I have seen the future and his name is Pastor Stephen Chandler.  I often get asked who is the next Steven Furtick?  My answer will now be Pastor Stephen.  He and his co-pastor wife Zai lead Union Church in Glen Burnie, MD, just outside of Baltimore.  His passion is to see people discover their God-given destiny and united to their purpose.  With God’s leading, they have built an incredible church.

Tonight I was in attendance as he spoke at the church’s The BLDRS Conference.  This conference talks about what is needed from a leadership, staffing, systems, volunteer, and funding perspective to build a great church.

Pastor Stephen’s message was on what is required to break growth barriers at all levels and do so in a way that gives you a sustainable ministry which lasts decades.  It was as fine a message as I’ve heard in a long time.

To give you an example of his preaching and leadership prowess, the following are 44 leadership quotes on building a great church.  Just to give some context on what you are about to read:

  • Relationship – Your personal relationship with God.  For example, God and Abraham.
  • Family – Your staff, leadership team, and inner-circle.
  • Nation – The church you lead.
  • Movement – The impact you are making in your city.

Now onto the comments,

  1. “One of the things about builders is God can accomplish your vision while (also) fulfilling someone else’s at the same time.”
  2. “Union Church is an overnight success a decade in the making.”
  3. “It’s something to have people believe in you. Especially when you don’t believe in yourself.”
  4. “Our first Sunday we had 331 people show up… Over the next ten weeks I grew that church to 70 people.”
  5. “The first year of not growing is feeling it out. The second year of growing maybe there’s sin in my life.  About year three I ask those questions you ask when your dreams are delayed.”
  6. “You know you have a bad church when you can’t give it away (in a merger).”
  7. “God, if you grow this church, I will not forget what you did… I’m going to remember and help someone else break through the barrier they’re stuck at.”
  8. “God was using my story as part of His purpose.”
  9. “Stephen (prior to his stoning) was not explaining the history of his people. He’s explaining why he is willing to die.”
  10. “Before we can build a church, God has planned how we build.”
  11. “God says before I build a church, I have to build a relationship.”
  12. “Now that I have a relationship with Abraham, I have to build a family.”
  13. “Persecution is the birthplace of miracles. If you want to see a miracle in your life, you’re not going to find it on easy street.  You have to be stretched in your faith.”
  14. “Whatever you’re building, it’s got to be a relationship first. From relationship it has to go to family and then a nation and then a movement.”
  15. “I have to build according to the blueprint. You’re not making it up as you go along.”
  16. “If you don’t build down (foundation) before you build up, the building will crumble.”
  17. “Don’t build quick, build right.”
  18. “Don’t put people on the Board of Trustees just because they’re rich when you don’t have a heart for the house.”
  19. “It’s amazing how many pastors have built churches they don’t like.”
  20. “I must embrace the mess of building.”
  21. “There is no such thing as building something for God and it be clean and easy.”
  22. “There’s such a temptation to have top-talented people who are not family. The way to know they’re not family is I can’t shape their life.  They want to use your church to fulfill their plan for their life.”
  23. “Relationship starts with me. My relationship with God has to be white hot with God and I have to demonstrate it and demand that with the people around me.”
  24. “It’s hard for me to be white hot when I’m in the green room for the first two songs.”
  25. “We’re not just building a great church. We’re building great lives.”
  26. “How’s your marriage? Why are you always asking me for a raise?  Are you in debt?” – Questions for staff.
  27. “The leaders around you are family. Those around them are their family, but you’re nation.”
  28. “The excellence of their systems and the capacity of their leaders determine the success of all nations.”
  29. “Where building is most messy is with that leader.”
  30. “If multiple strong leaders leave the same department, it’s the leader.”
  31. “I will never get from nation to movement without surrendering my preferences and personality. Some of what we’re building is what we prefer, not what will turn this city upside down.”
  32. “Every movement has a uniform. It’s called church merch. Every movement has a sound and language.  It’s called an album.  Anyone can start a movement.”
  33. “We’ve been so trained in how to make a movement and we don’t know how to have a family.”
  34. “When you’re young keep your mouth shut and let the fathers speak.”
  35. “Whenever a ministry stumbles they neglected the staff.”
  36. “We’re copying families and we don’t know if it’s a movement. I’m not finding innovation from somebody who’s been at it five years but forty-five years.”
  37. “Jacob and Esau wanted to be sons but not family.”
  38. “I can’t build what I can’t see.”
  39. “I’ll never be able to build relationship if I don’t see myself as a son.”
  40. “Do I see myself as a person worth following?”
  41. “I’ve got to see myself as a revolutionary. I’m leading a movement.  I’ve got to be a disrupter.  I don’t always go with the crowd.”
  42. “Follow me because I’m going somewhere that’s going to turn this city upside down.”
  43. “God does not despise small beginnings but He doesn’t stay in small beginnings.”
  44. “Who God calls He anoints. It may be a small start but it won’t be a small finish.”

What an incredible message!  You can listen to more of Pastor Stephen by clicking HERE.

The Top 75 Leadership Quotes From 2021 Part 2 is my latest ebook.  For many entering a post-pandemic environment, leadership looks completely different than the pre-pandemic world.  People are more broken now. They are more uncertain. Fear and anxiousness are unwelcome constant companions. Cultures are more unhealthy. Relationships are more dysfunctional.  Hope seems to be in short supply.  Every day seems to bring a new hacking, natural disaster, or unexpected calamity.

Therefore, the fundamentals of leadership are more important than ever. The quotes in this book deal with the basics of leadership.  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.

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