Articles on the New XP

So, you’re new to the XP role. Welcome to the front row of ministry! Your job is a position of power, influence and, at times, the one to take the criticism and hard conversations. Take comfort in knowing that many have walked this road before you. They have documented their thoughts and learnings in the form of articles, posted here … so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel!

Pastoral Heart vs. Business Brain

April 19th, 2022|Comments Off on Pastoral Heart vs. Business Brain

Balancing Giftedness in the XP role Nick Smith is an XP with a huge Pastoral Heart. He exudes warmth and compassion with plenty of biblical wisdom. How does Nick balance his gifts with the [...]

Surprise Findings in the XP Survey

March 17th, 2022|Comments Off on Surprise Findings in the XP Survey

What We Expected & What We Found Let’s look at seven surprises that will give encouragement, challenge, and ideas to ponder as we move forward in this uncertain season. Jesus often used in his [...]

Keeping Your Mind Alive While in Ministry

August 25th, 2021|Comments Off on Keeping Your Mind Alive While in Ministry

How do you as a church leader stretch yourself and stay fresh? Pastors must engage their minds in creative, fun and dynamic reading. As important as physical exercise, mental exercise excites intellectual curiosity. By [...]

Free 2021 Tax Guide from ECFA

January 14th, 2021|Comments Off on Free 2021 Tax Guide from ECFA

Our friends and ministry partner, The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, has just released their ECFA’s 2021 Tax Guides. For the first time ever, all of the individual chapters and entire guides are available for [...]

Ed Stetzer on a New Cohort for Executive Pastors

January 3rd, 2021|Comments Off on Ed Stetzer on a New Cohort for Executive Pastors

Leading the School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership at Wheaton College is a great joy. We’ve seen our program grow exponentially, and the current pandemic has not slowed us down. One of the advantages [...]

Entrusted: Intentional Church Facility Stewardship

June 26th, 2020|Comments Off on Entrusted: Intentional Church Facility Stewardship

Fletch talks with Tim Cool about his latest book “Entrusted: A Guide to Intentional Church Facility Stewardship.” Tim has extensive experience in all aspects of church buildings. Get in on a great discussion about [...]

Exposure: Conversation with an Executive Pastor

June 25th, 2020|Comments Off on Exposure: Conversation with an Executive Pastor

XP Nick Smith kicks off his church's new series "Exposure" in a discussion with Fletch about the role of the Executive Pastor, diversity in ministry and God's open doors. Nick and Fletch have been [...]

Improv Leadership: How to Lead Well in Every Moment

June 22nd, 2020|Comments Off on Improv Leadership: How to Lead Well in Every Moment

Fletch talks with Stan Endicott, co-founder of Slingshot Group. Stan has developed Improv Leadership. Improv leaders apply five competencies to initiate powerful conversations, create memorable moments, and craft personal coaching strategies that help people [...]

Great Books 2020

June 9th, 2020|Comments Off on Great Books 2020

Great Books 2020! Church Growth Flywheel: 5 Practical Systems to Drive Growth at Your Church Rich Birch Are you ready to see your church impact more people than you [...]

6 Powerful Currents to Saturate Your City for Christ

June 6th, 2020|Comments Off on 6 Powerful Currents to Saturate Your City for Christ

Fletch talks with Tim Lucas and Warren Bird on a fascinating story of a New Jersey church that began “on accident” and grew into one of America’s 100 Fastest-Growing Churches, with over 5,000 in [...]

The SP-XP Relationship & Transition

May 27th, 2020|Comments Off on The SP-XP Relationship & Transition

Bishop David Evans is the Senior Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, Lindenwold, New Jersey. Nicholas Smith is his Executive Pastor. Twenty years ago, Bishop Evans named Nicholas as his designated successor. Their long time relationship [...]

Befriending Your Monsters

May 14th, 2020|Comments Off on Befriending Your Monsters

Luke Norsworthy started a powerful conversation at this year's XP-Seminar. Many pastors were deeply moved by Luke's talk. Join us for more as Fletch and Luke Norsworthy discuss Luke's latest book, Befriending Your Monsters: [...]

Great Books 2019

June 18th, 2019|Comments Off on Great Books 2019

Great Books 2019! Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World Andy Stanley Once upon a time there was a version of our faith that was practically . . [...]

To Co-Lead or Not to Co-Lead?

June 7th, 2019|Comments Off on To Co-Lead or Not to Co-Lead?

Shared leadership at the helm of any organization, especially the ever-growing model of co-lead pastors in a church, can be a huge blessing when successful. However, it has the potential to be quite catastrophic [...]

Church Problems and a Senior Pastor Candidate

April 30th, 2019|Comments Off on Church Problems and a Senior Pastor Candidate

Hey Fletch … We have some serious problems at the church and are also interviewing a senior pastor candidate. Should we tell the candidate about our big issues before or after he has accepted a [...]

Shooting for the Top … Almost

April 24th, 2019|Comments Off on Shooting for the Top … Almost

I believe in the Executive Pastor position to my core. There is tremendous value that an Executive Pastor can offer a church. God has been preparing me for this role my entire life and [...]

Value of Courses

February 25th, 2019|Comments Off on Value of Courses

Monday, February 25, 2019 Hey Fletch … I am super excited to take your courses on XPastor! I am a worship pastor of 30 years who is looking to make a change in leadership. Is [...]

New XP and Coaching

February 22nd, 2019|Comments Off on New XP and Coaching

Friday, February 22, 2019 Hey Fletch … I am a new executive pastor at our church and recently took over this position. I have been a youth and family pastor for many years. I [...]

Residency Program for XPs?

February 15th, 2019|Comments Off on Residency Program for XPs?

Friday, February 15, 2019 Hey Fletch … I read the Hey Fletch column of January 28 and was intrigued about the potential of a residency program. I’d love to be in one to learn how [...]

Is There Still Room for Me at the XP-Seminar?

January 26th, 2019|Comments Off on Is There Still Room for Me at the XP-Seminar?

Saturday, January 26, 2019 Hey Fletch … I have done an excellent job of procrastinating and haven’t enrolled in the XP-Seminar. Do you have room for one more? DRF—You are cutting it close, so very [...]

Networking with other XPs

January 17th, 2019|Comments Off on Networking with other XPs

Thursday, January 17, 2019 Hey Fletch … I’m feeling a little dry and out of contact with other XPs. What can you suggest to help me get connected with people leading churches of a [...]

Which of the 30 Workshops Is Best for Me?

January 10th, 2019|Comments Off on Which of the 30 Workshops Is Best for Me?

Thursday, January 10, 2019 Hey Fletch … I see that you are having over 30 workshops at the XP-Seminar. I’m already enrolled and am excited to be back. Give me some insight on which ones [...]

Leading a Church Staff is Like Herding Cats

December 20th, 2018|Comments Off on Leading a Church Staff is Like Herding Cats

Thursday, December 20, 2018 Hey Fletch … I’m about to become the XP in our church. I’ve never had a church position before and several people tell me it is like herding cats. Really? DRF—Popular [...]

For-Profit Background

December 19th, 2018|Comments Off on For-Profit Background

Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Hey Fletch … A friend referred me to you. I’m currently working as a CFO of a church but that is coming to an end soon. I have lots of [...]

Start-up Manual for New XP?

December 13th, 2018|Comments Off on Start-up Manual for New XP?

Thursday, December 13, 2018 Hey Fletch … I was an XP over 20 years ago in a startup role when two churches merged. It has about 1,400 attenders. Since then I’ve been teaching in [...]

Preparing for a Senior Pastor Resignation

October 24th, 2018|Comments Off on Preparing for a Senior Pastor Resignation

One day, you may have the conversation. This is one of those ultimate conversations in your ministry life. It may come out of the blue. You may have some signs it is coming. You [...]

New XP in the First 100 Days

October 17th, 2018|Comments Off on New XP in the First 100 Days

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 Hey Fletch … I was recently promoted inside my church to the XP role. I'm looking for a recommendation for a book that deals with the transition to a new [...]

Learning Online To Be an XP

October 9th, 2018|Comments Off on Learning Online To Be an XP

Tuesday, October 9, 2018 Hey Fletch … I see your online courses have credit hours. Does this lead to some type of certification? Are there any discounts for bundling? Thanks for your assistance! DRF—XPastor’s online [...]

The Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor Team

October 4th, 2018|Comments Off on The Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor Team

Thursday, October 4, 2018 Hey Fletch … I just finished reading “The Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor Team” by John Hawco on XPastor. You posted his entire dissertation and it is awesome! Thanks so much [...]

Program, Policy and Preaching

September 29th, 2018|Comments Off on Program, Policy and Preaching

Saturday, September 29, 2018 Hey Fletch … I’m a new Senior Pastor. I love the role and thought that most of what I would do would be preaching. While the preaching is going well [...]

Networking with XPs

September 14th, 2018|Comments Off on Networking with XPs

Friday, September 14, 2018 Hey Fletch … I’d like to learn more about the XP role and perhaps become an XP. You recommended getting into a network with XPs. Right now, I only know one [...]

Every Church’s Business Environment is Complex

September 7th, 2018|Comments Off on Every Church’s Business Environment is Complex

Whether a church has 100, 1,000 or 10,000 people, the business of church is complex. According to industry research, there are approximately 300,000 churches in the United States. Of those 300,000 ninety percent have [...]

Jews and Romans in New Testament Times

September 6th, 2018|Comments Off on Jews and Romans in New Testament Times

Thursday, September 6, 2018 Hey Dr. Fletcher … I’m thanking God for all you are doing in His will. What was the relationship between the Romans and the Jews at the time of Jesus? Will [...]

Is There an XP Group in My Area?

August 21st, 2018|Comments Off on Is There an XP Group in My Area?

Tuesday, August 21, 2018 Hey Fletch … I’ve just found your website and am very excited to dig in. One of the things I need to do is find other XP’s in my area to [...]

XP Certification

August 10th, 2018|Comments Off on XP Certification

Friday, August 10, 2018 Hey Fletch … The banner image on the courses page suggests a certification. Is a certification available? DRF—Yes, the XPastor Online Courses are available to audit or for certification. Some people [...]

3 Kinds of XPs

August 1st, 2018|Comments Off on 3 Kinds of XPs

Wednesday, August 1, 2018 Hey Fletch … I came across your pivotal article on the 3 Kinds of XPs. Thanks so much for making this available. DRF—It is always gratifying to hear from the XPastor [...]

Senior Pastor is Swamped

July 26th, 2018|Comments Off on Senior Pastor is Swamped

Thursday, July 26, 2018 Hey Fletch … We are a small groups based, disciple-making church that does lots of church-planting. I wrote to you before about hiring a care pastor. I need to turn over [...]

Books on Church Administration

July 25th, 2018|Comments Off on Books on Church Administration

Wednesday, July 25, 2018 Hey Fletch … I’m teaching a course on church administration and am looking for a good, current textbook. Any suggestions? Most I've come across are at least 5 years old. [...]

Preaching Excites Me but Administration is My Gift

July 17th, 2018|Comments Off on Preaching Excites Me but Administration is My Gift

Tuesday, July 17, 2018 Hey Fletch … I really appreciate the advice you recently gave me. I'm sure you get lots of emails from inquisitive folk! I have another question. The thought of preaching excites me, [...]

Too Early to Enroll in the 2019 XP-Seminar?

July 10th, 2018|Comments Off on Too Early to Enroll in the 2019 XP-Seminar?

Tuesday, July 10, 2018 Hey Fletch … I’m interested in attending the XP-Seminar in 2019.  When will registration begin? DRF—We had plenty of emails in May and June about this. People were asking extra [...]

Can I Shadow a Leader for a Day?

July 3rd, 2018|Comments Off on Can I Shadow a Leader for a Day?

Tuesday, July 3, 2018 Hey Fletch … I am relatively new as an XP. First, your website and the XP-Seminar have been tremendous resources. Second, I want to hang out with an XP in my [...]

Skills for an XP

June 25th, 2018|Comments Off on Skills for an XP

Monday, June 25, 2018 Hey Fletch … Compared to five years ago, what skills, knowledge, leadership or sensitivity is needed to lead as XP in a growing evangelical church? DRF—I’ve mentioned before that recently Matt [...]

Managing People

June 18th, 2018|Comments Off on Managing People

Monday, June 18, 2018 Hey Fletch … As a pastor, managing people drains me. It sucks. It’s a skill that no one wants to do—a real pain. I don’t want to be the bad [...]

XP in Church of 300 Needs Coaching

June 13th, 2018|Comments Off on XP in Church of 300 Needs Coaching

Wednesday, June 13, 2018 Hey Fletch … I see on your site that you provide coaching. I am interested in the process and the price. I am currently in a split role of Children [...]

Two XPs in a Church

June 12th, 2018|Comments Off on Two XPs in a Church

Tuesday, June 12, 2018 Hey Prof … I’ve been learning that there are a number of different ways churches use their executive pastors, more than I realized! The idea about the two XPs in [...]

The Executive Pastor Indicator

June 8th, 2018|Comments Off on The Executive Pastor Indicator

Friday, June 8, 2018 Hey Fletch … I filled out the XP indicator. When do I get the results? DRF—I love eager beavers! You are avid and want to learn about your strengths. You [...]

Was an Elder, now I’m an XP

June 2nd, 2018|Comments Off on Was an Elder, now I’m an XP

Saturday, June 2, 2018 Hey Fletch … I have been an elder in our church for many years. Just last month, I became the new executive pastor. What are some of the major things [...]

3 Kinds of Executive Pastors

May 22nd, 2018|Comments Off on 3 Kinds of Executive Pastors

Tuesday, May 22, 2018 Hey Fletch … I see that there are three types of Executive Pastors. There are those who are the solo XP for a church, an XP of Ministries and an [...]

Learning About Leading a Church

May 14th, 2018|Comments Off on Learning About Leading a Church

Monday, May 14, 2018 Hey Fletch … please I want to know more about the school. Thank you. DRF—I love hearing from folks overseas. We don’t offer a school so much as courses for [...]

The Origin of Executive Pastors

April 27th, 2018|Comments Off on The Origin of Executive Pastors

Bob Buford passed away recently. If you’re younger than about 40, it’s possible you’ve never heard of Bob Buford. But if you’re an executive pastor of any age, you owe your position to Bob [...]

Mentally Unchallenged

April 25th, 2018|Comments Off on Mentally Unchallenged

Wednesday, April 25, 2018 Hey Fletch … I’ve been a pastor for 15 years and I’m mentally dying. I’m at a place of intellectual stagnation. What can I do to get out of my [...]

Business Guy Doesn’t Know Church

April 21st, 2018|Comments Off on Business Guy Doesn’t Know Church

Saturday, April 21, 2018 Hey Fletch … We hired an XP about a year ago and he is killing us. He is gruff, direct and all business. He doesn’t get what it means to [...]

Coaching for New XPs

March 30th, 2018|Comments Off on Coaching for New XPs

Friday, March 30, 2018 Hey Fletch … I've heard you might provide coaching for new XPs. If that's the case, how do you structure the coaching experience and how much does it cost? DRF—Great [...]

Two XPs in Our Church

March 26th, 2018|Comments Off on Two XPs in Our Church

Monday, March 26, 2018 Hey Fletch … I'm trying to research churches that have a double XP organization. We are thinking of an XP of Operations and an XP of Ministries. We currently have [...]

Executive Pastor as Dr. No

February 27th, 2018|Comments Off on Executive Pastor as Dr. No

Tuesday, February 27, 2018 Hey Fletch … one of the challenges that I face as Executive Pastor is that everyone is pitching things to me. I feel like I’m “Dr. No.” There are tons [...]

Should the SP & XP Both Report to the Board

February 26th, 2018|Comments Off on Should the SP & XP Both Report to the Board

Monday, February 26, 2018 Hey Fletch … Have been an XP for nearly 20 years and I’m curious on your thoughts on organizational structure of the SP/XP positions. I've twice been in the “2nd [...]

SP is Ready for an XP

February 23rd, 2018|Comments Off on SP is Ready for an XP

Friday, February 23, 2018 Hey Fletch … 21 years ago God gave me the privilege of leading a team to plant our church. Thank you for your ministry to XPs around the world. We [...]

Church Grows from 300 to 2,000 in 5 Years

February 17th, 2018|Comments Off on Church Grows from 300 to 2,000 in 5 Years

February 17, 2018 Hey David … We have grown from 300 to 2,000 in less than 5 years. Our original Executive Pastor job description was for a smaller church. What do you have as [...]

Read the Great Books 2018

February 9th, 2018|Comments Off on Read the Great Books 2018

Each year for the XP-Seminar, we cull the world for great books on personal enrichment, management and leadership:Classics—never forget about the great ones!Business books—our friends in the business world have lessons to teach us.Christian books—national [...]

Great Books 2018

February 8th, 2018|Comments Off on Great Books 2018

February 8, 2018 Hey Fletch … When are you going to post your annual list of recommended books? Don’t you do it right before the XP-Seminar? DRF—Nothing gets by you, friend! Yes, for each [...]

Great Books 2018

February 5th, 2018|Comments Off on Great Books 2018

Great Books 2018! Crisis Leadership: Personal Accounts From Leaders Who Found Their Way and Thrived Scott Barfoot and David Fletcher--Editors Crisis Leadership takes a fresh and compelling look inside the [...]

Who Needs an XP?

January 26th, 2018|Comments Off on Who Needs an XP?

January 26, 2018 Hey Fletch … What is the best way to convince a strong Senior Pastor of the necessity for creating an XP role at the church? DRF—The answer is “complexity.” Strong Senior [...]

From Business Executive to Executive Pastor

May 5th, 2017|Comments Off on From Business Executive to Executive Pastor

A variety of paths can lead to the role of executive pastor (or executive director) in a church. One of the most common is the businessperson who is already a volunteer leader in the [...]

Staffing Smarts—Free Resource to Download

March 2nd, 2017|Comments Off on Staffing Smarts—Free Resource to Download

Our friends at Slingshot have released a great book on effective techniques to help you hire the best. They say: "From building healthy teams to navigating ministry crises in your church staff, the people [...]

Church Event Planning Toolkit

February 13th, 2017|Comments Off on Church Event Planning Toolkit

Deborah Ike is a regular author on XPastor.org, contributing some fantastic articles over the last few years. Based on her experience in helping churches and as a professional project manager, Deborah shares her approach to [...]

Great Books 2017

February 5th, 2017|Comments Off on Great Books 2017

Great Books for 2017 Crisis Leadership: Personal Accounts From Leaders Who Found Their Way and Thrived Scott Barfoot and David Fletcher--Editors Crisis Leadership takes a fresh and compelling look inside [...]

Clarifying the XP Role

January 17th, 2017|Comments Off on Clarifying the XP Role

“And all other duties as may be assigned.” This is commonly the last line in a job description, but the practical reality for many second chair leaders is that this is their first responsibility. [...]

Organizing Selectively

October 3rd, 2016|Comments Off on Organizing Selectively

“To organize or not to organize? That is the question.” While this may be a bad take-off on Shakespeare, it’s a key issue for second chair leaders. One possible response to this question is, “Don’t bother [...]

Great Books 2016

January 31st, 2016|Comments Off on Great Books 2016

Great Books for 2016 Crisis Leadership: Personal Accounts From Leaders Who Found Their Way and Thrived Scott Barfoot and David Fletcher--Editors Crisis Leadership takes a fresh and compelling look inside [...]

Book Review: Contagious Generosity

September 21st, 2015|Comments Off on Book Review: Contagious Generosity

I recently read the book, Contagious Generosity: Creating a Culture of Giving in Your Church by Chris Willard and Jim Sheppard. I found this book to be inspiring and refreshing; it resonated with me in [...]

Book Excerpt: Defining the Executive Pastor Role

August 24th, 2015|Comments Off on Book Excerpt: Defining the Executive Pastor Role

Throughout my years in the Executive Pastor role, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know many of my peers in ministry. At the risk of oversimplification, I have noticed that most XPs (shorthand for [...]

Book Review: Necessary Endings

August 15th, 2015|Comments Off on Book Review: Necessary Endings

Necessary Endings is a “necessary” read for every church leader, regardless of denominational stripe. While the author and internationally renowned Dr. Henry Cloud intended this volume to promote personal and professional growth, it could have [...]

Book Review: The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan

August 1st, 2015|Comments Off on Book Review: The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan

The New Leader’s 100-Day Action Plan: How to Take Charge, Build Your Team, and Get Immediate Results, written by George Bradt, Jayme Check and Jorge Pedraza, is a book about helping executives succeed in transition. [...]

Book Review: Less Clutter. Less Noise

June 9th, 2015|Comments Off on Book Review: Less Clutter. Less Noise

I came across Kem Meyer a few years ago when I spent the day in my office listening to The Nines Webinar Conference. I was so intrigued and delighted by her approach and expertise that [...]

Book Review: Deep & Wide

June 8th, 2015|Comments Off on Book Review: Deep & Wide

I choose to read and review Deep & Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend  because of my positive experiences with other Andy Stanley and North Point books and videos. Andy’s book Communicating for a [...]

Book Review: Church Unique

May 30th, 2015|Comments Off on Book Review: Church Unique

In his book, Church Unique, Will Mancini pushes pastors to engage in the hard work of finding the unique contribution that their church can make to the world. More than strategy, this is a matter [...]

Not for the Faint Hearted …

May 29th, 2015|Comments Off on Not for the Faint Hearted …

My first ninety days as an Administrative Pastor at my church was not for the faint hearted. Take your pick of the more interesting opportunities for growth that I experienced in my new position in [...]

Book Review: The Wall Street MBA

May 28th, 2015|Comments Off on Book Review: The Wall Street MBA

When I picked The Wall Street MBA by Reuben Advani from the bibliography of the XP Online Course on Finance, I wondered what the connection to church ministry would be. It turns out that the connection [...]

The Secret of Winning Senior Pastor-Executive Pastor Relationships

May 25th, 2015|Comments Off on The Secret of Winning Senior Pastor-Executive Pastor Relationships

What ingredients make an effective senior leadership team? There's no better person to ask than Jimmy Collins, past president of Chick-fil-A. Collins was second-in-command under Truett Cathy, the man who invented the chicken sandwich. Together, [...]

Great Books 2015

January 31st, 2015|Comments Off on Great Books 2015

Great Books 2015 Crisis Leadership: Personal Accounts From Leaders Who Found Their Way and Thrived Scott Barfoot and David Fletcher Crisis Leadership takes a fresh and compelling look inside the hearts, minds [...]

The Revolving Door

September 3rd, 2014|Comments Off on The Revolving Door

Recently, after eventful days at the church office, David and I have compared those events to the movie, Grand Hotel. Grand Hotel, which came out in 1932, is the movie in which Greta Garbo famously [...]

Book Excerpt: Strange Leadership

April 23rd, 2014|Comments Off on Book Excerpt: Strange Leadership

My top two spiritual gifts are leadership and administration, so the subject of organization is something I love and gravitate toward. If you have the spiritual gift of administration, you love structure, systems, processes, and [...]

Great Books 2014

January 31st, 2014|Comments Off on Great Books 2014

Great Books 2014 Crisis Leadership: Personal Accounts From Leaders Who Found Their Way and Thrived Scott Barfoot and David Fletcher Crisis Leadership takes a fresh and compelling look inside [...]

Who Needs an Executive Pastor, Anyway?

January 8th, 2014|Comments Off on Who Needs an Executive Pastor, Anyway?

Pastors have been on the scene for a couple thousand years. Executive Pastors, by many different definitions, have been around for about twenty-five years. We obviously know more about how to be the former than [...]

A Shameless Plug for XPastor Online Courses

November 13th, 2013|Comments Off on A Shameless Plug for XPastor Online Courses

To all my fellow XP’s out there---many who, like me, have come out of marketplace---I say, “If you 'wanna learn' what you need to know to be an effective pastor, administrator, leader, and coach, look [...]

Book Review: ReLaunch

November 11th, 2013|Comments Off on Book Review: ReLaunch

Before even opening this book, the title caught my eye. Whenever we think of words with the prefix “re” before it---words like review, rewind, re-do---we automatically think of things or situations that we must execute [...]

Book Review: The Effective Executive

November 6th, 2013|Comments Off on Book Review: The Effective Executive

Peter Drucker’s goal in The Effective Executive seems so simple; as he states in the preface, “The subject of this book is managing oneself for effectiveness.” It does not take long to realize, however, that [...]

Book Review: Sticky Teams

October 2nd, 2013|Comments Off on Book Review: Sticky Teams

Up until now, I have for no good reason avoided reading Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne. Yes, I had heard it was excellent. Okay, more than one friend suggested it. But I guess I got [...]

Book Review: Deep & Wide

September 4th, 2013|Comments Off on Book Review: Deep & Wide

Andy Stanley is fed up. He is fed up with churches that are more interested in protecting the way “we have always done it.” He is fed up with churches that invest millions of dollars [...]

Networking—Inside and Outside the Church

August 28th, 2013|Comments Off on Networking—Inside and Outside the Church

Leaders can effectively communicate their mission with people from all walks of life by using several different methods of communication. One of the best ways I’ve found for communicating your message is through networking and [...]

Ministry Briefing

August 5th, 2013|Comments Off on Ministry Briefing

Matt Steen and Todd Rhodes are putting together an interesting concept. In XP Ministry Briefing, they summarizing 200+ articles that you need to know as a church leader from the past thirty days. It [...]

Book Review: Dangerous Calling

July 19th, 2013|Comments Off on Book Review: Dangerous Calling

Pastors fall. Sometimes quietly, sometimes on public display—pastors fall. As one who has helped pastors and congregations deal with the aftermath of such falls, Paul David Tripp notes that pastoral failure rarely results from a [...]

“Second Chair” Leadership: How to be a Superstar Executive Pastor

July 15th, 2013|Comments Off on “Second Chair” Leadership: How to be a Superstar Executive Pastor

I’ve been somebody’s “Number Two Guy” for the majority of my career. I’ve been someone’s “Commander Riker” to their “Captain Picard” for almost twenty years. And, yes, I realize I’m dating myself with this analogy—Star [...]

Book Review: Staff Your Church for Growth

July 3rd, 2013|Comments Off on Book Review: Staff Your Church for Growth

Gary McIntosh’s book, Staff Your Church for Growth, is ambitious in its broad coverage of topics related to developing a team to lead a church---all within the context of the current dynamics of American culture, [...]

Working in Healthy Ways with Strong Leaders (Part 3 of 3)

March 28th, 2013|Comments Off on Working in Healthy Ways with Strong Leaders (Part 3 of 3)

(The following article is Part 3 of a three-part series written by Paul Utnage. To start at the beginning with Part 1, read "Working with Strong Personalities at the Top." The link to Part 2---Tsunami Leaders, [...]

Tsunami Leaders (Part 2 of 3)

March 27th, 2013|Comments Off on Tsunami Leaders (Part 2 of 3)

[The following is Part 2 of a three-part series. To start with Part 1, read "Working with Strong Personalities at the Top." The link to Part 3---Working in Healthy Ways with Strong Leaders can be found [...]

Changes in the XP Role

March 5th, 2013|Comments Off on Changes in the XP Role

Oh, how the XP job has changed! Over the last decade or two, the role of the Executive Pastor has changed significantly. Once a more business role, the position seems to have developed into [...]

Three Kinds of Executive Pastors

February 18th, 2013|Comments Off on Three Kinds of Executive Pastors

Who will be your next XP? What is the rise and function of the Executive Pastor? Whether you call the position Executive Pastor or Senior Associate Pastor or Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, there are [...]

The Heart of an Executive Pastor

January 31st, 2013|Comments Off on The Heart of an Executive Pastor

"God has blessed me with the heart of a pastor, and I love people," says Olson, 48, who joined the Lake Avenue Church staff last summer after eighteen years in ministry at Rolling Hills Covenant [...]

Great Books 2013

January 31st, 2013|Comments Off on Great Books 2013

Great Books 2013 In Pursuit of Great AND Godly Leadership Mike Bonem Is it possible for church leaders to use biblical and secular leadership concepts in a way that keeps [...]

Good Fit or Poor Fit: How Can You Tell?

December 27th, 2012|Comments Off on Good Fit or Poor Fit: How Can You Tell?

When Goldilocks visited the Three Bears’ house, she tried three different rocking chairs. Papa Bear’s was “too big,” she decided. Then Baby Bear’s broke into a dozen pieces under her weight. “Too small,” she declared [...]

Book Review: Linchpin—Are You Indispensable?

December 18th, 2012|Comments Off on Book Review: Linchpin—Are You Indispensable?

This book is a must read for snowed-under ministry leaders like you. Not only will it add some fun in your schedule, but Seth Godin's Linchpin is like a mental kaleidoscope for opening up your [...]

SP-XP Communication

December 17th, 2012|Comments Off on SP-XP Communication

One of the vital elements of the XP role is that of communication between the Executive Pastor and the Senior Pastor. The core of the XP-SP relationship is one of trust. Many new XPs are hired [...]

Making Church Mergers Work

December 17th, 2012|Comments Off on Making Church Mergers Work

Two friends of XPastor have written an insightful book, Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work. Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird have collaborated to bring us a great work on church mergers. Here is what Amazon [...]

Great Books 2012

December 16th, 2012|Comments Off on Great Books 2012

Great Books 2012 In Pursuit of Great AND Godly Leadership Mike Bonem Is it possible for church leaders to use biblical and secular leadership concepts in a way that [...]

Case Studies of Policy and Vision Implementation by the Executive Pastor–A Dissertation

December 7th, 2012|Comments Off on Case Studies of Policy and Vision Implementation by the Executive Pastor–A Dissertation

The following is a dissertation written in 2004 by David Fletcher about the Executive Pastor position. The footnotes have been removed to simplify reading on the web. Unfortunately, the images (and there are many) do [...]

Pressures on the Pastor—Excerpts from a Dissertation

December 7th, 2012|Comments Off on Pressures on the Pastor—Excerpts from a Dissertation

With the acceptance of the operating principle of the historic importance of preaching, it will do well to briefly address other pressures on the preacher. In a chapter entitled, A Pastor's Job Description, counselors Frank [...]

Executive Pastor or Administrator?

December 7th, 2012|Comments Off on Executive Pastor or Administrator?

An examination of hundreds of responses to the Executive Pastor Indicator (which has become the People Patterns Indicator) documented some of the differences between Executive Pastors and Church Administrators. Many churches have both of these [...]

Biblical Parallels of the Five Functions

December 7th, 2012|Comments Off on Biblical Parallels of the Five Functions

Below are definitions of the Five Functions of an Executive Pastor---Administrator, Catalyst, Mentor, Relational, and Overseer---complete with biblical examples of each one. The Five Functions were originally established through the XP-Indicator which is now called [...]

5 Functions in Church Leadership

December 7th, 2012|Comments Off on 5 Functions in Church Leadership

There are 5 Functions in church leadership. A variety of church staff use these roles, from senior pastor to executive pastor to others in leadership positions. Over 4,600 people have discovered their 5 Functions [...]

Executive Pastors’ Perception of Leadership and Management Competencies Needed for Local Church Administration

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on Executive Pastors’ Perception of Leadership and Management Competencies Needed for Local Church Administration

The following is a dissertation written by an Executive Pastor. To aid in making the information more readable on the web, the footnotes have been removed. To view footnotes, charts, Appendices and the Reference List, [...]

Book Review: Misquoting Jesus

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on Book Review: Misquoting Jesus

For most students of the New Testament, a book on textual criticism is a real yawn. The tedious details are not the stuff of a bestseller. All this changed with Bart Ehrman’s recent Misquoting Jesus: The Story [...]

Climbing Down the Ladder

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on Climbing Down the Ladder

I served for years as the XP on a team of three pastors planting Terra Nova Church in New York. On my journey there, I made a three-year stop as Lead Pastor of a suburban church, [...]

The Single Greatest Threat to Any XP

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on The Single Greatest Threat to Any XP

“Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day [...]

Book Review: Leading from the Second Chair

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on Book Review: Leading from the Second Chair

Many capable, idealistic, servant-minded people find themselves in "second chair" management and leadership roles within Christian organizations and churches across the country. For many, this is a positive, fulfilling experience; for others, it is frustrating [...]

The XP’s First 100 Days

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on The XP’s First 100 Days

When a United States President enters office, there is a lot of press given to his first 100 days agenda. The reason for this is everyone understands the early days of the new administration will [...]

A Biblical View of Administrative Leadership

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on A Biblical View of Administrative Leadership

Church administration is an organizational approach that translates the purposes of God revealed to church leadership into effective ministry that reaches the unique goals and purposes of the church. Administration is ministry, not methods; people, [...]

Leading with a Business and a Ministry Response

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on Leading with a Business and a Ministry Response

Here’s the situation. Your giving to the General Fund is down, not to mention missions and other special giving. Some of your people are losing their jobs, and many others are in fear of that [...]

The Ultimate Leadership Paradox

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on The Ultimate Leadership Paradox

Whether you realize it or not, being in the "second chair" is the ultimate leadership paradox. You are a leader: mentoring staff members, overseeing the day-to-day operations, and ensuring that the organization is running smoothly. [...]

The Executive Pastor: Key to Future Leader Development

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on The Executive Pastor: Key to Future Leader Development

If you ask most Executive Pastors to show you their radars, they'd look a lot like FAA snapshots charting planes in flight across the country. While I know you're as stressed as a control tower [...]

Strangers in a Strange Land: The Corporate Refugee

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on Strangers in a Strange Land: The Corporate Refugee

We are truly "strangers in a strange land." In Robert A. Heinlein’s Hugo Award winning science fiction novel by that title, the main character, Valentine Michael Smith, returns to Earth as an adult after being raised on [...]

A Different Church Organizational Structure

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on A Different Church Organizational Structure

As the Executive Pastor of our church, (a non-denominational, evangelical, contemporary-styled church) I was the first person our Lead Pastor came to with his idea of adding two other staff members that would serve at [...]

The Executive Pastor

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on The Executive Pastor

The proliferation of "megachurches" has been described as one of the most significant social developments of the decade of the eighties. That trend shows no sign of subsiding, indeed it seems to be accelerating. Lyle [...]

Moving from Secular to Sacred Employment

December 6th, 2012|Comments Off on Moving from Secular to Sacred Employment

Working as a Town Planner, my work often varied and was rewarding as I helped shape and establish existing and new communities. After thirteen years and working for four different local government authorities, I had [...]

After 145 Years, Does This Church Need an XP?

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on After 145 Years, Does This Church Need an XP?

Mount Vernon Baptist Church’s history dates back over 145 years. During these years, the church faced many challenges. Individuals emerged to lead the church forward. The church is again at a crossroad in its history. In this [...]

The Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor Team

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on The Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor Team

The following is a dissertation written by a Senior Pastor. To aid in making the information more readable on the web, the footnotes have been removed. To view footnotes, tables, appendices and the bibliography, please view [...]

From XP to SP, With Plenty of Change In Between

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on From XP to SP, With Plenty of Change In Between

The winds of change had been blowing for several years. Not in response to a particular problem, a mid-life crisis nor a lack of ministry fulfillment. Rather, it was a persistent, gentle unsettledness, resulting in a re-evaluation [...]

Hired from Within to be the XP: A Case Study

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Hired from Within to be the XP: A Case Study

In the American religious landscape, there is no clear path for an individual to become an Executive Pastor. Whether a man or woman comes from the executive or church world, there are a variety of paths [...]

From Business Executive to Executive Pastor

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on From Business Executive to Executive Pastor

In 2000, and after only a few months without a Senior Pastor, Woodinville Alliance Church made a “coup” in the pastor-hiring category. In 2004, Mary Jammerman began as Executive Pastor at Woodinville … in October of that year, Senior Pastor [...]

To XP or Not to XP? That is the Question

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on To XP or Not to XP? That is the Question

When was the last time that the President of the United States attended the dedication of your Youth Education Center? When was the last time that the President quoted your Senior Pastor or called for advice? Dr. [...]

The XP as Catalyst

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on The XP as Catalyst

Steve Roese is a Catalyst. Shakes up categories … no policy manuals or time cards—anywhere … visionary with an outreach heart … doesn’t allow second best … lightning rod for criticism … explains explosive issues … loves to [...]

Pressures on the Pastor—Excerpts from a Dissertation

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Pressures on the Pastor—Excerpts from a Dissertation

With the acceptance of the operating principle of the historic importance of preaching, it will do well to briefly address other pressures on the preacher. In a chapter entitled, A Pastor’s Job Description, counselors Frank Minirth and [...]

Caesar Takes a Pastor’s Salary

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Caesar Takes a Pastor’s Salary

Few issues are as misunderstood, abused and confused as the tax implications of a pastor’s salary. The issue is so different from compensation in the business world that some CPA’s have given errant advice to [...]

Book Review: The One Thing You Need to Know

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Book Review: The One Thing You Need to Know

Quick ... what's the single key difference between checkers and chess? Both have two players, alternating moves, the same board and both need advanced strategic thinking ... now if you are already saying, "Hey I [...]

Every Church Needs a CFO

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Every Church Needs a CFO

I once heard a good definition of a CFO: “Someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don't understand.” There is some truth in this statement. However, in actuality, [...]

The Business of Church

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on The Business of Church

There is a distinctly business-like aspect to overseeing a church: churches have assets to manage, employees to pay, and members who rightfully demand accountability for their financial contributions. The business side of church leadership [...]

Deep Change in Organizational Culture

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Deep Change in Organizational Culture

Because I have an interest in organizations, I often have an eye out for signs of excellence, or lack thereof, in my everyday dealings. It becomes apparent when there is an obvious emphasis by an [...]

Simple Church: Don’t Box Me In

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Simple Church: Don’t Box Me In

Ever have one of those staff meetings when it feels like an explosion went off in the room? It can be quite unsettling, to say the least. We were a purpose-driven church that was driven to [...]

Helping Your XP Succeed

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Helping Your XP Succeed

“I felt my heart strangely warmed.” Those were the words Jonathan Wesley used to describe his conversion the night he attended a meeting on Aldersgate Street in London. The words also describe how I felt when [...]

Book Reviews: Disneyesque Books on Creativity

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Book Reviews: Disneyesque Books on Creativity

If you’re looking for not only a couple of great books on creativity and innovation, but a backstage pass into the business workings of Disney, then these two books are it. The Disney Way, by Bill [...]

XPs and Catalytic Converters

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on XPs and Catalytic Converters

I hate cars. As far as I’m concerned, they’re high-maintenance, expensive machines, that always seem to break down at the absolute worst possible time. While holding the latest repair bill, produced from a mechanic making [...]

Book Review: The Extreme Future

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Book Review: The Extreme Future

David asked me to write an ongoing series that explores books that have the potential for really pushing your buttons, disturbing your thinking, or challenging how you lead your church. If you don’t want that, [...]

Tips for a New XP

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Tips for a New XP

April 23, 2003 is a day that Natalie Gilbert will never forget. On that day, when she was 13 years old, she was scheduled to sing the national anthem for the 2003 NBA Playoff Game [...]

Second Chair: Fascinating Insights About XPs

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Second Chair: Fascinating Insights About XPs

One of the least understood roles in churches is the "second chair" role—the person who reports directly to the Senior Pastor (or sometimes the church board) and oversees a large portion of the church [...]

Hiring an Executive Pastor?

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Hiring an Executive Pastor?

A couple of months ago, I was asked to give a presentation entitled, “Executive Pastor: If, When, Why, How?” As you can guess from the title, the focus was on churches that were thinking about [...]

The Executive Pastor: A Pioneer

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on The Executive Pastor: A Pioneer

Last week I attended the annual XP-Seminar in Dallas—it felt so good to be with “my people.” Finally, to be with people who spoke my language! It was exciting to share my frustrations and passions [...]

Tips for Strengthening the SP/XP Leadership Relationship

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Tips for Strengthening the SP/XP Leadership Relationship

Each time I work with a church leadership team, I schedule time for coaching the Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor together. This dynamic working relationship experiences significant wear and tear and needs to be inspected [...]

The XP Mentoring Checklist

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on The XP Mentoring Checklist

One of the greatest privileges of serving as an Executive Pastor is the opportunity we have to come alongside men and women and help them develop in their leadership. The first few months of the [...]

Leadership Assessment Tools

December 5th, 2012|Comments Off on Leadership Assessment Tools

Nathan Baxter is a former Executive Pastor that has a heart for mentoring. One tool that he uses as he helps pastors is the Birkman Leadership Assessment Tools. Here Nathan outlines some of the available assessments, [...]

Great Books 2011

December 17th, 2011|Comments Off on Great Books 2011

Great Books 2011 The Imitation of Christ Thomas à Kempis Only the Bible has been more influential as a source of Christian devotional reading than The Imitation of Christ. [...]

Great Books 2010

December 17th, 2010|Comments Off on Great Books 2010

Great Books 2010 Church Turned Inside Out: A Guide for Designers, Refiners and Re-Alligners Linda Bergquist and Allan Karr A design-thinking book for planting or redesigning churches and incubating [...]

Great Books 2009

December 17th, 2009|Comments Off on Great Books 2009

Great Books 2009 Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God Mark Batterson Mark Batterson’s Wild Goose Chase detonates anemic Christianity masquerading as the ‘real thing’ and winsomely [...]

A New Beginning: Suggestions for a New Pastor

May 5th, 2009|Comments Off on A New Beginning: Suggestions for a New Pastor

Steve's phone call was filled with excitement. It was his first church. I had known him from his home church where he was a fine lay leader. Now he was on his own. He [...]

Great Books 2008

December 17th, 2008|Comments Off on Great Books 2008

Great Books 2008 The Blogging Church: Sharing the Story of Your Church Through Blogs Brian Bailey and Terry Storch The Blogging Church offers church leaders a field manual for [...]

Great Books 2007

December 16th, 2007|Comments Off on Great Books 2007

Great Books 2007 Leading From the Second Chair: Serving Your Church, Fulfilling Your Role, and Realizing Your Dreams Mike Bonem & Roger Patterson This book will raise awareness of [...]

Great Books 2006

December 17th, 2006|Comments Off on Great Books 2006

Great Books 2006 Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith Rob Bell In Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell frees us to consider God beyond the picture someone else painted for us [...]

Great Books 2005

December 17th, 2005|Comments Off on Great Books 2005

Great Books 2005 Godric: A Novel Frederick Buechner Frederick Buechner's Godric "retells the life of Godric of Finchale, a twelfth-century English holy man whose projects late in life included [...]