Leadership

Is Your Church Making Disciples?

January 16, 2018 By Daniel Im

Is your church making disciples? How can you tell?

Recently I filmed a 90 Second Leadership video for LifeWay Leadership on how to tell whether or not your church is making disciples.

I hope you enjoy it!

If you like what you saw on this video, I elaborate on this concept further, and provide audits and templates to help you develop your vision, strategy, and values in my book, No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform Your Ministry.

Click here to watch other 90 Second Leadership videos by LifeWay Leadership.

A Year (or Two) to Study Timothy Keller

January 9, 2018 By Daniel Im

I’ve discovered that if I’m not reading, I’m not learning. And if I’m not learning, I’m not growing. And if I’m not growing, I have no right to be leading.

This was the opening line to an article I wrote a couple years ago on why everyone should be reading multiple books at the same time.

With the number of books I now listen to on Audible (get 2 FREE audiobooks), and the number of podcasts I am subscribed to, the only thing I’d add to that quote (a couple years later) is the word listening.

I’ve discovered that if I’m not reading or listening, I’m not learning.

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As a discipline, I typically read and listen pretty broadly (there are five categories I generally stick to) in addition to my daily Bible reading. However, this year, I wanted to try something different.

I’m going to cut down the volume of reading/listening that I do in other areas to focus on a specific person.

In years past, Lesslie Newbigin has been that guy for me. In the area of missiology and missional life, he is the one who has most informed my thinking and practice. I’m not about to abandon him, but I did want to spend a year (or two) going deep into the theology, thinking, practice, and disciplines of another individual—Timothy Keller.

From a distance, I’ve always respected him. In fact, I’ve led multiple groups through his excellent Reason for God book and small group study. However, a couple months ago, when I met him in person through a leadership event that Ed Stetzer and I convene twice a year (CPLF), I was blown away.

The (Hidden) Theology and History of O Come O Come Emmanuel

December 19, 2017 By Daniel Im

If anyone had a side hustle or a gig, it was the Anglican priest and hymn writer, John Mason Neale.

Neale (1818-1866) not only founded a nursing order of Anglican nuns, helped social welfare organizations care for orphans and young woman, and was a warden of Sackville college, but he translated early and medieval Greek and Latin hymns in his spare time—focusing on the ancient ones that were written around “the feasts and the fasts of the Christian year.”[1]

He is most notably known for bringing us that beloved carol, O Come O Come Emmanuel.

While the hymn as we find it today was first published in the mid 19th century, its origins are actually found in a Benedictine Gregorian chant from the late 8th and 9th century. History tells us that beginning the week before Christmas, the monks would sing a verse a day to prepare their hearts and minds for Christmas.

What’s fascinating about the original seven verses is that each began with a Messianic title from the Scriptures that prophesied and foreshadowed Jesus’ coming:

O Sapentia (Wisdom)
O Adonai (God)
O Radix Jesse (Stem or root of Jesse)
O Clavis David (Key of David)
O Oriens (Dayspring)
O Rex genitium (King of the Gentiles)
O Emmanuel (God with us)

If you’re interested in how each verse points to Jesus, you can watch the sermon that I preached on this hymn at the bottom of this article.

70:20:10 Discipleship

December 12, 2017 By Daniel Im

Discipling others while being discipled is actually one of the best ways to get discipled!

We see this in the way that Jesus interacted with his disciples. After all, he did not wait for his death and resurrection to send the disciples out for ministry. He did this early on; in fact, shortly after the disciples saw the Gerasenes demoniac set free, Jesus sent them out in pairs for ministry (Mark 6:6–12).

We also see this in adult educational theory and leadership practice through the 70:20:10 principle…

No Silver Bullets Audiobook

December 5, 2017 By Daniel Im

I’m constantly listening to podcasts and audiobooks.

While driving, working out, mowing the lawn, vacuuming the house, or shoveling snow, my earbuds are always in and I’m constantly learning.

Why? This is because the moment you stop learning is the moment you’ll stop growing (Click here to read more about this).

The moment you stop learning is the moment you’ll stop growing.

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A month before my book, No Silver Bullets, was released, I got a call from Christianaudio.com saying that they wanted to produce an audiobook version of my book! I was stoked, absolutely thrilled. While I’m a co-host on two podcasts (New Churches Q&A Podcast and the 5LQ Podcast), recording an audiobook is a completely different experience.

In fact, I spent 15 hours in the Warner Music Studio in Nashville recording my 8.6 hours long audiobook! It was long, but I loved the experience.

In fact, on the audiobook, I actually elaborate on a few more ideas and share stories that didn’t make it into the book. [Read more…] about No Silver Bullets Audiobook