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…
If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly
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.
Happy birthday, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Four emerging trends in small town churches
Today kicks off a new series of blog posts called “What’s Trending,” where I will specifically discuss cutting edge trends that might push a few boundaries for many rural churches. The trends I will name in this series will range…
Six observations about speaking to pastors right before they preach
For most pastors, preaching is one of the most important facets of their ministries. It is that time when they get to expound on God’s Word. Much of their training has focused on preaching, and they often spend 15 to…