LEADERSHIP
Creating Momentum Through Clarity
Most teams aren’t suffering from a lack of vision. They’re suffering from a lack of clarity around the vision. Most people aren’t lazy. They’re just confused. Or worse… unsure. Clarity is the fuel that drives momentum. Without it, even the best teams stall...
Five Must-Read Books for Personal Growth
Each year I challenge myself to read more than the year before. My goal for this year is to read 60 books. So far this year, I’ve come across five that rise to the top.
3 Lessons for Life from Duke’s Final Four Loss to Houston
While Duke might be heading home without a trophy, there’s still something to be gained—life lessons. Because if we can’t learn from sports, then we’re just yelling at college kids on TV while slumped on the couch eating nachos and wings, and that seems unkind.
So, let’s redeem the pain and look at three lessons for life and faith that we can take from Duke’s loss to Houston.
Three Lessons I’ve Learned in My First Three Years as Lead Pastor at First Christian Church
Three years ago today, Ashley and I stood onstage with our girls as I was introduced as the Lead Pastor at First Christian Church. I stepped into my role full of vision, passion, and maybe just a little bit of naivety. Or a lot. The journey has been both deeply rewarding and incredibly challenging. There have been wins, losses, unexpected plot twists, and moments of sheer exhaustion. But through it all, God has been good and faithful. And I have grown in some ways I never expected.
I’m definitely still a work in progress, but here are three lessons I’ve learned in these three years that I hope will encourage and challenge you, whether you’re a pastor, a leader, or simply someone trying to live faithfully in the calling God has given you.
The Principle of Small Things Matter
We often think leadership is about big moments—casting vision, making key decisions, or rallying a team toward a common goal. And while those are certainly crucial, what if I told you that the success or failure of your leadership often hinges on the smallest things?
Navigating Political Differences: How to Protect Relationships and Keep the Peace
We live in a time when – more than ever before – political differences are creating deep divisions even among close family and friends. Conversations quickly turn heated, relationships feel strained, and it can be tempting to cut people off altogether to avoid the tension. But followers of Jesus are called to something higher. How do you protect a relationship – or repair one that has been damaged by a disagreement related to opposing political views or convictions?
ABOUT JIMMY
Jimmy McLoud is the Lead Pastor of First Christian Church in Canton, Ohio. His passion – and the vision of First Christian – is to share the good news that Jesus is for all people by helping them find hope, purpose, and a place to belong. He serves on the Board of Directors for The Solomon Foundation and on the Advisory Team for The Unstuck Group. Jimmy and his wife, Ashley, live in North Canton with their four kids: Braylon, Carter, Ellie, and Grace.