4. Don’t Give Too Much Attention to Troublemakers During the first World Cup match I watched this year, I was struck that when a fan came streaking onto the field to cause a ruckus, the cameras moved away. That is, we didn’t actually see the ruckus, we only heard about it briefly. One of the commentators mentioned that this was per FIFA’s instructions. While I have plenty of critique for the way FIFA is run, they’re definitely onto something here. For when you give troublemakers the attention they seek, you inspire more people to make trouble. I think leaders – in congregations, schools, businesses, and the home – can learn a lot...

The Church Lives and Does Ministry in a Competitive Environment Even as I watch the World Cup with 25 million other U.S. soccer enthusiasts, taking delight in what many are describing as one of the most thrilling World Cup’s in years, I continue to wonder why soccer has taken so long to grab a permanent place in the hearts of American sports fans. I mean, around the globe soccer – or, more accurately football – is the world’s favorite sport. But even though soccer has been played here for a century – the U.S. actually finished third in the first World Cup in 1930 – it’s struggled for decades to secure the kind of attention and...