On Being A Good Steward Of Pain
You’ve been there, right? In the left lane behind the person who has forgotten what the left lane is for. So, you get a little closer hoping to get their attention. And, if that doesn’t work, surely the three cars that just passed them on their right will. Finally, with…
Teach Us to Pray
“Teach us to pray.” The disciples made this simple, but profound, request of Jesus as they observed him praying. There was something in his way of praying that stirred them to want more for themselves. Their desire prompted him to teach his disciples what we now call The Lord’s Prayer. …
What The Vet Taught Me About Change
We recently changed vets for our dog, Owen, from a large, national chain to a small, private practice down along a country road. Owen had been having ongoing, unresolved ear infection issues and my wife and I felt it was time for a change. After just two visits with the…
EFCA East Summer Reading Guide 2023
It’s that time of year again – more heat, more daylight hours, and (hopefully) a little more time for relaxation. We’re under no illusion that ministry slows down over the summer, but we do think this time of year calls for some time off. Whether you have grand plans to…
Build His Church
Some months ago I was given a copy of Dr. Edward Klink’s (Hope EFC, Roscoe, IL) The Local Church – What It Is and Why It Matters. Klink’s brief book, along with a couple of others, became a valuable resource for preaching on the importance of the church in this era. As…
Babu88 App Download Guide for Android and iOS Users
Babu88 offers an excellent mobile app that makes it easier for users to access their favorite casino games, sports betting options, and live dealer experiences while on the go. Whether you’re an Android or iOS user, downloading and installing the Babu88 app is straightforward. This guide will walk you through…
When Youth Culture is a Foreign Culture
Three years ago, I felt old. And I was only 28. This reality came crashing down on me one evening when I met with a few high school students for a typical Bible study. During the normal game and hangout portion of the night, students asked if I wanted to…
2 Inroads To The Community and The Principles That Made Them Successful
Earlier this year I stopped at the entrance to the church driveway only to be greeted by one of the neighbors. It had been four years since I first met her and the relationship had grown significantly over that time. She reminded me that she had no desire to attend…
The Church Needs Spiritual Formation
How is it that such a seemingly innocuous term generates so much misunderstanding and concern? In conversations with ministry leaders and pastors, who boldly proclaim Christ, there has been confusion about discussing spiritual formation – using words like “fuzzy” or “squishy” or simply choosing to not address it at all.…
8 Essentials For Healthy Pastoral Ministry
What a privilege to work with pastors over the past 50 years! Initially, I knit my life together with fellow pastors for mutual support.In the last 10 years I have worked with pastors in EFCA East as the Pastor Support Director. I have observed many things that I wished I…
A Simple Pattern For Discipleship
I have had the exact same conversation happen exactly the same way perhaps 30 or 40 times. It always starts the same way: ‘Jesus tells us every Christian to make disciples!’ Often the person out at breakfast with me heartily agrees, it is hard not to. But then all the…
Hitting Re-Pete When You Fail
I’ve learned a lot about failure through baseball, marriage, fatherhood, and ministry. In baseball, you can fail to get a hit 70% of the time and that’s considered success. But that constant failure can get inside your head and mess with you. It did for me my senior year of…
