Have you noticed our tendency to try and control others with rules? We started with Ten Commandments. That led to Jewish scholars noting that the Torah actually contains 613 commandments, which can be divided into 365 “negative commandments,” and 248…
VITAL SIGNS: New clergy deserve a chance
A recent column on the surge of churches calling pastors in their fifth decade evoked a wide range of responses. Many came from mid-career clergy who offered a hearty “Amen” and were grateful for the news that their sense of…
VITAL SIGNS: Prime time
One thing that is predictable about pastor search committees is that they all want something similar: a great preacher, an amazing administrator who loves visiting, someone who is effective with young families and senior adults, a 38 year old with…
VITAL SIGNS: Worship at Gate A3
Every congregation needs to be engaged in a healthy conversation about worship. Hopefully, it is at the heart of your identity, calendar and thought-life. As you face the future, one powerful question you must wrestle with is: “Of what value…
VITAL SIGNS: Which parking spot for you?
Among the critical questions every minister and staff needs to ask as we begin a new year is this one: Which parking spot will you choose? Clearly, this question needs to be put in its proper context. My father was…
VITAL SIGNS: The unbalanced church
When a congregation wants to get, stay or remain healthy, one of the key questions it asks has to do with the balance between its internal and an external focus. One excellent congregational exercise to help with this question is…
VITAL SIGNS: Critical questions for 2012
If there is one recurring theme to the conversations I have regularly with clergy, lay leaders and denominational employees, it is viability. In a myriad of ways, people are asking viability questions about ministry, congregational life, finances, staff models, facilities,…
VITAL SIGNS: Can we have a healthier search process?
An increasing part of my life is spent advising and coaching pastor search committees. A healthy search process requires great patience, spiritual maturity and hard work. Done well, it can lead to a season of hope and health for a…
VITAL SIGNS: Confession from a consultant
Time for a confession. Let me tell you a consultant’s dirty little secret: congregational strategic planning is frequently a waste of time and can be counterproductive. There, it’s out. Now, it’s time to explain. Many congregations, for a variety of…
VITAL SIGNS: The tired arms of ministers
A friend recently shared with me a daily devotion that pointed out the story in Exodus 17 regarding Moses’ arms. Remember? As long as Moses held his staff with his arms aloft, the Israelites prevailed in their battle with the…
VITAL SIGNS: The J word
I cannot stand this word and what it represents. I hear it far too often. It represents an attitude that should be banned from local church life. It is the word just. As in, “I’m just a layperson.” Actually, that…
VITAL SIGNS: When you pastor the Titanic
What if you knew that your congregation was on a collision course with its demise? What would you do? Who would you tell? How would it change the way you lead? Would it affect your sense of urgency? Would it…