When I make a work, I often take it to the very edge of its collapse. — Andy Goldsworthy Churches are fragile things. Not the buildings, of course. We build those out of sturdy material. Heavy stone and thick timber…
Unprofessional Christianity
Quitting your job is scary and hard and weird and exciting and nauseating, but when you’re a pastor, it’s a lot like leaving a cult. For most people, the phrase “You know, it was just time” is a sufficient…
The only vision that works for congregations is God’s vision
“The Triune God is the only true source of vision that is clearly spiritual and has any chance of pulling a congregation forward in the direction of its full Kingdom potential. Humankind has great ideas. Humankind has experiences of inspiration….
Vision is a movement of God that is memorable
How do you define vision? If you cannot define it, you may not know what it is when you have it. Vision is not the same as mission. The eternal mission of a congregation is the timeless understanding of the…
J. Brent Walker: Our friend and mentor
By Stephen Reeves, Aaron Weaver and Jeff Huett When we think of defenders and champions of religious liberty and the separation of church and state, we think of many from the great Baptist cloud of witnesses. We think of Roger…
Congregations without vision cannot see Jesus
Seeing Jesus is a powerful image in the New Testament. Matthew 25:37-40 as an example says, “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?…
Your congregation needs to know what Lyle Schaller taught me about vision
The father of post World War II practical church consulting, Lyle Schaller, was my most significant consulting mentor and spoke prophetically into my life. He taught me amazing things about congregations, how to consult with them, and how to bring…
Are denominational bodies doomed?
By Bill Wilson Recent news stories describing the massive layoffs at the International Mission Board of Southern Baptists, the nearly 50 percent downsizing of the Florida Baptist Convention staff, the continued erosion of financial support for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and…
Fallen Christian leaders
What follows here is a guest post written by my colleague Joel Gregory. I do not know to whom he is specifically referring and it doesn’t matter. At least once every year we hear or read about a religious (usually…