Category Archives: second chair

Should I take the money?

Over the past several months I’ve talked with various church staff about some money issues. One interesting aspect of these conversations is how they parallel. All of them involved a variation on: (1) a church member wanting to give money … Continue reading

Posted in congregational life, leadership, personal growth, second chair | Comments Off on Should I take the money?

The five ‘must do’ things for ministry staff success

Previously we shared some thoughts from Lynn Turner, Associate Pastor of Youth, Career, and Discipleship at the First Baptist Church of Richmond, VA. We asked Lynn to share her thoughts about how to success in ministry with seminarians in my … Continue reading

Posted in congregational life, leadership, second chair | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The five ‘must do’ things for ministry staff success

Five hazards for second chair leaders

Previously we shared some thoughts from Lynn Turner, Associate Pastor of Youth, Career, and Discipleship at the First Baptist Church of Richmond, VA. We asked Lynn to share her thoughts about ministry to seminarians in my course on “Thriving and … Continue reading

Posted in congregational life, leadership, second chair | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Five hazards for second chair leaders

What pastors want staff to know

I’m teaching a new course titled “How to Thrive and Succeed as a Congregational Ministry Associate.” The course features a narrative component that consists of visits from “practitioners.” These are ministry associates, “second chair” leaders, currently in congregations. The visitors … Continue reading

Posted in leadership, second chair | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Group Problem-solving Process

One of the most important qualities in any organization is the ability to solve its own problems. Organizations that cannot solve their own problems are in trouble. It won’t take long before they become overwhelmed as one unsolved problem begins … Continue reading

Posted in administration, assessment, leadership, second chair | Comments Off on Group Problem-solving Process

A question from a reader

A regular reader of the GRACE Writes blog sent a question. She’d like some advice from readers of this blog to the situation she describes below. This person is in her first ministry position out of seminary and serves as … Continue reading

Posted in second chair, Sunday school | Comments Off on A question from a reader

Leadership in Ministry Workshops summer newsletter

The current issue of the Leadership in Ministry Workshops newsletter (Summer 2007) is now available. Download the newsletter (.pdf, 10 pages) here: limsummer07.pdf. (This is an “interactive” document, so look for tags to websites and features).* ISSUE CONTENTS: The Rules, … Continue reading

Posted in bowen family systems theory, leadership, second chair, sermons | 1 Comment

Common sense in pastoral leadership

Emotional Intelligence is one of the fields of research that currently is being applied to pastoral leadership. I think it holds great promise to effective pastoral leadership because the nature of leadership in the (systemic) context of congregations is more … Continue reading

Posted in leadership, second chair | 1 Comment

How to run any organization

I’ve got a book on my bookshelf that I’ve had for years titled How To Run Any Organization, by Theodore Caplow. The clever title caught my attention and I snatched it up from the used bookstore I frequented during my … Continue reading

Posted in leadership, second chair | Comments Off on How to run any organization

Entering the Twilight Zone with eyes wide open

I recently got an e-mail from a former student who was in the middle of an interview process with a congregation for a pastoral staff position. She’d gotten news from the church that the senior pastor, who’d been involved in … Continue reading

Posted in second chair, vocation | Comments Off on Entering the Twilight Zone with eyes wide open