- 03/05/2012
When Pastors Need a Pastor
The expectations of a pastor are always high. Most are expected to omnipresent, omniscience, and always energetic and ready to serve. But these men are people with their own limitations and their own struggles.
- 02/12/2012
A Father's Prayer
The year was 1985. My third son, Jess, was five months old. His older brothers, Sam and Art, were five and three years old respectively. My wife, Nellie Jo, and I were exhausted. She, in particular, seemed never to rest with the demands of being a stay-at-home mom to three preschool boys. I was sleeping little as well, dealing with the demands of being a full-time seminary student, serving as pastor of a small church, and working an additional thirty hours a week at a bank.
- 02/07/2012
Millennials, Religion, and a Reason for Hope
The Millennial Christians are relatively few in number. Again, I am reticent to estimate with any claim of precision, but I have suggested that the number of Christians in this generation is 15 percent of their total.
- 02/04/2012
I Am a Church Member
I am a church member. I will seek to be a source of unity in the church. I know there are no perfect pastors, staff, or other church members. But neither am I.
4 comments - 01/21/2012
Seven Reasons Leaders Fail
What then are the common characteristics of leaders who fail? They fail to dream.
1 comments - 01/06/2012
Twelve in 2012: Trends in Healthy Churches. Trends 7 to 12
Healthy churches have pastors who love the members. And the churches allow their pastors to spend time in sermon preparation.
1 comments - 01/05/2012
Twelve in 2012: Trends in Healthy Churches. Trends 1 to 6
The churches have a high view of Scripture. The members are evangelistically intentional.
6 comments - 12/12/2011
For Those Hurting This Christmas Season
I hurt deeply for those who see empty places at their meals for Christmas. I hurt for those who have gone through the agony of a divorce.
3 comments - 11/22/2011
8 Traits of Effective Church Leaders
I am a bit reluctant to articulate the characteristics of effective church leaders for fear that some may take the information and reduce it to a neat, quick-fix formula, and that others may see this approach as human-centered
Tags Leadership - 11/09/2011
When Great Churches Fall
The names of the churches stare back at me. There are 876 churches. Most of them have their names written in my books. The names I am seeing right now are churches that are no longer great. They have fallen from the lists. They no longer meet the criteria.
- 11/05/2011
The Lifecycle of Pastors
Almost twenty years ago, I began to note that the tenure of a pastor often follows a predictable pattern. Now, almost two decades later, I still see many of the same patterns
Tags Pastors - 10/26/2011
Five Warning Signs of Declining Church Health
What were some of the warning signs? The church is experiencing conflict over issues of budgets and building. Corporate prayer is minimized.
- 10/20/2011
Church Versus State
On too many occasions, I have seen governmental agencies and zoning commissions deny churches needed permission to expand for no apparent reason. And too many times, I am left figuratively speechless with the adversarial attitudes I see against Christians and local congregations.
Tags Church State - 10/05/2011
Courageous. A Movie. A Movement.
Courageous is indeed a great movie. But, even more, it could very well prove to be the beginning of a movement.
- 10/01/2011
Five Characteristics of Healthy Church Leaders
They spend time in prayer and the Word. They have longer tenure in the church.
Tags Pastors
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