Since our first days in Lancaster, it has been my passion to develop a cohesive team at Lancaster Baptist Church and ministries. I praise the Lord that on our staff and among our church family there is a unified team spirit—a shared heart to exalt Christ and win the lost. I attribute the great team spirit in our ministry to the work of the Holy Spirit and the yieldedness of individual team members.

There was never a more cohesive and victorious time in the early history of the church than at Jerusalem around the time of Pentecost. An obvious reason for this was the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Yet there was another factor—the common convictions these Christians shared about the truth.

In the August edition of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast, we explore the convictions necessary to developing a cohesive team.

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Strong teams have an alignment of four leadership domains—the heart, head, hands, and habits. Each member must have a heart for God, the mind of Christ, a willingness to lend a helping hand, and a shared habit of soulwinning. These four areas are properly aligned when members of the team share the very convictions common to the early Christians in Jerusalem. (more…)

Using my time wisely means more to me than ever before. I’m realizing with greater intensity that I have just one life, and I want it to count for Christ. I’m never at a loss for how to fill my time, but I’m constantly choosing between good things and the best things.

One of the projects to which I’m delighted to devote my time is our annual Spiritual Leadership Conference. This is not just one more activity to fill a calendar; it is a highlight event designed to equip each person who attends to greater potential for service to the Lord. For our church, this conference is not one of many options on a calendar; I believe it is a “must have.” Following are 10 reasons why I believe we need Spiritual Leadership Conference: (more…)

Every person that will have a fruitful ministry for the cause of Christ will pay some price along the way. Many Christians want the blessings without being willing to bear the burdens; they want the crown without carrying the cross. Yet whenever there was a great work done for God in Scripture, someone was willing to pay a great price. Noah, Moses, David, Daniel, Nehemiah, and Paul all experienced the fruit of spiritual success—and the expense of personal sacrifice.

In the June Spiritual Leadership Podcast, we explore the unique costs involved in building a growing church.

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Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing. God used Paul to accomplish great things in ministry, but it wasn’t without cost. (more…)

God works through partnerships in ministry. The local church is a body, and God intends for it to function in unity. Those who serve in the local church must walk together in the Spirit to accomplish the work of God—serving the Lord, reaching the community, and training the next generation.

Ministry relationships are vital to the success of a local church. If there are no relationships, there can be no growth. This is perhaps why Satan focuses on dividing and destroying relationships in a church and among staff members. Even through the transitions created by church growth, Satan slyly attempts division and discord. (more…)

Encouraging, Equipping, and Engaging Ideas for Local Church Leaders

I’m excited to finally be able to introduce to you a new resource for local church leaders—Ministry127.com!

For many years, God has placed a passion in my heart for independent Baptist leaders to strive together for the faith of the Gospel (Philippians 1:27.) I thank God for friends and spiritual leaders around the world who have sharpened and encouraged me in the work of the Gospel. In that spirit, our team has been working for months on a new resource website called Ministry127.com (based upon Philippians 1:27.)

Just as our annual Spiritual Leadership Conference brings leaders together for mutual edification, even so, our prayer is that Ministry127.com will be a Spiritual Leadership Conference every day—online, at no charge! (more…)