Josh Ellis reviews one of his favorite leadership books—Tim Elmore’s The Eight Paradoxes of Leadership: A Contrarian Approach to Building Leaders and Cultivating Influence.

Join churches across the city for four weeks of strategic service and engagement in your community. More at https://servehtx.org/

This National Volunteer Appreciation Month, let’s explore what motivates volunteers and the surprising benefits they can experience through serving. 

What kind of metrics can help signal renewal in a declining church?

God calls us to this work of ministry, but we have to know His plan is bigger than us.

How can individuals, families, and churches help vulnerable families in Houston?

Churches and nonprofits need volunteers to serve others. But how can leaders serve those so eager to serve others?

The New Testament is conspicuously silent with respect to details on church governance and decision-making., but it does provide teachings that speak powerfully to the organizational needs we face. An imperfect system filled with people of integrity, humility, and grace will function far better than a perfect system filled with those who lack these qualities.

Over the years, I have often heard the phrase, “It’s quicker if I just do it myself.” But is that really true when it comes to leadership? The problem with this approach is that it does not take the long view. It saves time only in the short term. You accomplished in a few seconds or a minute or two what it might have taken you half an hour or more to train someone else to do, but you have trapped yourself. Can we use those extra minutes to invest a bigger opportunity?

I've been in combat in two combat theaters, but church planting has been the most grinding thing in my life. It's also brought me the most joy. So, if I had to sum it up in five words, I would say church planting is: grinding, joyful, mind-boggling, exuberant, and learning. Here's what that has meant for me.