Blog
5 Simple Ways to Build Trust in Your Small Groups
Building strong student leaders has always been one of my favorite things to do in youth ministry. There is just something special about watching students grow into the person God created them to be, to connect with others using their gifts, lead others, and to be lead by Christ—but not without my fair share of immense challenges. I...
Feeding A Pastor’s Soul–Pastorpedia
Feeding your soul: It is not as easy as it sounds! I mean, there are driveways to shovel soon, and people to care about with actions such as hospital calls and listening to pain, and children to love, and sermons to have ready again. Whatever happened to those quiet times in the mornings in junior high? How shall we take care of our own...
5 Ways To Appreciate Your Pastor All Year Long
It's October, which means it's time to show your pastor some appreciation. For most, the ministry year is just getting started, but before you know it, it's going to be March, and your beloved pastors are going to be on the verge of a meltdown. They're going to be tired, drained, and in desperate need of a recharge. But here is what I...
How Shall We Determine What To Preach? – Pastorpedia
“God tells me what to preach” I did not argue with my new friend when he told me that, but neither did I believe him. Which of course is a subject for another day, about how God speaks to us. But most of us have to grapple, analyze, and pray for wisdom as we plan our preaching calendar, so here we tackle ways to do that. In a day when...
5 Things That Should Be on Your Fall To Do List
Fall ministry season is upon us. No doubt you have started training volunteer leaders, communicating with parents, deciding what to teach on this semester, and planning for this fall’s special events and retreats. Despite the fact that you have had all summer to prepare, it just never feels like you're ready. But in all the large scale...
How Should A Church Assess Its Effectiveness? – Pastorpedia
The angels are meeting in awards mode This particular committee must pick “church of the year” in your state. You can listen in if you like. “Look at this one—they have four services every weekend, and three of them are almost full!” “Wait, look at this one—they were 30% over budget in giving last year and gave 29% for outside their...
Creating The Right Environment For Your Brand New Freshmen
Ready or not fall is here. Ready or not the freshmen are here. In some ways it is exciting. New faces, new opportunities, new students to lean into and shape into the people God made them to be—in other ways terrifying. Not just for you, but for them. Imagine that introverted kid you saw walk into youth group early last year. Quiet,...
What Are Job Hazards Pastors Face? Pastorpedia
What are our job hazards? It is true that pastoring a church is not a hard-hat job. It is correct to say that there are not physical dangers that go with the territory. Most of us see no need to “conceal and carry.” But for sure this calling has its hazards and dangers. Just read the newspaper or check your own heart. So may we address...
The Gospel and Our Part in Clarifying and Calling – Pastorpedia
What did he say? I sat in a physics lecture where I was not very sure at all what was being said or what I could do with it. I once tried to stay awake in a theological seminar led by Dr. Carl F. H. Henry—some of you have textbooks or memories—and tried to look like I agreed because of his evangelical scholarship, but realized it was a...
5 Challenges That Keep Students From Sharing Their Faith
The older I get, the more I understand how fast I can get out of touch with youth—their culture, their concerns, and their struggles. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with a few high school students hoping to get some fresh insight. We spoke on several topics, but our conversation continued to swing back to the issue of...
