I feel like such a failure. Growing up, I became accustomed to objective standards of success defining whether or not I had succeeded. An A+ signifies a job well done. A winning record in my collegiate sport proves my hard work. Even in marriage, a “Great job!” from my husband means I am accomplishing my goal of loving him well. Until recently, I didn’t realize how much I had begun to rely on these exterior praises to determine whether I had accomplished a job well done.
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Pastors often face difficult situations. How they lead is important. There are four principles pastors should keep in mind to lead with care and integrity.
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Recently, I led a collegiate conference at a local church. Every time I speak to college students, I’m reminded of two things: (1) they bring enthusiasm and potential to a local church, and (2) many, if not most churches—unlike the church where I did the conference—do a poor job of reaching these students. In fact, many churches lose their high school graduates when they go to college and don’t regain them (if they do) until they get married and have children.
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“Lord, teach us to pray.” That appeal, in itself, is one of the greatest prayer requests in the New Testament (Luke 11:1). The request is also a powerful reminder that prayer can be taught. Preaching on prayer, therefore, is a practice which follows in the ministerial footsteps of the Lord, who frequently preached on prayer (Matthew6:6-15;Mark 11:24-26; Luke 11:9-13; John 14:13-14; etc.).
Although only 10% of churches have more than 250 people and 70% have 100 or fewer, I won’t quibble on the reality that “typical” or “normative” is a better descriptor than “small” for churches that run fewer than 250 in attendance. The vast majority of churches are small in attendance. But there seem to be a few myths about the pastors who lead them.
FARMERSVILLE, Texas (BP) – This weekend, flights filled with pastors and their families from all over the country will land in California. They'll grab rental cars or book Ubers to make their way to the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors' Conference for two days of encouragement and edification. As they do, I thought it would be helpful to look back at the history of our legendary conference, give a taste of what to expect Sunday and Monday, and look ahead at our future.
FAIRVIEW, Texas (BP) – Many years ago, someone asked Charles Spurgeon why he was so successful. His response? “Because my people pray for me.”
FAIRVIEW, Texas (BP) – Here are four things to watch leading up to the 2022 SBC Pastors’ Conference.
“Desde 2018, la Convención Bautista del Sur ha perdido una serie de líderes de alto perfil cuyos mandatos terminaron debido a controversias o mala conducta”, comenzó el artículo reciente de RNS, “¿Puede alguien llevar adelante la Convención Bautista del Sur?” por Bob Smietana. Pero tal vez el autor esté buscando líderes en los lugares equivocados.
“Since 2018, the Southern Baptist Convention has lost a series of high-profile leaders whose tenures ended due to controversy or misconduct,” began the recent RNS article, “Can anyone lead the Southern Baptist Convention forward?” by Bob Smietana. But maybe the author is looking for leaders in all the wrong places.
Before sending on an online message, pastor and author Matt Henslee asks himself: Is this true or false? Does it build up or tear down? Does it amplify or diminish Christ's Gospel?
