Women breaking new ground in ministry need a network of peer support. February 10 is the Feast Day of Saint Scholastica, the twin sister of Saint Benedict and founder of the first Benedictine convent for women. These “holy twins” were born…
Scholastica: A saint for women called to ministry
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…
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…
Condolences should not come with a ‘but’ attached
A dear friend died who worked tirelessly for social justice during his life. Being a passionate person who relentlessly pursued what he thought was right, he caused more than 1 controversy in his life. He also helped people all around…
Leadership and bearing pain
Termination meetings — those uncomfortable sessions in which an administrator tells an employee that he or she is being fired — are primarily shaped by legal considerations these days. The instructions from the HR office are clear: Make sure that…
Make room for young people
Like any committed churchgoer these days, I’ve long known that the church is graying fast. But even so, I was taken aback recently when a friend said to me, “You and my grandmother are the only people I know who…
Small town churches embracing identity as sacred space
I was once on staff at a small church in the Houston area. We had less than 150 people weekly, but our property situated on a busy road where nearly 30,000 cars a day passed us by. One might think…