Have you sometimes been humbled by a pastoral situation, entering or exiting in a clumsy or awkward way, or struggling to get a sermon or initiative off the ground?
Our Posture Toward God
Our posture is much deeper than a physical posture (sitting, standing, kneeling, etc.). It is a deep inner posture toward God or away from Him. Is our heart and spirit turned toward Him?
Remembering Kent Rideout
Grief is real, but so is hope. And hope in Jesus carries us through the grief all the way home.
Book Review: Don Hebbard's Healing Hurting Churches
Dr. Hebbard explores the common wounds that arise from church leaders and the need for others to understand their causes, signs, and what churches can do to move toward healing.
My "Why" As a Father
My “why” as a father is to live for my last name more than for my first. I sacrifice my life for my children, my children’s children, and my children’s children’s children—all for a better world.
It's Not Your Ministry!
Ministers often falsely believe that it depends on our skills, our energy, and our sacrifice to bring about God’s agenda in the world. It is time to name this narrative for what it is: a lie!
Moral Injury and the Power of Lament
Moral injury can cause us to turn inwards due to guilt, grief, or shame. Lament exposes dark deeds to the light and brings God’s mercy and grace to bear.
Serving with Love
Tabitha obviously served with love, and that love was sensed by those who were beneficiaries. She lived out her faith in a tangible way that blessed others.
Bursting the Bible Bubble
Our aim is to proclaim, with our words and deeds, the love that Christ has shown us and the life that we have been called to. How might we do this in our particular contexts?
Reflecting on the 2022 Salary Survey
I think its value—and what keeps us doing this survey each year—is in the feedback we receive from church leaders. Any time a minister or church is facing a transition, the salary survey provides helpful guidance.
Why Have You Stayed?
Ministry transition, even ministers leaving ministry, begs we ask honoring questions. A recent gathering of ministers revealed three questions worth exploring around the fellowship table.
IRL @ Church - Conversation Required
Do your people know how to sincerely welcome guests? Even if they used to, the pandemic has altered how we interact with others, and they may have forgotten how.
Sharks, Life, and Sharing Jesus
Sometimes the shark jumps into the boat. You may be the one they call for help. Be ready to share the hope we find in Jesus.
Most Church Leaders Aren’t Made for This Moment, but Help Is Nearby
If church leadership is centralized within a small cadre of people who may think alike, they may find it difficult to operate in shifting domains.
Learn to Match Your Stride
When we do the things expected in Eph. 4:2—practicing humility, gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love—we will be well on our way toward keeping the unity of the Spirit.
Ministers in Short Supply
I believe that resilient congregations, pursuing God’s purposes in the world, will find healthy and constructive ways to prepare, support, nurture and partner with ministers in the days to come.
Companions for the Journey: Elizabeth Ann Seton
Imagine that you are happily married at age twenty. What would you do if, by age thirty, you became widowed and penniless, and a parent to a dozen children?
Know, Go, Do
Knowledge has power, but only when it is put to use. If this is the case, we must ask ourselves what we are doing with the knowledge we have of Christ.
Companions for the Journey
We know the value of good companionship, right? For some of us, we have made it through the past two years of pandemic life precisely because of our companions.
Thinking About Lost Sheep Evangelism
Reaching the lost takes different forms. They are all important. Our task is to help everyone to come into the light of Jesus. And stay there.