Spring 2012

The theme for Summer 2012 is “The Heart of Leadership.”
They key to your leadership legacy.
The commitment to live an examined life should reside at the center of Christian leadership. Scripture is replete with affirmations of this fact. And today’s world is hungry to believe that men and women of faith, called to leadership responsibilities, thoughtfully and intentionally back-stop their leadership journey with in...
Lead by following God daily.
Being a leader is hard work. Being a leader who would attempt to lead without intentional, consistent, and persistent acknowledgment of God is dangerous. Sure, we can get by on the false security of our perceived strength and ability, manufactured charisma, or residual wisdom and experience. We probably have all been able to accomplish some good things and gain some satisfactio...
Protect the wellspring of our leadership
"I Have been fired,” my friend said.
"Why?” I asked.
Sam* did not know. The day before, Sam had been offered the "opportunity” to resign with some severance or to be fired with nothing. He was given a little over an hour to decide. He spoke to his wife and since they were convinced that he had done nothing wrong, they...
First Person
It's Our Watch!
We're called to develop future leaders.
I was puzzled. I was sitting in a room with a group of seasoned leaders; all of them had agreed that develo...
Lifelong pastor, leader, and friend
What made John Stott an outstanding leader? Writing on the subject of Christian leadership in 1984, he focused on one quality: being dissatisfied. Effective leaders are dissatisfied with what is, and strive always for what could be. John Stott remained dissatisfied in this way all his life, as is clear from his final book,
Healing through peacemaking in your ministry.
Disregarding Jesus’ instructions on peacemaking in Matthew 18:15-17 means death to a Christian nonprofit organization. It’s like unleashing the Ebola virus. It’s hard to kill, easy to catch, and it leads to a slow death. Here’s how the infection spreads:
Jesse stomps into your office and unloads, complaining about Bob’s ...
The key to increasing leadership effectiveness.
A few times in your career you see that moment of truth coming — you feel the work of a decade is about to pass in front of your eyes.
That’s the way it was last September, when I introduced the head of our capital campaign advisory firm to our board. What do the Bowery Mission’s 31 top donor families really think of us?
...
Buiding your team through seasons of change.
"It is a terrible thing to look over your shoulder when you are trying to lead — and find no one there.”
Franklin Roosevelt
Change is a constant in our society; experts say this time period will be known as the age of acceleration. Eve...
An interview with Michael Batts of the Commission on Accountability for Religious Organizations
Nonprofits and churches are more in the spotlight on Capitol Hill now than at any time in many years. This focus is primarily due to a three-year investigation by Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) of six nonprofit ministries organized as churches.
The Senator closed his investigation in January 201...
Dedicated Christian leaders share their hearts
Spouses Edgar and Gladys Guitz have a contagious passion for Christ. They lead The Potters House Association where Edgar serves as director and Gladys as associate director.
In the heart of Guatemala City, Guatemala, is the largest dump in Latin America. More than 11,000 people live and work in and near the dump, including some 6,500 children. Potte...