The Leadership Dance
In my last blog, I addressed the vitally important relationship between the Senior Pastor and the Elder Board. In this blog, we will dive more deeply into the day to day relationship between the Senior (i.e., lead) Pastor and the Elder Board (i.e., primary leadership team), of which the Senior…
3 Ways To See Past A Blind Spot
One of the world’s largest ships stumbled in the Suez Canal, turned sideways, and got stuck in the sand, completely blocking passage through one of the world’s most important trade routes. For six days, ships were backed up into the sea, their precious cargo of everything from shoes to TVs…
The Pastor’s Most Strategic (Or Stressful) Relationship
Without question, the senior pastor’s most important relationship is with God, and second to that is with his family. In the context of the senior pastor’s church, however, there are many other relationships that call for his attention. I would suggest, among the myriad options available, that the most strategic…
He Is Risen… Indeed?
Well, it’s been a little over a year now since our world as church leaders was rocked to its core, as the COVID-19 pandemic began sweeping the world last spring and everything everywhere began shutting down. Most of us expected that first weekend of making the last-minute pivot to online…
When The Gospel Starts To Grind
How many times have you preached or taught or written about the epidemic? Not COVID, the other epidemic. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve preached “against” the epidemic of individualism in our culture. Not a red-faced rant kind of preaching, but a measured presentation of the costs we…
Friendly Fire: 3 Ways To Avoid The Casualties
I have a problem. I am good at seeing the flaws in other’s ministries. Not so much in the beneficial “let me help you out” way, but in a prideful way that looks down on others from above. I can see why things won’t work, why others are wrong, and…
When Normal Gets Broken
Happy anniversary! This week, we recognize that it has been a full year since the world changed. Twelve months of mask-wearing, getting groceries delivered, and ordering too much take-out to “support small businesses.” It’s also been 12 months that we have been waiting for everything to get back to normal.…
Don’t Fail the Next Generation of Missionaries.
I have served in the EFCA for over 20 years. Every one of them was focused on the next generation. As I look back on my time as a youth pastor at three different churches, I have fond memories of the students and families that I had the privilege of…
What About The Dark Nights?
Grief can be deeply isolating. Even our closest friends may pull away—not because they don’t care, but because lament is difficult to witness. The raw pain of a broken heart can feel disorienting, unsettling, and messy. This is especially true when the grieving person is someone we expect to be…
How to Pastor the Political Crazies
In just a few seconds on social media, pastors can discover a great deal about their church members. We can learn all about their kids’ accomplishments, what they had for dinner last night, and even, if you care to know (I do not), how intuitive their cats happen to be.…
Our Two Conversations
For some time, I’ve had two conversations with two very different groups of my Christian family. One is with white Christians and the other with African-American Christians, both mostly evangelicals, although many of the African-Americans don’t use that label. Most often the conversations are in the larger church community rather…
Let Him Be Teacher
Most people started the year by capitalizing on the novelty and nuances that came along with its introduction. Witty sayings emerged, even within the Church, like: Gospel Focus, Remain Focused, Keep Your Eyes On Jesus, 2020 Bible Vision, Focus 2020 – and here’s a good one, 2020 Vision. Nevertheless, it…
