10 Resources for Leaders, Pastors, and Churches from October 6, 2015

Good leadership resources can be hard to come by without spending heavy amounts of time researching. How do you know what you can trust? Which resources are worth reading and come from a true expert rather than a random blogger? These links and resources for leaders, pastors, and churches from October 6, 2015 should give you a good place to start.

10 Resources for Leaders, Pastors, and Churches from October 6, 2015

1) “Invite Them to Dinner Before You Invite Them To Church” by Barry Jones

So many people emphasize helping church members and church leaders to invite people to their church services. But why not challenge people to invite friends over to dinner first? Barry Jones makes a compelling case in this article.

2) “Churches Committed to Multiplication” by Bill Easum

This post is part of a four part series focusing on a shift in North American churches towards multiplication through innovative discipleship rather than aged church growth or vision design methods.

3) “5 Essential Qualities of Great Pastors and Church Planters” by Brandon Cox

Brandon is a pastor and leader of leaders that loves to serve pastors. His article‘s focus on character and vision (among other things) will challenge and inspire all church leaders.

4) “How to Read the Bible When You Keep Getting Bogged Down In Leviticus” by Marc Alan Schelske

In this post, Marc deals with an issue we have all battled at one time or another. Don’t let a difficult passage or book of the Bible stop you from reading the text.

5) “15 Reasons Why Committed Christians Do Not Attend Church (As Often)” by Susan Malphurs

Church attendance trends are shifting — whether we like it or not. It is time for us to assess what we are trying to achieve and decide how we need to improve as church leaders. This list provides a good starting point for the discussion. (Hint: Complaining about “how immature people are” isn’t leadership. It’s avoiding the opportunity to serve, lead, innovate, and rethink how we do church.)

6) “How To Hold People Accountable Without Using Authority” by Dan Rockwell

None of us enjoys a leader who forces compliance by pulling rank. In the church, pastors face an even bigger challenge to deliver results without burning out volunteer leaders or overworked staff. Learn how to hold people accountable without having to use your real or perceived authority with Dan’s article.

7) “Dear Church: Here’s Why People Are Really Leaving You” by John Pavlovitz

Do you know why people are leaving your church? I’ve heard more reasons than I could ever count. Let’s face it. We hate to see people leave the church (usually). But John Pavlovitz’s article points the way to a few reasons you might not expect for why people are leaving your church.

8) “Napkin Theology” by Dr. Mark Bailey

As the President of Dallas Theological Seminary, you wouldn’t expect Dr. Bailey to teach from a napkin. But he shares  how he taught theology to his kids from a napkin and how many of us can too.

9) “8 Ways to Move From Vision Ambiguity to Vision Clarity” by Dr. Aubrey Malphurs

Your vision for the future is never as clear as you think. Dr. Aubrey Malphurs’ article helps pastors and church leaders to move from generic church vision to vision clarity. Don’t let vision ambiguity stifle your church’s path forward or the potential that lies immobilized in your church.

10) “Music and Achievement” by Constantine Campbell

As a musician (albeit a very amateur one), I found Trinity International University Professor Constantine Campbell’s article on Music and Achievement to be spot on and refreshing. God has used music to teach me so many things. I am grateful for Constantine Campbell and his challenge to look at achievement in light of what we also know about music.

What links and resources for leaders, pastors, and churches have you found helpful recently? Many thanks to those of you who submitted some of our links for this post.

This list of 10 Resources For Leaders, Pastors, and Churches from October 6, 2015 is developed as a resource to further your training and development. But don’t stop with yourself. Share one of these with your team, with a direct report, or with a friend. Written resources that aren’t shared with the church leaders you know will have reduced or minimal impact.