What are the main things about pastoring you never learned in school or books that you have learned from experience? With deep appreciation… … to God for the church made possible by His Son, and for the grace and joy He gives to us in ministry. … to you our readers...
Whenever two or three are gathered together, there is possible friction. And that is as true on church staffs (or volunteer teams) as it is at the factory down the street or the faculty at the college or the sports teams who fight on the practice field. What...
Memories often drop out of service or differ with that of the longest serving board member or the “church mother” who has worked in the office over 28 years. You better get this right for the sake of unity and consistency of practice. That means no more of the...
“What do you do all week?” The junior high student who asked me that actually followed it up with, “Do you drive a school bus?” Nothing wrong with driving a school bus, of course. But the point is that some people in our church probably wonder what we do between...
"An Audience of One..." For ten years I loved serving on the same team with a worship pastor who was always reminding a terrific choir and orchestra and soloists and “ohh-ahh singers” (only I called them that to him) and the whole church that when all of us worshiped...
“And you must never talk to anyone about…” Probably somewhere around the time that was said by the pastor-leader, abusive leadership was happening. Abusive leadership usually demands “a cone of silence,” or a non-disclosure agreement, or whispers. And it seems to be a...
YES There is no question. And there are some good stories of restart—sometimes by adoption or friendly takeover by a strong and healthy church, often by good changes suggested by a renewal ministry coach with fresh eyes, and always by the prayers and unselfish...
Maybe we are turning into negative people! We certainly hope not. Not one of the three of us is eating sour grapes or taking grouch pills. But the question and the implied dilemma are real. There are times when a pastor who really uses good common sense and waits on...
The sexual identity crisis in the church No room for any more jokes! Large and small pulpits have heard their share of jokes about “God did not create Adam and Steve” or something else that gets a giggle out of even the deacons. Never again. This is serious. All of us...
“It’s in the grocery store also!” So much has changed, and so quickly. Most of us are startled often about how values have shifted, and what bothers people these days. And The Shift attends church. Pretty regularly. Many do not pray like they used to, or...
