc.) begins to crowd in and take our first love away. And we’re … [Read more...]
Resolving conflict before it starts: Why your relational skills are more vital than you thought
In my thirty years of doing conflict resolution with Peacemaker Ministries, I saw God bring about marvelous reconciliations I never would have dreamed possible. But not all conflicts resolved well. In some cases, relationships were broken, pastors left churches, marriages ended. And even when there was reconciliation, there were often scars that took a long time to heal. … [Read more...]
Early detection: Developing self-aware volunteers and preventing ministry problems
Nobody starts out in a sport, discipline, or relationship saying, “Wow, I hope this doesn’t go well!” Or, “I hope I’m difficult to work with!” It’s not our intention in the beginning. When we fall or fail, usually something happened along the way that took us off course. If we don’t see these distractions, it is because we have become inattentive to our own lives. As … [Read more...]