top of page
To receive elementals weekly, subscribe here. To download indepth leadership development booklets for discussions with your teams, click here. Yep, they're free.
Pastors, Salaries, and the Future
Way back in 1958, the Boston Red Sox captured headlines with an outrageous signing deal: they held on to Ted Williams in a staggering...
Aug 28, 20253 min read
You’re More Important Than You Think
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along,...
Aug 22, 20253 min read
The Slinky Effect
You’ve probably seen this before: hold one end of a Slinky, let it stretch out, then let go of it at the top. The effect looks like a...
Aug 16, 20253 min read
Why Do People Not Like Us?
Check out this survey—the horizontal bars measure the percentage of people with a positive view of churches, Jesus, evangelicals, and...
Aug 13, 20252 min read
The Dumbing Down Power of Distraction
While on vacation recently, my wife and I checked in on our daughter’s church via video. She and her husband planted an urban church...
Aug 6, 20253 min read
The Five Biggest Questions for Leadership Succession
Prior to turning sixty, I could tell I didn’t have the same energy and drive as the previous ten years. I questioned if I had to do...
Jul 22, 20253 min read
The Michael Tait Effect
Recently, Newsboys’ lead singer Michael Tait was accused of sexual assault by several men who believe they were drugged. And then more...
Jul 14, 20252 min read
Your True Colors
What is your reaction to the following quote? “The Mayflower that carried the Pilgrim fathers to religious liberty in America went on her...
Jul 2, 20253 min read
Immigration and Deportation in Real Time
Extend me a little grace: this is a diversion from our usual leadership articles. Then again, leadership can be a squishy thing,...
Jun 28, 20253 min read
What Would Jesus Play?
Does God have a certain kind of music he likes best? Is it country music? Classical? Or rap? Is he only into pop or R&B? EDM?...
Jun 25, 20252 min read
All In The Family
I’ve often found an interesting dynamic in conversations with others about Jesus…and it has to do with family systems. But actually,...
Jun 22, 20252 min read
Am I an Interpreter?
This past week I spoke at a leadership conference in Würzburg, Germany. Regrettably, I don’t speak any German, but an amazing...
Jun 19, 20253 min read
Top 5 Reasons People Aren’t Worshipping
In my roles in the past, I have been both a worship leader on staff and a senior pastor…in the same church. Both positions had unique...
May 31, 20253 min read
Lost In Translation (Again)
Next week, I’m heading to Germany to speak at a leadership conference. They’ve asked me to give five different sessions (!), so I’ve...
May 29, 20252 min read
The Problem With Mother’s Day
Officially established in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson, Mother’s Day was the result of the tireless advocacy of Anna Jarvis to honor...
May 26, 20252 min read
When Leaders Fail
Recently, I spoke in a church on a curious passage in John’s gospel: the interaction between Jesus and Simon Peter after the...
May 12, 20252 min read
Two Robots Meet in a Podcast Studio...
You are about to have your mind blown. A few weeks ago, I posted an article called Diagnosing Organizational Diseases , offering a few...
Apr 29, 20252 min read
The Big Surprise
It was the biggest Easter egg hunt I had ever seen in Augusta, Kentucky. The yard in front of high school stretching from the double...
Apr 25, 20253 min read
De-Cluttering…and Choice-Making
Back in the day when I actually used paper (I’ve been essentially paperless for over two decades), I would periodically end up with...
Apr 20, 20253 min read
Diagnosing Organizational Diseases
Last week I came down with a nasty flu bug. The kind where you pitch your tent close to the bathroom. Where you shiver uncontrollably...
Apr 14, 20252 min read
Perfect Takes Practice
It is one of the most troubling statements of Jesus: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is.” Is he kidding? In Malcolm...
Apr 7, 20253 min read
When Your Passion Burns Out
At one point in my leadership at our church, we were internally going through some really difficult times. Let me count the ways… For...
Apr 1, 20253 min read
Are We Noticing God?
Have you ever bought a car and suddenly started noticing the same model everywhere? Maybe you even started flashing your lights on the...
Mar 22, 20252 min read
Are You Launching Nonprofits?
When we first started The Elemental Group, there was one driving goal: to help churches get healthier and more effective. That was it. ...
Mar 11, 20253 min read
bottom of page