Church Life Archives - The Artios Center for Vibrant Leadership

Stewardship, Accountability and Administration

Lisa Harp Hinds2024-02-22T15:11:38-07:00

by Loren Gjesdal Few words inspire yawns faster than “administration.” Immediately, images of forms to be filled out and bureaucratic hurdles to be leaped come to mind. Yet we all agree with the Biblical principles of good stewardship and accountability. So, let’s consider for a moment how Church Administration helps us be good, accountable stewards. First, a definition. A steward is someone who has been entrusted to oversee another’s resources. Good stewardship then is the productive use of those resources in accomplishing the owner’s objectives. Two parables Jesus told will help us think about our role as stewards in His present [...]

Stewardship, Accountability and AdministrationLisa Harp Hinds2024-02-22T15:11:38-07:00

Who Controls Your Butter? Reflections on Spiritual Accountability

Lisa Harp Hinds2024-01-19T11:21:58-07:00

by Whaid Rose While attending a dinner, the newly elected Senator Bill Bradley asked the waiter for an extra pat of butter. The waiter replied, “Sorry, one pat per person.” The emcee overheard and demanded, “Do you know who this is? This is Bill Bradley! All-American from Princeton! All-Pro with the Knicks! US senator! Potential president!” To this the waiter responded, “Do you know who I am?” The emcee replied, “I guess I don’t. Tell me.” The waiter calmly asserted, “I’m the guy who controls the butter.” I owe full credit to the late Howard E. Butt, Jr. of Laity Lodge, [...]

Who Controls Your Butter? Reflections on Spiritual AccountabilityLisa Harp Hinds2024-01-19T11:21:58-07:00

Leadership Context: Are You a Leader in the Church?

Lisa Harp Hinds2023-11-16T14:14:58-07:00

by Loren Gjesdal Leadership cannot take place in a vacuum. By definition, leadership requires at least 2 people (one to lead and one or more to be led), and almost always takes place within some organizational context, whether formal or informal. Imagine, for instance, a formal context of leadership. Imagine you were hired to an executive position at Apple, such as Director of New Product Development. What are some of the questions you might have? Who is on the team? What are our objectives? What are our resources, procedures and limitations? To fulfill your new role, you would need to know [...]

Leadership Context: Are You a Leader in the Church?Lisa Harp Hinds2023-11-16T14:14:58-07:00

Born to Lead

Lisa Harp Hinds2023-11-16T13:42:32-07:00

by Loren Gjesdal Are you a born leader? Most people will answer that question with a resounding, “No!” It seems that even those we hold up as leaders in the church, don’t consider themselves to be natural leaders. “George Barna conducted a survey of senior pastors from across various denominations. When asked if they believed they had the spiritual gift of leadership, only 6 percent responded yes.”¹ God, however, says all believers are to be leaders. “Christian leadership is Christlike influence.”² Isn’t that exactly what is meant by Paul’s instruction to be ambassadors for Christ? (2 Cor 5:20) How can the [...]

Born to LeadLisa Harp Hinds2023-11-16T13:42:32-07:00

What’s Really Going on in the United States Right Now?

Lisa Harp Hinds2023-11-09T15:27:56-07:00

by Israel Steinmetz Visionary Leadership in a Global Crisis These are troubling times. As I’m writing, the World Health Organization is reporting over 16,000,000 global cases of COVID-19 and over 650,000 deaths. The Center for Disease Control reports that 4,000,000 of those cases and nearly 150,000 of those deaths are here in the United States. I know several people who’ve died from COVID-19 and I live in one of the counties where cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are spiking. A financial crisis is on the heals of the health pandemic, with volatile unemployment numbers, financial stimulus from a debt-ridden government, historic economic [...]

What’s Really Going on in the United States Right Now?Lisa Harp Hinds2023-11-09T15:27:56-07:00

The Ministry You’re Already Doing: The Top 4 Ministry Myths

Lisa Harp Hinds2023-10-26T15:48:17-06:00

by Israel Steinmetz I’d love to be involved in a ministry. My life is just so crazy right now. Or perhaps you think you don’t have the skills/gifts or you haven’t found the right place to serve. However, if you are a Christian, the reality is that you are probably already engaged in ministry! It may just be that you aren’t aware of it. This kind of thinking is driven by what I call the Top Four Ministry Myths. Myths typically develop from stories that are told generation after generation until they’re believed, no matter how contrary to reality they might be. Sadly, [...]

The Ministry You’re Already Doing: The Top 4 Ministry MythsLisa Harp Hinds2023-10-26T15:48:17-06:00

Leadership Essentials: Character and Spiritual Leadership

Lisa Harp Hinds2023-10-18T14:49:38-06:00

by Loren Stacy Can you imagine a church leader who lacks personal character? Who gossips, who lies, or who cannot be trusted to keep his promises? Can you imagine a church leader who is unfaithful to his wife, to his family, to his church and to his God? Unfortunately, one need not imagine such a church leader. Church leaders who actually have done such things stain the pages of church history. More unfortunately, many current church leaders continue in these sinful behaviors. Those who are famous make headlines when their character failures are exposed. Ironically, it often is their hunger for [...]

Leadership Essentials: Character and Spiritual LeadershipLisa Harp Hinds2023-10-18T14:49:38-06:00

Do You Acknowledge Your Weaknesses?

Lisa Harp Hinds2023-10-18T14:31:05-06:00

by Caitlin Meadows A top question job interviewers ask candidates is two-fold: First, what are your strengths? Second, what are your weaknesses? The first part of that inquiry is easy to answer. One is given license to brag a little. However, the second part of that inquiry is not so fun. Our human pride lies to us, telling us that admitting weakness is itself a weakness. If someone interested in hiring us really knew our weaknesses, they may decide against us. But such reasoning is comical because, of course we all have areas of weakness! And the cool thing about that [...]

Do You Acknowledge Your Weaknesses?Lisa Harp Hinds2023-10-18T14:31:05-06:00

The Ministry of Walking Alongside Those in Need

Lisa Harp Hinds2023-10-03T14:44:48-06:00

by Santiago Chavez I heard my inner voice repeatedly telling me to keep it together, but his tears and quivering lower lip pushed me over the edge. A warm tear drop fogged my vision and rolled past my glasses down my cheek. He could barely get the words out, “I can’t believe I let myself do that. I must be some sort of monster.” His addiction had taken him further than he wanted to go and cost him far more than he was willing to pay. His wife discovered the activity and was so wounded that she issued the ultimatum, “Get [...]

The Ministry of Walking Alongside Those in NeedLisa Harp Hinds2023-10-03T14:44:48-06:00

Faith of our Mothers: Honoring the Church Mothers

Lisa Harp Hinds2023-09-12T15:16:11-06:00

by Amber Mann Riggs Our eyes would connect at our church service each week as we sought one another out to embrace. Her eyes, tired from the failing health associated with a long-life-well-lived – and mine, exhausted from a lack of sleep well-known to mothers of four young children. Unrelated except through the blood of Christ, she let me call her Grandma Marybell, and I delighted in hearing her South Texas drawl pronounce me a granddaughter. We had only been part of the same congregation for a few years, so over the span of her life we actually spent relatively little [...]

Faith of our Mothers: Honoring the Church MothersLisa Harp Hinds2023-09-12T15:16:11-06:00

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