After several years serving in multiple roles, I should have quit my job.

Not because I was angry. Not because I was burned out. Not because I hated where I worked.

I just didn’t care.

Leadership is the same way. Sometimes, the moments are easy—like catching an egg that’s tossed gently. Simple decisions, everyday tasks, leading a team that’s already thriving. These don’t require heroic effort—just consistency and care.

But then there are the fastballs. The big decisions. The crises. The moments when leadership is heavy, fast, and unpredictable. If we don’t give with the catch—if we don’t create margin, adjust, and absorb the impact—things break.

There’s something profoundly transformative about seeing a young person realize they have a voice that matters, a purpose that’s bigger than themselves, and the tools to start making an impact. Leadership programs for youth aren’t just about shaping the next generation of leaders—they’re about investing in the kind of hope that transforms families, communities, and entire cultures.

In ministry, we often say we’re committed to meeting people where they are—but do we really take the time to understand where that is? This question led me to create a simple yet powerful tool to help me visualize where individuals might be on their faith journey and how motivated they are to take the next step. I call it the Faith-Motivation Chart. Over the past five years, this tool has been a game-changer for me, helping to bridge the gap between where people are and where God might be calling them to go. It’s shaped the way I strategize as a leader, empowering me—and my teams—to better serve our people and align our efforts with what God is already doing in their lives.

Leadership is a wild ride—equal parts challenge and reward. Some days, you feel like you're steering a well-oiled machine; other days, it's more like herding cats. While we often focus on what great leadership looks like, it’s just as important to shine a light on what can derail it. Over the years, two leadership styles have stood out as particularly dangerous: authoritarian leadership and toxic leadership. If left unchecked, these approaches can take even the best organizations off course. Let’s unpack what these styles look like, why they’re harmful, and how to avoid them.

It’s easy to miss at first—quiet quitting happens gradually. Someone stops volunteering for extra tasks, avoids big-picture conversations, or seems a little less excited about their role. And while it might seem like a small problem, the impact can be huge. In ministry, disengagement doesn’t just affect a team’s productivity; it affects the mission, the community, and ultimately, the ability of the church to serve well.

Friends fight. Brothers FIGHT. There's a bit of truth that comes out when brothers really go at it. We know what to say; we know how to hit. We know the soft spots, and we typically don't hold back when true frustration arises. I've been a part of many of these brawls.

I've been playing music for over half of my life now. I've played with Grammy award winners, lyrical geniuses, and I've also played with people just picking up a guitar for the first time. That said, most of my career as a musician, I've been far from the best "player" on the stage. I remember the first time playing guitar for 5000+ people at the age of 23, so nervous because my guitar part was starting the song. We started the song three times, and on the third time, our keys player took the part and played it for me(thank God). Two years after that, I wasn't much better, I had just gotten resigned, and I found myself in a music director role at one of the largest churches in America. I was in way over my head, and I was still the least talented player on most of the platforms I was playing on.

Fast forward to present day, April 29th, 2020. Still one of the least talented players I know... but 100% ok with it. How did I get here?

My good friend, Andy Cherry, wrote on his instagram last week a really special post. As I read through it, I couldn’t help but be thankful for such a thoughtful, honest, and inspiring friend. Andy and I have a quite unique and special bond and I couldn’t be more thankful for all the things I’ve learned from him and continue to learn from him. With that said, I pray that these words touch you as much as they did me when I first read them in his story. Thanks bro, love you dearly.

So, after a few attempts to get together, we finally just hopped on a phone call, and I was finally able to get this question off my chest, "have I reached my ceiling at MISSION?" A little silence at the other end, nothing to worry about until I received a response. "Paul..." Never a great thing when someone calls you by name after you've already been speaking for a few minutes. "Paul, do you want the answer you want to hear or the answer you need to hear?" I answered "both" because I didn't want to be that guy who says "just tell me what I want to hear."

My wife and I have been going back and forth about having just one more. Rochelle wants this so badly, but I am just not on board. She talks about years down the road, when we're at Disneyland and when one of us has to ride solo because there's an odd number. I gladly raise my hand and volunteer. She talks about big family gatherings in 20 years, and I think about serving bread and milk because of college and two weddings I just had to pay for. She thinks about a house that our kids grow up in and growing old in that same house until I die first... I think about selling our home as soon as the kids are out, buying a shack on the beach and working at a rent-a-scooter shop. She wants a fourth kid so badly, and all I can think about is how divided my time is already.