Karl Vaters: The Best of 2013 from New Small Church

The #1 Leadership Key to Spark Innovation in a Small Church

If you’re a Small Church pastor like me, you’ve spent a lot of years struggling to motivate people to do great things.

Good things.

OK… anything.

During my years of struggle, I used to say “I can’t wait for the day when I feel like I’m sitting on a runaway horse, trying to steer it in the right direction, instead of behind a mule, trying to kick it into action.”

Then, a few years ago, I discovered the #1 key to spark that kind of thoroughbred motivation.

If you want to increase your chances of working with innovators who need guidance, instead of heel-draggers who need motivation, this is the best piece of advice I can give you. I now consider it to be one of my main roles as a church leader.

Find a way to say Yes.

Yes to people. Yes to their crazy ideas. Yes to their passion. Yes to something God may be trying to do through them that I just can’t see yet. Keep reading

You Can Overcome Small Church Discouragements

Sometimes the most dangerous threat to the truth is not a lie, it’s a lesser truth.

Lies are usually easy to spot, but lesser truths are harder because …well… they’re still true.

At virtually every moment of our lives, a greater truth and a lesser truth are battling for our heart. The problem is that the lesser truth is usually louder, stronger and more urgent.

One of the most challenging calls of leadership is to live to the greater truth and, by our example, call others to do the same.

Greater truths can be especially hard to see when you pastor a Small Church because there are fewer layers (usually no layers) between you and the lesser truths. Keep reading

Photo: St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Amenia Union, NY