Expository Preaching and Anchoring To The Rock
Picture yourself rock climbing. The sun shines and sweat drips from your forehead. You’re fifty feet above the ground on the side of a rockface. Your arms burn. You keep dipping your sweaty hands in the bag of chalk that hangs from your belt as though that will make climbing…
Pastors Need Healthy Boundaries
There’s a phrase in endurance sports called “burning matches.” For every racer, there’s one average pace that gets you to the finish line fastest. And every time you increase your speed above that pace (perhaps to catch one competitor or drop another) you “burn a match.” Burning matches is part…
No one needs you. Now what?
“What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” Exodus 18:17-19 When confronted by his father-in-law about the work he has taken on, Moses responds very much…
Receiving, Responding To, and Leveraging Reviews For Your Church
A TALE OF TWO GOOGLE REVIEWS Have you ever had an experience so utterly horrible – so absolutely, soul-crushingly awful – that you felt compelled to leave a scathing review online? A few weeks ago, this happened to a woman named Gina*. Probably not super uncommon, except for the fact…
5 Ways To Make Sure Your Church Website Stays Relevant
I know nothing about cars, so whenever I take mine in for service and they offer to do a “complimentary 5-point inspection,” I’m grateful. (That is, until I find out that they’re usually just trying to up-sell me on extra maintenance.) If you’re feeling lost with the mechanics of your…
3 “Rookie Mistakes” to Avoid in Your Church’s Communications
As a new Communications Director with a degree in social work and experience in an adolescent psych hospital and an overseas youth ministry team (in other words, a complete rookie), I made a lot of mistakes and learned many lessons the hard way. With over 7 years under my belt…
4 Principles From Hamilton That Will Remake The Way I Do Church
The past few months, we’ve all experienced significant losses – graduations, gatherings, job security, vacations, and in many cases, a friend or loved one. With all this heartache, it’s good to stop and appreciate the one thing we have all gained during the shutdown. Access to Hamilton! Hamilton, the award-winning,…
I’ve Got Nothing, People.
When the schedule for our EDA bloggers came out, being assigned the middle of March seemed harmless enough. Now that it’s here, I have the simple task of writing a little something to encourage pastors and church leaders in the middle of a worldwide pandemic that is bringing everyone’s…
5 Ways To Achieve Longevity in Ministry
I’m a 53-year-old youth pastor. Most of the jokes at our youth ministry involve my baldness. I’m glad to give the students an easy target for their underdeveloped, juvenile sense of humor. Considering that our 19-year-old worship leader looks like a cross between Fabio and Samson, making fun of me…
7 Ways To Discourage and Demoralize Your Staff and Volunteers
*The following is meant to be tongue-in-cheek* When I first started as a youth pastor, the ministry was small and I was solely responsible for every aspect of the program. The first thing I did was recruit some good volunteers and tell them what to do. Our small team did…
4 Ways To Play Left Tackle For Your Senior Pastor
I’ve never quarterbacked an NFL football team, but I’m certain it’s the most difficult position in sports. No other position requires such high levels of decision-making, vision, responsibility, leadership, and talent. Despite the fact there are 52 other players on the roster, 21 other starters, and three aspects of game…
The Church and Social Media
At its best, social media is all about establishing connections and building community. At its worst, social media is all about gaining followers and wasting time. Whatever way you spin it, social media is still the most popular and pervasive mode of communication. That leaves churches with a dilemma –…