[About four years ago, I wrote this article for Relevant Magazine's online edition. Since the article is no longer available through their web-site, I thought I'd re-post it here.] Community ... community ... community. Everywhere you turn, inside and outside of the church, people are obsessed with talking about community. This is a good thing …
Leadership Pitfalls
A friend of mine passed along this excellent article on the pitfalls of leadership called "Unoriginal Sin" by Will Mancini. In the midst of a young church plant, I found that my tendency at this point in my life is to slip into the first three "thinkholes." If you are a church leader, whether on …
Leadership – Meriwether Lewis
In a post from a couple of days ago, I recommended Stephen Ambrose’s book Undaunted Courage, which studies the life of Meriwether Lewis. Here is an extended excerpt from Ambrose on the sort of leader Meriwether Lewis was: How he led is no mystery. His techniques were time-honored. He knew his men. He saw to …
Undaunted Courage (Book Review)
As a Christian you are urged to read all sorts of Christian-y things. There is no end to the magazines and catalogs pushing for you to read books about spiritual disciplines, theology, church history, innovation in ministry methodology, and pastoral leadership. Now, there is nothing wrong with all of this material. In fact, I read …
Close friends?
I came across a pretty interesting piece today on the importance of proximity and background (e.g., race, religion, similar experiences) on in forming friendships. The reporter is looking particularly at how this plays out in college and the longevity of those friendships, but the general data is applicable across the board. As we talk about …
Matthew Erickson 