As we enter 2013, at what speed is your congregation moving? I believe congregations should move at the speed of the leading edge 20 percent of the people in the congregation who are the proactive, positive, and passionate leaders; that…
Surprised by a God moment when Jason walked down the aisle
We received our annual Christmas card from Carol. It is always a delight to catch up with her family. Typically, it is our only contact with them during the year. They were members of the congregation where I was pastor…
Music fills the air
Music is the universal language. Music is prevalent during this festive time of year. Music is imperative for a soul to really “sing.” Music is very much a part of my family. Melodies and harmonies abound around a family who…
Amanda died the other day, but her singing continues
Almost four decades ago while I was serving as pastor of an inner city congregation near a Baptist seminary, I would often have seminary students visit to see if they could obtain some ministry experience as a volunteer with our…
Middle-aged youth
When the mother of a lifelong friend died, we came to pay our respects. As sometimes happens, the post-service family visitation became an impromptu youth group reunion. Great hugs and greetings were exchanged as we reconnected with some of those…
Staff your congregation with 22-44 ministry mobilizers
During uncertain economic times how do congregations provide staff leadership that is essential for forward progress? How do congregations add a staff person? How do congregations replace a staff person? How do congregations lower staff costs in response to what…
They lost me when they said this was not a letter about AIDS
Back in the 1980s when the world was still trying to figure out how to get a handle on the pandemic of AIDS, I came home from work one day and had a letter from the American Red Cross. I…
What do you get when you focus on conflict? More conflict!
I’m sure you have probably heard the old adage that says Baptists are like alley cats. You know what you get when cats fight an alley on Saturday night? More cats. Conflict is similar to this because the more you…
How Evangelicals can lead the way now
After the 2012 elections, Franklin Graham stated on CNN that our nation is on a “path of destruction” due to the 2012 election results. In addition Graham said, “If we are allowed to go down this road in the path…
Worship wars are about distance not style
I continue to hear of worship wars and rumors of worship wars. If you are still battling worship wars in your congregation, you may be in conflict over the wrong issue. Worship wars are not really about the style of…
Downsizing staff without destroying your congregation
Have you ever been downsized? It hurts, doesn’t it? It hurts the person who is downsized. It hurts their family. It hurts other employees. It even hurts bosses who have a deep, compassionate spirit. Just think what happens when you…
Is it still, ‘If we build it they will come’?
Many of us remember the 1989 movie “The Field of Dreams.” It is about the sense of compulsion a nearly bankrupt Iowa farmer felt to build a baseball field in the middle of acres of corn. The voice he kept…