The Top 35 Blogs Christian Leaders Need To Read In 2021

Last week I released my annual list of The Top 30 Christian Leaders You Should Follow On Twitter in 2021.  It and this post of top bloggers are the most popular lists I provide each year.

The Top 35 Blog Christian Leaders Need To Read In 2021 is a list of pastors, organizations, consultants, and compilers of some of the best writing. available.  These writers will educate, inspire, and challenge you.  If you want to know what is happening in Christian leadership, these are the people to follow.

Services

• Chemistry Staffing – Led by Todd Rhoades and Matt Steen, Chemistry Staffing is here to partner with pastors and church leaders to help hire new staff, transition existing staff, plan senior leadership succession, and assist with staff restructuring, team strategy, and leadership development.  They work with churches all over the country, helping them find great candidates for their current ministry openings. But they can’t care about helping churches find healthy, long-term fits without first and foremost caring about the candidates they are trying to place.  And they also wrote an incredible leadership blog!
• Aspen Group – Because of how much they love pastors, this is simply one of my favorite organizations!Aspen Group is a ministry-focused design, build, furnish firm providing integrated solutions for new church facilities, additions, and renovations and quick, COVID-related facility fixes.  Few organizations provided more relevant church ministry content during the pandemic than this group.
• MinistryPass.com – Written by Justin Trapp and Josh Taylor, few organizations provide as many quality sermon series, sermon graphics, and youth and children’s media content as the team at Ministry Pass.  Click HERE to learn more about all they provide.  You will love what they resources.  And they too have an incredible blog!
• The Unstuck Group – Led by Tony Morgan (more on him later),  Their mission is to help churches get unstuck.  They also help pastors lead thriving churches by coaching them to focus vision, strategy, team and action.  With every tool and consulting process for churches we develop, our priority is to help churches help people meet and follow Jesus.

Aggregators 

• ChurchLeaders.com – This site does a tremendous job in aggregating the best Christian writings on a daily basis.  Specializing on current events, this site is a must-read  – Written for all Christian leaders.  I also appreciate their conservative approach.
• Desiring God – Founded by John Piper,this site aims to help people everywhere embrace a profound truth that changes everything about life and eternity:  You were created for something greater than yourself.  You were formed for something awesome and magnificent.  You were made to know glory — God’s glory.  And the deepest longings of the human heart can be fully satisfied by pursuing that glory.  In fact, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.  We call this truth Christian Hedonism.  And declaring it to the world is why this site exists.
• Outreach Magazine – I love this site.  Everything you would want to know about relevant leadership and evangelism is contained here.
• Pastors.com – Founded and primarily written by Rick Warren, Pastors.com is an invaluable resource for relevant content and resources.  There is not a more loving Christian leader than Pastor Rick.  He is truly a pastor to pastors.

Pastors 

• Kurt Bubna –  Kurt has been in pastoral ministry since 1976 and now serves as the founding and senior pastor of Eastpoint Church in Spokane Valley, Washington.  He has also been a staff pastor at two mega-churches, a church planter, and he has successfully rebooted two churches. Besides his current ministry role, Kurt has extensive experience as a banker and business systems analyst. Kurt is an author of seven books, an active blogger, itinerate speaker, and a highly-regarded international consultant and trainer.
• Brandon A. Cox – Brandon is the Lead Pastor of Grace Hills Church in Bentonville, Arkansas, which my wife, Angie, and I planted in 2012. I’ve been blogging here since 2004. I formerly served as a Pastor at Saddleback Church and was the Editor and Online Community Facilitator for Pastors.com and Rick Warren’s Ministry Toolbox. I wrote a book called Rewired, about how churches can use social media to spread the gospel.
• Kevin DeYoung – Kevin is senior pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC.  He has published more than a dozen books for adults and children, including Just Do Something and The Biggest Story. His book, Crazy Busy: A Mercifully Short Book About a Big Problem, was named the 2014 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Book of the Year. In addition, Christianity Today has awarded Book of the Year honors to three of his books in 2009, 2010, and 2013. World Magazine named What Does the Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality? one of its 2015 Books of the Year.  In addition to his primary responsibility as senior pastor at Christ Covenant Church, Kevin is an Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte. He was formerly a Chancellor’s Professor for the Seminary.
• Peter Englert – Peter is the Adult Ministries Director at Browncroft Community Church. The goal of Peter and his site is simple – to provide helpful and practical resources for people to live out their faith in the Monday-Saturday of life and not just Sunday morning.  His prayer and hope for you is that you would realize that your Jesus meets you in tangible real ways in your everyday life – your work, relationships, passions, worries, dreams, and hopes. This site helps everyone figure this out together.
• J.D. Greear – J.D. is the pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.  Under Pastor J.D.’s leadership, the Summit has grown from a plateaued church of 300 to one of over 12,000. Pastor J.D. has led the Summit in a bold vision to plant one thousand new churches by the year 2050.  Pastor J.D. is currently serving as the 62nd president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
• Pastor Joe McKeever –  I wish more senior adult Christian leaders entered the blogging conversation.  Pastor McKeever has been saved 70 years, been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ 60 years, and has been writing and cartooning for religious publications more than 45 years.  He put in 42 years pastoring six Southern Baptist Churches, followed by 5 years as director of missions for the SBC churches of metro New Orleans. No site contains more wisdom than this one.
• Thomas McDaniels –  Pastor Thomas write about Christians, the culture, the church, and You!  The central question he is trying to answer through my work is, “How can we grow spiritually in our journey to become a better Christian?”  The driving force behind his writing is to help solve problems, unlock destiny, give hope, and help people just like you to grow into living their best life.  His writings will dive into a variety of issues including cultural hot topics, church fallacies, cultural conflicts, and strategies to help Christians walk in freedom.
• Carey Nieuwhof – Carey is simply the man!!!  I’ve said it for years, no one writes better Christian leadership content than the Teaching Pastor of Connexus Community Church located just north of Toronto, Canada.  Simply put, the best Christian leadership blog on the web.  Make sure you also sign up for his incredibly popular podcast by clicking HERE..
• Joshua Reich – Josh is the Teaching & Engagement Pastor at Pantano Christian Church in Tucson, AZ.  The goal of his blog is to help you take your next step in leadership & life. You will find posts about healthy leadership because without healthy leadership, everything falls apart. To have a healthy lifestyle, a healthy marriage & family, and a healthy church, you need to have healthy leaders. For anything to improve in those areas, leaders must be healthy and at the top of their game. You will find posts that help you to excel in those areas while doing it at a sustainable pace to finish the leadership race you are in well.
• Rookie Preacher – I love this site.  Written by Brandon Kelley and Joe Hoagland, their hope is this website will be a resource for pastors who want to preach and lead better.  The role of a pastor is demanding.  Some weeks you probably find yourself wondering how you are going to get your sermon prepared or wondering how you are going to lead through a problem.  They want to help you in those areas.    Also, check out their The Intentional Pastor’s Toolkit. For only $30 you get time and energy tools, sermon planning tools, strategic planning tools, leadership development tools, and attendance and giving tools.  Great, no-brainer offer for pastors!
• Charles Stone – Neuroscience, how the brain works, has become a focal point of discussion for pastors and Christian leaders.  Few are better equipped to discuss the topic than the Senior Pastor of West Park Church in London, Ontario, Canada.  He has been in ministry over 40 years and authored 6 books.  This site offers a completely unique look at leadership.

Executive Pastors 

• Rich Birch – Rich has been involved in church leadership for over 20 years.  Early on I had the privilege of leading in one of the very first multisite churches in North America. I led the charge in helping The Meeting House in Toronto to become the leading multi-site church in Canada with over 4,500 people in 6 locations. (Today they are 17 locations with somewhere over 6,000 people attending.) In addition, I served on the leadership team of Connexus Community Church in Ontario, a North Point Community Church Strategic Partner.
• Dan Reiland – Dan is absolutely one of my favorite people on the planet!  I join the many in Christian leadership who would say there is no leader I respect more than this incredible leader!  He is the beloved Executive Pastor at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia.  He previously partnered with John Maxwell for 20 years, first as Executive Pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, then as Vice President of Leadership and Church Development at INJOY.  Dan is best known as a leader with a pastor’s heart and a coach’s instincts. He truly loves the local church, and is described as one of the nation’s most innovative church thinkers.  His passion is developing and empowering leaders who want to grow, are willing to take risks, and enjoy the journey.  His latest book Confident Leader!: Become One, Stay One is one of my must-reads of 2021!

Church Consultants 

• Greg Atkinson –Greg is the Founder of Worship Impressions and the First Impressions Conference. Greg is an author, leadership coach, consultant, and member of Forbes Coaching Council. Greg has worked with churches of all stages and sizes, including some of the largest and fastest-growing churches in the country, as well as with businesses, non-profits, and organizations such as Josh McDowell Ministries.
• Ron Edmondson – As a consultant and coach, for almost 20 years Ron has helped thousands of leaders and organizations get better. I served as CEO of Leadership Network and as a pastor. We revitalized two churches and planting two churches. I also have a long history in business, government and nonprofit work.  For over 35 years, I have been in a leadership position; mostly as a senior leader. My education includes a seminary master’s and a master’s in organizational leadership. I am close to my doctorate in educational leadership. Also, I once helped lead a mid-sized city, where I served as Vice Mayor and Finance Chair.  Over 20 years ago, I founded a non-profit ministry called Mustard Seed Ministry.  We provide devotional resources, conduct family and leadership seminars, as well as coaching and consulting. My Myers Briggs INTJ personality has served me well in leadership. I am certified to give the official assessments. Full of big ideas, I love creative and critical thinking, but especially love to see progress.
• Chuck Lawless – This is one of my favorite go-to sites. Chuck is Dean of Doctoral Studies and Vice-President of Spiritual Formation and Ministry Centers at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, where he also serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions. In addition, he is Team Leader for Theological Education Strategists for the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.  And one more thing, he writes an incredible blog!
• Shawn Lovejoy – If you are looking for a personal coach in the area of personal, emotional and organizational health, Shawn is your man!  He is a dear friend and the Founder & CEO of CourageToLead.com. His heart beats for coaching leaders and helping them all conquer whatever’s keeping them up at night.
• Russell Moore – Russell is the president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. The ERLC is the moral and public policy entity of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.  The Wall Street Journal has called Moore “vigorous, cheerful, and fiercely articulate.” He was named in 2017 to Politico Magazine’s list of top fifty influence-makers in Washington, and has been profiled by such publications as the Washington Post and the New Yorker.
• Tony Morgan Live – I have said it many times – Tony Morgan is simply the finest church consultant I know. He is the Chief Strategic Officer and founder of The Unstuck Group. He’s a consultant, leadership coach and writer who helps churches get unstuck and have a bigger impact.  He is incredibly intelligent and his book Killing Cockroaches is one of the most impactful Christian leadership book I have ever read (other than the Bible!)
• Brett Powell – Brett has been in full-time ministry for the past 28 years. He has led in many environments: parishes; as an executive with Catholic Christian Outreach; as Director of an Archdiocesan Development Office and currently; as the Archbishop’s Delegate of Development and Ministries for the Archdiocese of Vancouver.  Brett created this blog as an encouraging resource for leaders that are building organizations, ministries and parishes in pursuit of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).  The new evangelization is the most important mission in the world, it is where leadership matters most.
• Thom Rainer – With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom S. Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of the local church and her leaders.  Prior to founding Church Answers, Thom served as president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Before coming to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  In addition to speaking in hundreds of venues over the past 20 years, Thom led Rainer Group, a church and denominational consulting firm, from 1990 to 2005. The firm provided church health insights to over 500 churches and other organizations over that period. Thom is the author of more than two dozen books.

Culture

• Phil Cooke – If you have a powerful message or story that could influence the world, media producer, consultant, and author Phil Cooke will teach you what you need to know about creativity, communication, Hollywood, media, culture, and the faith to make it happen.He’s produced TV and film programming in more than 60 countries around the world, and in the process, been shot at, survived two military coups, fallen out of a helicopter, and in Africa, been threatened with prison. And during that time – through his company Cooke Media Group in Los Angeles, California – he’s helped some of the largest Christian and nonprofit organizations in the world use the media to tell their story in a changing, disrupted culture.
• Joseph Lalonde – Joe is one of my favorite people and a great friend.  For the past 13 years, he flexed his leadership muscles helping mold students into leaders who are going out and changing the world.  He seen many young people grow into responsible adults leading extraordinary lives.  Through these experiences, he realized he could share the leadership insights and knowledge with a broader crowd if only there was a larger platform. Thus, his site was born.  His mission is to help equip you with the knowledge and information to boost your leadership to the next level.

Women 

• Lysa TerKeurst – Lysa TerKeurst is an inspiration and a picture of everything that is right in Christian ministry.  As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa and her team have led thousands to make their walk with God an invigorating journey through daily online devotionals, radio programs, online Bible studies, speaker/writing training, and more.  Lysa was recently awarded the Champions of Faith Author Award and has been published in multiple publications such as Focus on the Family and CNN online. Additionally, she has appeared on the Today Show as one of the leading voices in the Christian community.

Students

• Growing Leaders – I love this site!!!  Written by the incredible Tim Elmore, Growing Leaders exist to turn ordinary students into growing leaders who will transform society.  Providing student leadership training and resources targeted for the millennial generation, we help young adults discover their purpose, equip them for leadership development and show them how to use their gifts to serve the world around them.  Also, if you have not yet purchased Tim’s book Generation Z Unfiltered: Facing Nine Hidden Challenges of the Most Anxious Population, do yourself a favor get it TODAY!  It is a classic.
• YM Sidekick – Written by the delightful Tom Pounder, YM Sidekick (Your Ministry Sidekick) encourages and inspires ministry leaders with practical tools and knowledge to build a ministry that will have a lasting impact on generations to come.  Whether you are a volunteer, part- or full-time leader, YM SideKick offers practical insights on how you can build a ministry that successfully reaches people for Christ, encourages them in their faith and helps them be the leaders for their generation.  With over 17 years of full-time Youth Ministry experience, Tom has successfully built small to medium sized ministries and has gained practical experience in impacting our youth with limited resources.

Small Groups

• Mark Howell – Throughout this site Mark shares everything he has learned over a three decade ministry leading small groups and small group ministries, launching new groups, connecting unconnected people, making disciples, building effective coaching structures, leading church-wide campaigns, and working with senior pastors, helping them be the champion they need to be.

Well, that is my list of 35.  What other great sites do you read on a regular basis?

The Top 100 Leadership Quotes From 2020 is my latest ebook.  The wisdom contained in these pages from top business leaders, pastors, coaches, and superlative thinkers sustained countless leaders in the most turbulent year anyone can remember.  If you want to be the best leader you can possibly be, click HERE or on the image provided to download this FREE resource.  The lessons learned from last year, if applied, will sustain you for years to come.