Catching the Fallen
It should come as no surprise that church leaders are human, and capable of making mistakes. However, they are held to a higher standard as leaders of the flock. When a leader stumbles it can be difficult to decide the appropriate action: to restore or release. Read on for some helpful guidelines.

Managing God's Workers
Firing someone is never easy, and it is even harder within the context of the church. This article offers guidance on how to identify problem performers on your paid or volunteer staff, and how to correctly and respectfully handle the situation.

Praying for the Afflicted: How to Wage Spiritual Warfare Against Mental Disorders
Mental disorders take on many different shapes and sizes. From alcohol abuse to schizophrenia to sex addiction, these diseases have a vice-like grip over their victims, and often cannot be overcome without a powerful prayer strategy. Read on for practical suggestions on how to pray for someone who is afflicted.

From Diet to Disorder
Eating disorders are on the rise, especially in Christian communities. The desire for perfection can quickly turn harmful as dieting behaviors have become more extreme. This article explains some of the telltale signs of an eating disorder, as well as how to treat these diseases if they have already infiltrated your home.

Keeping the Internet Innocent: Today's Porn Problem
The internet has brought many benefits to our world, allowing us to accomplish things we never would have dreamed of a decade ago. However, with those advances come a host of new problems, the most insidious of which is internet porn. Al's article provides strategies to prevent this plague from entering your home, or breaking free if it already has.

In Your Eyes: Creating Visionary Teams for Visionary Leaders
Often, visionary leaders experience isolation and a lack of buy-in from those within their organization. This article provides some practical suggestions to help instill vision in your leadership team.

Journeying On
Pastors are staying in position for shorter durations these days, which prevents a host of issues to consider when the time comes to move on. The circumstances, the congregation and of course, God's will. This article helps determine the best course of action for your particular situation.

Starving to Measure Up
The manifestation of eating disorders is as varied as the causes behind them. Remuda Ranch Treatment Programs Staff Writer Debra Cooper explains the origins, symptoms and telltale signs of eating disorders, as well as what to do if you suspect a friend or loved one is battling this affliction.

Together or Separate
Sometimes, conflicts in ministry help develop us and ultimately make us stronger and more focused. Other times, it is better to go separate ways for the sake of peers and the ministry. So how do you decide? Al has some guidelines that will help.

Do Something
In an age when everyone's an expert and success seems to come without much effort, true leadership qualities can be harder and harder to find. Certain characteristics make a leader strong. Read on to see which ones you have, and which ones you want to work on.

High C
Micromanagement, defensiveness, anger and blame: All are unpleasant behaviors exhibited by leaders who are "High C's." Read on to find out if you are leading your ministry with "High C" tendencies, and how to avoid doing so.

If the Devil Can't Make You Bad, He'll Make You Busy
For Christian leaders, it is tempting to pile on commitments and responsibilities in the name of furthering a ministry. The problem is that when humans attempt superhuman tasks, we inevitably fail, and that failure can lead to stress and burnout. Read on for a few tips on simplifying a hectic lifestyle.

The Overlooked Secret to High-level Leadership
Do you avoid unpleasant tasks? Are your work habits haphazard? Can others rely on you? Sometimes what seems like human nature is really slothfulness subtly infiltrating our lives, and the repercussions can be grave. This article offers some tips for avoiding derailing behaviors while enhancing effective ones.

Church Boards: The Model Makes the Difference, Part 1
Establishing a board of directors is an important step to creating a healthy church, large or small, new or mature. It is a step that is often overlooked or done in haste. The wrong board structure or the wrong board members can truly harm a church, while the right ones can assist it to flourish with God's hand. This article helps you examine what model of board exists in your church--and whether it needs to change.

Church Boards: The Model Makes the Difference, Part 2
So you've determined which model of board suits your ministry, and appointed members to serve on it. What exactly should they be doing? The second article in our three-part series on church boards outlines the ten fundamental responsibilities of an effective board of directors.

Church Boards: The Model Makes the Difference, Part 3
Meeting minutes, though tedious at times, are essential to protecting the integrity of your ministry. Do your board members know how to take minutes thoroughly and accurately? This article explains how.

How to Resolve Conflict
Here's a tip: Print this article. Make a couple copies. Keep one copy at work and one copy at home. Pull it out when you're stuck in a disagreement, and follow the steps. These ten steps have stood the test of time. They promote rational dialogue, maintain respect and dignity, while producing a God-honoring outcome to any conflict in your life.

Anger Management
James wrote that we should be "slow to become angry". Some days, that feels like a Herculean task, especially within the microcosm of the church. Take a close-knit community, add some differences of opinion, top it off with a dose of human nature, and you've got a ticking time bomb on your hands. Al shares some tips to manage anger and conflict in a godly way.

When Sheep Bite
While the life of a pastor can be filled with the greatest joys as well as the deepest sorrows. The greatest heartbreak a pastor can experience is when his own flock turns against him. Unfortunately, this is an all-too common occurence. In this article, Al discusses some ways to handle these difficult seasons.

Who is the Man in Your Life?
The old saying “it’s lonely at the top” applies to pastors just as much as the rest of the world. Many pastors and Christian leaders lack a true friend, someone who can provide godly direction, encouragement and even admonishment when needed. If you do not have a person like this in your life, this article gives some characteristics to look for, and how to pray for God to bless you with such a friendship.

Pornography: Finding Freedom
WARNING: This article is intended for a mature audience. Topics covered in this article might be considered too graphic for some audiences.Nobody wants to talk about it, but the fact is that pornography addiction is just as rampant in the Christian community as it is in the rest of society. This highly addictive, pervasive and destructive problem has reached epidemic levels. Al shares some practical steps to breaking pornography’s powerful hold.

What to Do About the Doldrums
Depression. Anxiety. Weariness. Pastors are not immune to these emotions. In fact, seasons of depression are a natural part of ministry. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do anything about it. Chances are God is trying to tell you something. How will you use your low moments to grow closer to Him?

Married with Problems
Pastors’ families live highly visible lives, available for all the congregation to see. This “fishbowl” syndrome, along with the expectation of perfection, can put pressure on pastors’ marriages, sometimes resulting in their failure. Al responds to the current crisis amidst couples in church leadership with some practical tips to save troubled marriages (or prevent them from getting that way in the first place).

Where's Your Tent?
Keeping first things first (intimacy with Christ) can be difficult amidst the hum of daily life. AL shares some practical tips for establishing a distraction free “tent of meeting” for your spiritual walk.

Failing to Plan = Planning to Fail
Divinely inspired, long-range planning is just as important as the Holy Spirit’s daily guidance. In this article, Al provides step-by-step- instructions on what a strategic planning process should look like.

Sharpening Your Sight
God has a vision for you. Go you have any idea what it is? It’s not a matter of if it exists; it’s a matter of finding it. If you feel uninspired and aimless in your ministry, you lack divine vision. This article contains some practical tips for restoring that vision in your life.

Burnout Happens
Desperate. Edgy. Anxious. Irritable. Sound like a pastor you know? All too often Christian leaders are pushed to their limits and buckle under the pressure. This is called burnout, and it can be lethal. If you think someone in your life might have burnout (maybe even you), this article may have the tips you need for avoiding it altogether.

Seven New Year's Resolutions for Leaders that Won't Go In One Year and Out the Other
Fewer than 50 percent of New Year’s resolutions are kept past six months. Perhaps this is because they tend to be impromptu and unrealistic, with no real plan of attack. Most of all, they may not always be relevant to God’s plan. In this article, Al shares some New Year’s commitments for leaders that, when prayerfully planned and aligned with God’s will, have real staying power.

Team Huddle
Want a more motivated leadership team? It may be time for a “team huddle” in the form of a leadership retreat. Even the best teams need time to refocus and recharge. This article outlines fresh activities you can use at your next retreat to restore vision, settle conflicts, and develop an inspired plan for the future.

Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude
Do you find that ingratitude in others is sapping your stamina to maintain your own? Are the rude, insensitive, ungrateful and selfish people in your life deflating the drive you once had to serve God? Here’s some advice.

America's Number One Spiritual Problem
How much do you worry? Is it constant? Is it occasional, but justified, because you’ve got problems to solve? Is it possibly Satan’s most subtle stronghold over you, keeping you separate from God? Anxiety is much more than a medical problem, sabotaging Christians’ spiritual health. You can banish worry and anxiety from your life. Al explains how.