Resource Archives - Page 14 of 27 - The Artios Center for Vibrant Leadership

Recovering the Lost Art of Contemplation

lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

by Israel Steinmetz Are you a contemplative leader? Do you see yourself as a leader at all? If you are a follower of Christ, you have been re-created as a leader! Embracing your identity as a leader involves growing in qualities that increase your influence. One of these is qualities is contemplation. In 10 Qualities of Influential Christians, Amber Riggs writes, Christian leaders must draw strength from a regular contemplation on the mysterious and gracious works of God. At the end of the day, none of our efforts are responsible for our advancement, none of our works are responsible for our sanctification, none of our [...]

Recovering the Lost Art of Contemplationlisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

3 Areas Everyday Christian Leaders Practice Contentment

lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

by Caitlin Meadows As followers of Christ we are leaders in our everyday lives. Wherever we are, whoever we are with – we have the opportunity and call to point them to Christ. Contentment is a quality of everyday Christian leaders because it means we trust God’s authority over and directing of our lives. The contented Christian rests in Christ’s sufficiency with gratitude for all He provides. Therefore, our focus is on magnifying God’s Kingdom rather than our own. Defining Contentment. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, when one is contented one is “feeling or showing satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or [...]

3 Areas Everyday Christian Leaders Practice Contentmentlisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

In Search of Character

lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

by Whaid Rose Character Formation To set the stage for this article, it is necessary to reveal something of my dark past: I once got into trouble in high school! It was an incident involving my entire homeroom class. The teacher didn’t show up, and we kids seized the opportunity to goof off. Apparently, it was noisy enough to get the principal’s attention. This was back in the ‘70s in Jamaica where punishment was still being administered corporally in public schools, so his arrival at our homeroom naturally prompted fear. But his reaction caught the class off guard. He quietly walked [...]

In Search of Characterlisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

What is the Definition of Character?

lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

by Whaid Rose Let’s explore a concise definition of character, and talk about why this is foundational to all true leadership. “We teach what we know, but we reproduce who we are.” This sobering John Maxwell quote forces me to reflect on what I am deep down on the inside. That’s the real me regardless of my public persona. There’s a word for what a person is deep down on the inside: character. We use this word in various ways. For example, we say someone has no character, suggesting that they’re not nice or that they have no moral underpinnings. In [...]

What is the Definition of Character?lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

Pouring into Others – The Enduring Impact

lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

by Whaid Rose Revisiting the Ed Thomas story—a timely reminder that investing ourselves in others – pouring into others – is never a losing proposition It’s been said that Christian faith requires reconciling conflicting pieces of our experience—the realities of good and evil, tragedy and triumph, life and death, mountain-top blessings, and down-in-the-valley moments. Bringing these opposite realities into harmony—seeing how each is part of God’s good plan for His children—remains a significant challenge for men and women of faith. That’s the perfect setup for the inspiring story of Ed Thomas, the 2005 NFL High School Coach of the year. He [...]

Pouring into Others – The Enduring Impactlisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

3 Keys to Overcoming the Burnout of Serving Others

lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

by Paul Pedersen The burnout grew slowly. It was a general feeling of frustration with my work. As I would drive to work in the darkness of the early morning, I struggled to see the importance of what I was doing. I wanted to quit. For several years, I have worked full-time at a homeless shelter. This kind of service work can be very rewarding. Every day that I would go to work, I knew that I could make an impact in someone’s life. Yet, service work is notorious for its high rate of burnout. I have worked with people who [...]

3 Keys to Overcoming the Burnout of Serving Otherslisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

Resolved! Making New Year Resolutions

lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

by Whaid Rose Looking for a different and more effective approach to making New Year resolutions? You’ve come to the right place. Making New Year resolutions isn’t nearly as difficult as keeping them. Most of our “resolves” typically fall by the wayside just days into the New Year! As one wag observed, “Resolutions go in one year and come out the next.” This year the challenge of making resolutions is made greater by the ongoing impact of the global pandemic. It turned 2020 into a truly “unprecedented year,” wiped our calendars clean, and made the future more uncertain and life less [...]

Resolved! Making New Year Resolutionslisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

How Can Pastoral Ministry Be Small-Group Based Team Ministry?

lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

by Loren Gjesdal The church has been my world. It has been my primary social circle, the highlight event of my week, and the most rewarding place to labor. Church has been my safe sanctuary from a declining culture. No longer. Paul tells the Ephesian church that the leadership gifts of the Spirit are given by God for “the equipping of the saints for the work of service….” (Eph 4:12). The church is to be much more than a place of sanctuary, it is to be a place of training. This means that as a church leader, I don’t come just [...]

How Can Pastoral Ministry Be Small-Group Based Team Ministry?lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

Like a Rock: A Classic Example in Character Formation

lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

by Whaid Rose Jesus had twelve disciples, but among them, was an inner circle of three made up of Peter, James, and John. They’re rightly regarded as such because of their unique role in Jesus’ ministry. They walked closest to Him, were given front row seats on important occasions, and exuded a unique passion for advancing the agenda of the kingdom, so much so that they were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:16). But among them, Peter stood out even more. The first disciple Jesus called, along with his brother Andrew, first seen casting their net by the Sea of Galilee [...]

Like a Rock: A Classic Example in Character Formationlisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

Why Character Trumps Competence

lisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

by Whaid Rose “Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you have to be without one, be without strategy.” –General Norman Schwarzkopf Is it prudent to choose leaders based on their ability to get things done, despite glaring character flaws? This has become a topic of national conversation, especially in recent years as the proverbial emperor without clothes plays out in real life on television. Crisis and Compromise This debate comes amid growing concerns about the sharp decline of moral character in American culture. Yet, when it comes to choosing political leaders, many of those concerned, evangelical [...]

Why Character Trumps Competencelisaauthor2025-02-14T16:09:35+00:00

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