Leading Worship In A Changing Culture
Navigating our fast-paced and ever-changing worship culture requires carefully balancing relevancy and orthodoxy. Relevancy speaks to what is appropriate for the current time or circumstance, while orthodoxy anchors us in the unchanging foundational beliefs of Christianity. Rather than focusing solely on outward expressions of worship, let’s take a heart-level approach.…
Leading Well Starts Here: 5 Essential Practices for Mental Well-Being
Pastors and church leaders are charged with caring for the Body of Christ. Practically speaking, this means innumerable hospital visits, phone calls, committee meetings, late-night study and sermon prep sessions, and counseling meetings. Often, we sacrifice time with family and friends to officiate a funeral or wedding or visit someone…
Four Tips For A Thriving Church Mentorship Ministry
I studied the 3-inch scar running down the center of my left knee, still raw from my surgery a couple of months beforehand. The physical therapist gently massaged it and began to work its range of motion. I grimaced in pain. Soon, we began to banter about sports and the…
Strengthening Ministry Through Evaluation
Licenses and credentials are nothing new to us. If you drive a car, there is a process of written and practical evaluation to become a licensed driver, and systems of accountability for misusing the privilege of operating several tons of metal and plastic at high speed. Various professions require licensing,…
The Art of Budgeting for Ministry Success
For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin…
Intentional Leadership For Lasting Impact
In 2022, a Wall Street Journal article explored the LED Variable Speed signs appearing on highways nationwide. The article highlighted the complex mathematics—originally developed to study explosions—that underpins how these signs work. One line caught my attention: “In essence, we all go slower to get there a little faster.” Let…
Before You Say Yes
It was a blistering hot day hiking in the Tetons. Keeping up with my sons and friends who were in better shape than me was quite a task. There were times they would get ahead of me and, in goodwill, wait till I caught up with them. And then we…
Beyond Fairness: Understanding God’s Inverted Kingdom
I am sure you have heard a child bemoan something that is not fair. Maybe something like, “My sister can stay up late, but I can’t – that’s not fair.” Or, “He got a bigger piece of cake. That’s not fair!” That’s because fairness is a natural way of making…
Plagiarism and the Pulpit
Plagiarism in preaching isn’t a new issue. Jeremiah 23:30 speaks of false prophets who, as the Lord says, “steal my words from one another.” These prophets lied, delivering messages from others or their imaginations, devoid of God’s truth. Such words were mere straws compared to wheat, worthless to God’s people.…
Mental Health Matters: How the Church Can Lead with Compassion and Care
Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the perception of mental health within the church. As someone who has spent years both in the church and in the mental health field, I’ve had a front-row seat to see how mental health is often stigmatized within Christian communities. This topic has resurfaced for…
Beauty Among the Flies: Finding God Amid Distractions
On the way to our cabin is a peacefully flowing mountain stream that tumbles between boulders. It sits in the middle of a forest with pine trees towering above it. As I drove past it during my sabbatical I felt very clearly that God was encouraging me to take the…
Be Kind To Yourself
There is a song that I love by an artist named Andrew Peterson titled, Be Kind to Yourself. It is a beautiful ode to the reality that we are often far harder on ourselves than we would ever be on another person (if you’ve never heard it, stop reading and…
