Blog
Focusing on Neighbors Not Numbers
By Timothy D. Sprankle I never look forward to my drive into Chicago. Once I cross the Illinois State Line and merge onto I-94, traffic is imminent. I crawl toward the Jane Byrne Interchange that circles the city, losing speed the closer I come to downtown. I dodge countless cars that dart into my lane to get an inch ahead. The trip has...
When You Speak To A Camera Instead Of A Room Full Of People
Pastors are now finding themselves preaching to a congregation they can't see. The technology available to live-broadcast is wonderful, but can be difficult to manage. Here are tips from Knute Larson to navigate the new world of online worship services during Coronavirus. Preach the Word. Nothing has changed there. Talk about the...
Resilient Faith: An Eternal Perspective And Active Response To Crisis
By Timothy D. Sprankle Crisis is a heavy word. It makes us panic. It makes us cringe. Crises come in various forms, ranging from running out of gas on your commute home to watching your house burn to the ground as you reach your driveway. All crises disrupt. They force us to pause, re-calibrate, and remember God’s faithfulness. The...
How Should The Church Board Operate? Pastorpedia
If we could leave our egos outside the meeting! It is most certainly not so easy, this goal of being Christ-like in our leadership. It is hard enough to live unselfishly when we are all alone, or at home in marriage, let alone when we are with other sinners on a church board. How then shall we unite? What principles apply thousands of...
How Do We Help The Fringe People Of The Church?
Do we have to hold their hands? Maybe so, but figuratively, of course. But most of us have heard that times have changed. Just a bit. Taking a loaf of bread or a little gift to neighborhood homes or someone whose name has been given to you as a prospect for the church, may not be as productive as it was when some of us started...
How to Recharge Your Emotional Batteries
I am no Energizer Bunny. My personal drive rises and falls. In the morning I sprint, committed to seize the day. After lunch I slump, crawling to the nearest couch for a nap. Each one of us rides a different tide of emotional energy, but what remains constant is that we all eventually wash up on shore. Exhausted. Drained. Fatigued. In...
Personal Boundaries and Guardrails for Pastors
Who shall watch your heart? Someone is surely going to say that making rules or setting boundaries for yourself and all staff in your church is some kind of legalism. So are all the white lines on the side of the football field. And so are all the goals you have set on your smart watch or Fit-bit. We all need rules and guardrails. Yes,...
Pastoral Care Changes – Pastorpedia
Everyone should love everyone! That is quite true, of course, but it also truly does not happen. The church must provide loving pastoral care in many special needs. It is part of what we signed up for. A shepherd cannot say he wants to disown a sheep if it breaks its leg, or cannot function well, or goes astray. A shepherd shepherds....
Six Ways to Use Effective Illustrations in Teaching
The snow was beginning to melt. It took on a grey tint, forming into puddles at the edge of the road. I watched other students trying to jump and dodge as they filed toward the chapel building. But no one could avoid the slushy mess. When they reached the front door, students stomped their feet. One by one, they kicked their dirty boots...
How to Make Incremental Change in Your Church–Pastorpedia
He made too many quick changes, and they responded… …by changing his title to “former pastor.” So what is the point? People hate changes and surprises, so we have all been told. My favorite church coach, Lyle Schaller, taught many and me that “People hate changes and surprises.” And when I asked him why, he urged me to sit at a...
