Leadership
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. As believers, we have all…
Read MoreWhat 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 new vet, Owen is a…
Read MoreEFCA 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 road trip with your family…
Read MoreWhen 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 join them in playing a…
Read More8 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 had known when I started…
Read MoreA 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 air comes out of the…
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