I’ve seen a lot of unusual things, people and events in airports. It takes something special to get a reaction from me. Recently, I saw something that stopped me in my tracks. In fact, I took a photo of the…
Sanded glass churches
On our family beach trip this past summer, our grandchildren discovered sea glass. For our five preschoolers, it was like finding treasure. In fact, that’s what they called it: “Let’s go find some more treasures!” You probably know that the…
Creating a culture of call in the church
In my interactions with churches across the country, one specific conversation nearly always emerges. With furrowed brows and a worried tone, they ask: “Where is the next generation of pastoral leadership for churches like ours going to come from?” The concern…
Pushing people to purpose
When Gil Rendle speaks, I listen. He’s been a pastor, author and consultant. Now retired, his work has inspired me and given voice to much of what I see and feel is happening in congregations. He “gets it”, in a…
Is your church a movement or a program?
For the last half of the 20th century in America, local churches functioned as programmatic centers of activity. Embedded in a supportive churched and Christian culture, their role was to provide offerings that inspired, entertained and educated those who chose…
Is your church a cut flower or a perennial?
A friend recently had surgery and we wanted to send flowers as she recuperated. Kathy asked, “What do you think — a bouquet of flowers or a plant?” Knowing this friend has a new house and could later use the…
High anxiety in the Church
Anyone feeling anxious? A better question: anyone not feeling anxious? God’s people in the 21st century suffer a serious malady. We mouth the words of faithfulness while we live lives dominated by anxiety and frustration. For every time we parrot “God…
A church myth that needs to die
Every church has a few persistent traditions and myths that just will not die. Some are unique to a particular church, like these that I’ve encountered: “Our youth group only goes on retreats to Happy Valley Camp. All other options…
Identifying those pesky blind spots and headaches in the Church
Have you ever experienced a migraine headache? Across my life, I have struggled with occasional migraines. Thankfully, they have diminished in both frequency and intensity over the years. Mine are always preceded by significant distortion in my field of vision….