As I ended my first discussion on “The Right Way to Leave” I said, “Ministry transitions can be filled with grace for everyone involved when handled with care and prayer.” In the course of writing that former post, it became clear that I had more to say on how not to leave your pastorate. If you are not
2020 is likely the year you did not plan for. However, 2020 does not catch God by surprise. In fact, this year is part of His plan to unite us closer to Him. The Holy Spirit is moving and drawing people closer to Him like never before. I pray He is doing the same for
You might have trouble believing this. The culture of your local church is the greatest predictor of potential growth. Culture is sometimes a hard and abstract-like concept. I’ll try to explain it. Culture is a general noun that we often use to describe the thought patterns and accompanying behaviors of humanity. It broadly includes their
The deadline is five minutes away and you are scrambling to complete a simple task made difficult because you waited. I have been there, but I typically avoid such situations by planning in advance. Planning is engraved into my workflow. I was the student who sat down with all my syllabi prior to a semester
You have heard the question, “What would happen to your neighborhood if the church you served closed tomorrow?” In many ways, the Coronavirus shutdown caused churches and organizations to ask that question in a more real way. Sunday morning in-person services moved to online. The church scattered from a sanctuary to living rooms, workplaces, and
“Create quality experiences that help people engage with Jesus”. What does that mean? And how do we do that? This is my “why”, its the driving vision behind what I do. Historically the Church was the primary driving force behind art. The Church is where the best artists, musicians, and craftsman spent their lives creating
There is a right way for you to do it. There are also several wrong ways to go about it. Few people address this topic publically. Yet, we need to apply some wisdom to this necessary occurrence. Pastor, you don’t want to handle this wrong. It doesn’t matter whether you are a paid or a
A week from tomorrow, the climate of our nation will be in upheaval as the counting of presidential ballots begins. Presumably, the total number of ballots won’t be counted for at least a few days or weeks after Election Day, as the number of mail-in and absentee ballots will dramatically increase this year. Regardless of
I love being physically present in the outdoors. My ideal vacation is a few weeks in the Rocky Mountains with each day split equally between fly fishing on a rock strewn mountain stream and spending hours in a comfortable chair just staring at the mountains. Being outdoors and in nature is where I find peace
Christian leadership should stand in contrast to the secular world’s understanding of what it means to be successful. Alas, I think too much of the American church at large is not concerned with the New Testament pattern of leadership and success. What should Christian leadership look like? Here are three brief thoughts on what Christian leadership
