General Leadership

Level-up your leadership. Grow your ministry skills. Reach more people than you ever dreamed possible. Here is the leadership streaming service. Read Video Transcript: Hey, Dick Hardy here, Co-Founder of Leaders.Church. I have a very special announcement today about some massive changes we’re making here at Leaders.Church, and how this is going to be a…

At the time of this posting, pastors everywhere are looking at reopening churches following COVID-19. They’ve spent the last two months doing everything possible to keep the Body connected. And from the contacts I’ve had, these pastors have done an amazing job. Now, it’s time to get back to meeting in person. The Church has…

Having a plan to reopen the church is something pastors need to develop now, if they haven’t already done so. If you’ve struggled to respond, even with the practical tips for churches during COVID-19, you’re not alone. All churches have entered a new, temporary realm of ministry that no one expected. In fact, here’s a…

This video interview with Dick & Jonathan Hardy addresses 13 practical tips for churches during COVID-19 and the primary areas of concern for churches during this outbreak. I want to just kind of set the stage with a little bit of what we’re going to be covering today relative to COVID-19. So, a lot of the things that we…

These can be trying times for church leaders as they try to figure out how to do kids & youth ministry during COVID-19. But with keeping the proper perspective and making the most out of every opportunity, we can continue to minister to congregations and families represented in the church.  With social distancing, keeping connected…

How to know when to cancel church due to Coronavirus… What to do about it and how should the Church respond? After talking to a couple of pastor friends of mine in Dallas and Denver, I thought some words of encouragement might be in order for pastors. Fear Not “Do not be afraid!” is the…

Excellence is not good enough. What does this mean? Have you ever met someone who seemed to be stuck in time? The way they dress, style of their hair and speech are all reminiscent of a bygone time. I remember as a teen in the nineties, many of my dad’s friends still wore pastel leisure…

One of the things I’ve seen for years, in working with pastors and church boards, is the frequent lack of understanding of the real purpose of the board. Why does it even exist? For the wise and discerning pastor and church board, I am excited about the journey the Lord has you on, as you…

What in the world do you do with a church board member who goes sideways in a meeting? How can you help that negative church board member become positive? Here’s an idea.  How about the church board self-police?  Ever heard of that? Self-policing can help a negative church board member become positive. This is not…

Today, we’re going to dissect the issue of a pastor’s salary and benefits; how to set it and establish the best possible compensation for the pastor. I can tell you one thing for sure; it is almost universal that this is an uncomfortable subject for pastors. It shouldn’t be, but it is. In this post…

How much thought have you given Not sure how it is in other parts of the world, but here in the U.S. we now live in a 24/7/365 election cycle. This election cycle is what keeps the wheels turning just west of the Atlantic Ocean. Some bemoan it. Others celebrate it! In this post we’ll…

One of the most important aspects of every weekend is the audio directors in ministry. He or she plays a major role in every component of the church service, whether it’s worship, announcements, prayer time, preaching, or the response time. That’s why it’s important to know the best ways audio directors can serve lead pastors.…

Here, we are discussing how your family can compliment your ministry. Ever heard it said, “family works against ministry” or “ministry works against family?” I have … and it saddens me every time I hear it. The Hardy’s have experienced it where ministry clearly complimented our family. We celebrated that. It is the other way…

Here, we are discussing the generations of faith for your ministry. While no family is guaranteed the children in the home will follow Jesus, I believe there is an awareness all of us can have as we raise them that will help to this end. I know Tony Evans and Bruce Wilkenson have made the…

Here, we discuss how to prioritize commitments. Priorities – The fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important than another. Commitments – A pledge or promise; an obligation. Now let’s put these two together. Prioritizing Commitments – The fact or condition of one pledge, promise or obligation being regarded or treated as…

I have heard this question forever in ministry, “how do I balance church and family?” It is as if there is some magical scale out there that can be had that creates smooth sailing for pastors and church leaders in their homes and their churches. Let me be blunt. Balance does not exist. It is…

Ever heard this one, “I’m not joining that church because everyone, including the pastor, is a hypocrite?” Of course, those of us inside the church are all too happy to tell that joker to join anyway because one more (them) won’t hurt. But we don’t. In today’s blog, I want to talk with you as…

Some reading this blog are like my son, Jonathan. The guy is more organized than an Amazon Fulfillment Center. He dots more i’s and crosses more t’s than anyone I know. Then there are guys like me. I’m fairly organized but nowhere near Jonathan. I mean, its much easier for me to “wing it” than…

In this blog, we will discuss the reasons not to compare your church. I was not the star of the play in 9th grade but I was IN the play. Yes, that’s right. Arsenic and Old Lace had a wonderful character, as small a part as he was, Officer Brophy. Sad to say I don’t…

It’s amazing what companies all around the world do to enhance their positions with their customer bases. Each company views their mission as important enough to make what and how they do business high priority. National and international companies like Chick-fil-A are constantly examining their relationships with their customers and how those customers feel about…

What is the #1 answer you should give to most opportunities? Pastors and church leaders will face tons of opportunities during their time in ministry. The key to moving the ministry forward is to stay focused on the right things. Yet these opportunities (even good ones) have the potential to distract the church’s focus and…

Do we or do we not? That is the question we often ask ourselves… Decisions in ministry can be tough… In life and ministry we are continually faced with making decisions. We wonder whether anyone notices the agony we go through trying to do it right. Sometimes the stakes are small; sometimes they are gargantuan.…

How is dreaming correlated to your ministry? Dreams vs. reality … Have you felt this tension when leading in ministry? More than likely you have experienced it … … but the question is, which of these consumes your thoughts? The fact is — we live in reality. Sunday prep … meetings … outreach events ……

When a pastor or church leader surveys the landscape of the church, they normally see a plethora of wonderful ministries that are truly effective in fulfilling the mission of the church. That last thing they are thinking about is to stop ministry. However, there are times when that same leader suspects that an effective ministry…

If you’re like me you’re regularly wondering about the quality of your decisions and if you’re making the right calls. I’m not talking about second guessing yourself all the time, but let’s face it, the stakes are high when leading in the church and we want to do it right. In the midst of making…

Sports history was made the day before I was born. That’s right. On May 6, 1954 that which was previously thought physically impossible happened. The place? Iffley Road Track in Oxford, England. The event? The mile run. The person? Roger Bannister. For years mile runners had pushed the times downward in their pursuit of the…