By Paul Giertz
1.  Calling:
Only God calls people into the ministry. Jonah was called but ran.  Joshua and Nehemiah were called by circumstance.  Daniel, Hannaniah, Mishael, and Azariah were called by their integrity.  The Bible, and life for that matter, is full of men and women whose calling was predicated by different circumstances; whose ministries were destined by God to meet a particular need.  Each by submitting to God’s purpose – served his own generation by the will of God.
Consider Namaan’s wife’s handmaiden.  Her name is not even mentioned in scripture.  …

The question was asked of me recently whether I support the concept of Collegial Eldership in the church. To define the term, “collegial”, for those who may not be familiar with it, it denotes having authority or power shared among a number of people associated as colleagues. Specifically in the case of Collegial Eldership, it is a shared role of “pastor” by several people within one congregation. Presbyterian churches, for example, primarily work this way.
I am not staunchly against the idea, and feel that it’s valid in the sense of …

Who are you trying to please?
Are you trying to make a living, make a difference, or leave a legacy?
How will the world be different when you’ve succeeded?
Is it more important to add new members or to increase your interactions with existing ones?
Do you want a team? How big? (I know, that’s two questions)
Would you rather have an open-ended project that’s never done, or one where you hit natural end points? (How high is high enough?)
Are you prepared to actively spread your message, or are you expecting that people will walk …

When I was about 6 years old, I distinctly remember being fascinated by the red glow a spiral-shaped coil of metal on the top of our stove. My mother turned it on to heat up while she filled a pot with water. In a moment of curiosity, I quickly reached out and touched the surface of the burner to see what it felt like, and it was then I learned a lesson that would forever be, excuse the pun, “branded” in my mind… The lesson was, “don’t touch things that …

I have found that ‎”Deliverance” is an overused and misunderstood concept. For most people, it’s the “magic pill” they never seem to find. They expect that “deliverance” should include a complete releasing of any tie or connection to the thing that had them bound, erase any and every mental, physical or spiritual desire for that thing, and that they will never have to struggle with or against that thing again, (and more, I’m sure).
Unfortunately most people are not taking the responsibility for themselves to have a changed life, which includes …

People follow leaders… when there is a need for a leader. If a ministry does not provide vision for growth, a destination to reach, a risk to take or a challenge to win, there is nothing for people to follow and hence no need for a leader.
Ron Edmundson described leaders as follows:

Leaders have a vision that includes other people…
Leaders are typically the ones who are willing to think bigger…
Leaders will usually take greater risks…
Leaders dream bigger than they can complete without others…
Leaders take people where they are afraid to go…
Leaders …

Perry Noble listed 10 signs that you may be sick spiritually as a minister…
What are some signs that you are not healthy?
#1 – You cannot remember the last time you clearly heard the Word of God speak to you about an issue in your own life.
#2 – You no longer use the Bible to learn more about Jesus and hear His voice…you are simply using it to find your next sermon.
#3 – You actually begin to hate and despise the people in your church (who, by the way, are the …

ImaginationStage- This is the fun stage where you get to think outside the box and dream about possibilities.  Typically you’re focused on solving a problem that is close to your heart and praying through ways God wants to use you to make a difference.
Preparation Stage – This is the hard work of putting together the timelines, budget, priorities and goals of the vision.   Vision is seeing tomorrows possibilities today, but it’s not enough just to see it, you have to  design a blueprint in order to minimize frustrations along the …

Nehemiah 13:3 – 14 “Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude. 4 And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: 5 And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, …

Do you let the facts get in the way of a good story? (Jay’s note for preacher-leaders: Do you let a good story get in the way of the facts?)
What do you do with people who disagree with you… do you call them names in order to shut them down?
Are you open to multiple points of view or you demand compliance and uniformity? [Bonus: Are you willing to walk away from a project or customer or employee who has values that don't match yours?]
Is it okay if someone else gets …