In our last Letter, we saw that a healthy church, like a healthy body, is one in which every member is functioning properly; this means that every member grows, serves and builds others. If we can create a church culture in which every believer takes responsibility to grow, serve and build, our churches will transform their worlds! Continue Reading »

What is the best and most biblical way to define a “healthy” church?

Should a church be considered “healthy” when it is doing well financially or when large crowds of people are coming to the meetings? Perhaps a church is “healthy” when the majority of its growth is from new converts, or when it has a strong foreign missions program? Is an effective children’s ministry or youth program the key element for “health”; or perhaps the fact that the church engages well with the culture? Clearly, there are many different things we could focus on. Continue Reading »

The “Be, Know, Do” (BKD) model of leader development is used by the U.S. Army but has also gained some measure of popularity in Christian leader development.

According to the Army, leaders lead others by their character, by their competence, and by their actions; therefore, effective leader development must focus on the leader’s character and values (“Be”), his competencies (“Know”), and his decisions and actions (“Do”). Continue Reading »

When Geert Hofstede, a Dutch sociologist, published his seminal research on dimensions of culture in 1980, he found that Americans were characterized by a high level of individualism – in fact, they were rated the most individualistic people in the world. Continue Reading »

In our last Letter we began looking at the “Be, Know, Do” (BKD) model of leader development. This model is used by the U.S. Army but has also gained some measure of popularity in Christian leader development circles.

According to the Army, leaders lead others by their character, by their competence, and by their actions; therefore, effective leader development must focus on the leader’s character and values (“Be”), his competencies (“Know”), and his decisions and actions (“Do”). Continue Reading »

It may be a surprise to learn that the “Be, Know, Do” (BKD) model of leader development which has gained some degree of popularity in both formal and non-formal Christian leader development did not originate in the church, but in the U.S. Army. Continue Reading »

The world is not changed by people who think. The world is changed by people who act. The world is changed well by people who think and act.

Have you ever met the top leaders of large, successful organizations and been struck by their lack of thoughtfulness? Not that they were stupid, but many times the very top leaders are not the very best thinkers in their organizations. The key thinker might be a vice-president or associate pastor, often not the top leader. What often specifically characterizes the top leader is that he or she acts. Continue Reading »

I am an emerging leader. You are an existing leader. I’m so grateful that God has placed you in my life. I really need you! Continue Reading »

In our last Letter, we looked at “Three Approaches to Leader Development”: the three ways that a leader development ministry might work with indigenous leaders. The third of these, and the most recommended for achieving true indigenization and contextualization, is the “Build the Designer Approach.” Continue Reading »