Tom Jamieson

My take on blogging, social media, ministry, and leadership

Top Post #1: The Devil is in the Details

January 1st, 2011

Leading up to January 1, 2011, I will be counting down the top 10 posts of 2010, as recorded by the WordPress site stats here on Footsteps of Faith.  The #1 most popular post was The Devil is in the Details and was originally published October 3, 2010.

Pastors, have you ever had one of those Sundays when everything just seems to go right?  Well today was one of those days at First Baptist Church of Ellenton.  Not that things don’t go right every Sunday, but today things just seemed extra good.  God’s presence was immediately and abundantly obvious.  The worship was wonderful.  The preaching was pointed.  Everything just seemed to click.

Our church has worship at 9am and then Sunday School at 10:30, with a fellowship time in between featuring the best coffee and donuts in all of Manatee county.  Ok, maybe it’s just the sweet fellowship with other Christians that makes the coffee and donuts seem so great.

Then the moment that every pastor dreads hit me like a wave of cold water to the face…

Click here to read “The Devil is in the Details”

Top Post #4: 3 Characteristics of a Leader

December 31st, 2010

Leading up to January 1, 2011, I will be counting down the top 10 posts of 2010, as recorded by the WordPress site stats here on Footsteps of Faith.  The 4th most popular post was 3 Characteristics of a Leader and was originally published September 22, 2010.

lead·er
–noun
1. a person or thing that leads. (DOH! Really?)
2. a guiding or directing head, as of an army, movement, or group.

Leaders are generally charged with having one eye to the future, while keeping the other eye in the present. Not an easy task. Therefore, I would like to share with you three characteristics that I believe are essential for every great leader.

Click here to read “3 Characteristics of a Leader”

Top Post #5: 3 Qualities Leaders can Learn from Bobby Cox

December 31st, 2010

Leading up to January 1, 2011, I will be counting down the top 10 posts of 2010, as recorded by the WordPress site stats here on Footsteps of Faith.  The 5th most popular post was 3 Qualities Leaders can Learn from Bobby Cox and was originally published September 28, 2010.

As a kid growing up in FL, with no pro baseball team in the entire state, I found myself rooting for the next closest team to me (geographically speaking) — the Atlanta Braves. And, yes, it was during the “lean years” of basement-dwelling in the NL West (anybody see the need for realignment here?) before the arrival of Bobby Cox as manager (for the second go-around), John Schuerholz as GM, and the ultimate ‘savior’ of the organization, Chipper Jones as the stalwart of the left corner of the infield. You know, the time when Dale Murphy was constantly swinging at those low-and-away-out-of-the-strike-zone fastballs and still leading the NL in homeruns — ultimately winning back-to-back MVPs in 1982-1983. When the other most recognizable players on the team were Bob Horner, Phil Niekro, and Bruce Sutter. And who can forget the mascot-of-the-era Chief Noc-A-Homa?

Well, nostalgia and reminiscing aside, with the retirement of Bobby Cox as the Braves’ skipper at the end of this season, I thought it would be nice to look at what made Cox a successful leader. Here are a few things I have noticed about Bobby Cox in the last 25+ years as a Braves fan:

Click here to read “3 Qualities Leaders can Learn from Bobby Cox”

Top Post #9: My First Year As Your Pastor

December 29th, 2010

Leading up to January 1, 2011, I will be counting down the top 10 posts of 2010, as recorded by the WordPress site stats here on Footsteps of Faith.  The 9th most popular post was My First Year As Your Pastor and was originally published July 5, 2010.

June 14, 2010 marked the one-year anniversary of the day when I began ministering together as Pastor and people with the First Baptist Church of Ellenton, FL. So, I would like to do a little reminiscing. I would like to take a look at where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going.

Click here to read “My First Year As Your Pastor”