The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’” (From: The Words of Martin Luther King, Jr., 2011).
10 dangerous myths about church growth
There’s a lot of discussion that goes on about church growth: what causes it; how to generate it; prepare for it; launch it; build it; cultivate it and even, to some degree, manufacture it. Many of the discussions are helpful,…
TMI – the limits of vulnerability
Calling a start-up pastor in a traditional church world
Maybe you’re sick of me referring to Kellogg, but I’m a little obsessed after a good week here. As I continue to ponder shifting church culture so that our congregations might thrive, I came across an article in the Kellogg…
Six movies that tell us something about God
Can the church ever be united?
Last Sunday I had the opportunity to preach at the Rosedale Congregational United Church of Christ (RCC) in Kansas City, Kansas. As RCC is currently without a pastor, I was asked to preach each Sunday this month, and I much…
The spiritual practice of creating margin
If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly
It was a common scene: Reynolds, our church’s minister for adult discipleship, sitting on the sofa in my office, excitedly telling me about a new idea for ministry, usually one that would help us cross more faithfully the stubborn lines…
A different kind of Baptist preacher
Rev. Tim Sizemore’s deep southern accent reflects his Alabama roots. Tall, clean cut and blonde, with a wife and three kids, he fits the image of a white Southern Baptist preacher, living in the conservative central Florida town of Lakeland….
Come ye sinners
What the church can learn from Super Bowl commercials
Did you watch the Super Bowl on Sunday night? Not only did we have a thrilling game and an extravagant half-time show, but the commercials were a focal point of the night as they always are. The Super Bowl is…
Diary of a wimpy church
The delightful New York Times best-seller ” Diary of a Wimpy Kid ” details Greg Hefley’s misadventures in middle school as told through cartoon entries in his diary. He records his insights and questions, his frustrations and aspirations.