Every pastor leads with a finite amount of trust. Theologians might call it credibility; leadership writers call it relational or political capital. Whatever the term, it functions the same way: it accumulates slowly through faithfulness and depletes quickly through avoidable mistakes.
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There are many ways to prepare for Vacation Bible School. Prayer is an obvious one. Prayer walking offers every church member an opportunity to lay an intentional, strategic spiritual foundation for ministering to children.
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The hymn “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” has the line, “How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away.” Yet is that what happened? Did the Father literally abandon the Son?
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We've all been there. We want to pray but the words won't come. Maybe we don't what to say. Perhaps the burden is heavy it's hard to articulate. Chuck Lawless shares 10 tips to help you in these moments.
In my second pastorate, I stayed at the church for just over eleven years. At the time, more than a decade at one church was almost unheard of. I’ve paid attention since then to pastors who stay at their church for at least ten years, and here are some traits I’ve seen in these pastors.
I admit it: sometimes I allow the idol of worry to divert me from the answer to worry. Maybe you do, too.
Many of us are impatient, yet God often tells us to “wait.” The tension that results is sometimes a faith challenge. If God has called you to wait, here are some things you can do in the meantime.
As Christians, we are called to share the gospel with the world (Matt. 28:18-20). Studies show us, though, that most Christians seldom if ever share their faith with a non-believer. If evangelism is a struggle for you, think about these ways to deepen your burden over non-believers.
As the world changes so rapidly around us, the memories of a hymn, of old friends, of my home church, and of my first hearing the gospel are indeed comforting.
Some years ago, my pastor at the time told me a simple story I have never forgotten. He had recently visited with an older couple in the church–in their late 80s, as I recall–and he sat across their living room from them as they talked. He sat on a recliner, and the couple sat on a couch together holding hands. Their enduring love for each other was evident in their affection.
Does it feel like your church announcements go in one ear of your congregation and out the other? There is an art to making church announcements that connect with the congregation.
I’ve heard pastors jokingly say that they would love ministry more if they didn’t have to deal with people. There are days when I understand that perspective, but I also know that most of us have to learn to be patient with church members.
On August 25, 1974 a pastor in southwestern Ohio baptized me as a new believer. A 12-year-old classmate had shared the Gospel with me almost a year earlier, and God’s Spirit worked on my heart for all the intervening months. One week prior to my baptism, God made me His child when I gave my life to Him the best way I knew how as a 13-year-old.
I’ve seen it a lot – church members who get angry at someone and then stay that way. I’ve seen people refuse to talk to each other at church, as if their silence is a godly adult reaction to disagreement. My heart breaks when I see such reactions because I’ve seen bitterness consume people for years.
