It doesn’t take an academic or congregational consultant to see that a lot has changed in the church since the end of World War II. Fewer people attend and fewer people give than ever before. Worship styles have proliferated and…
Sermon making — a peek behind the curtain
In my free time I’ve recently begun watching the PBS series Grantchester, a television show about a village priest who solves murders in his free time. Since my free time doesn’t seem to be as generous as Mr. Chambers’, the…
Freedom and fear: Preaching as a young woman
What does it mean to affirm women’s leadership in church in 2016? A conversation between high schooler Jillian Mitchell, who preached her first sermon recently, and the pastor, John Jay Alvaro, of her Oklahoma City congregation.
I Preached With a Screen So You Don’t Have To
I Preached With a Screen So You Don’t Have To I hate being scared of things for the wrong reasons, but this was one of those times. I don’t normally use a screen when I preach. In fact, even though…
The 40-year-old seminarian
Steve Carell starred as The 40-Year-Old Virgin. If someone made a movie of my life this year, they could call it The 40-Year-Old Seminarian. After 23 years in public ministry, 17 of them as pastor, and 10 as the lead…
Seminaries forging a future
By Ron Crawford A response to “Seminaries reluctantly selling their souls,” by Brett Younger. So, I bought the microwave oven anyway! Typically, my wife and I reach a consensus before we make major purchases; in the early 1980s a microwave…
Why we need pastor-theologians for leading churches in mission
Anyone doing the work of planting churches will meet unpredictable cultural challenges. By definition, you are going into uncharted turf. You will have to listen, encounter new issues, interpret, translate and engage in ways you never would have to in…
Who will save your soul?
You know what they say: “Be careful what you wish for!” Truer words were perhaps never spoken when it comes to today’s Hebrew text from the book of Job. Today is week three of a four week series called, “Losing…
When she preaches
Growing up, I sat at the feet of countless remarkable male preachers. Besides Beth Moore, I don’t recall ever hearing a woman preach until my sophomore or junior year of college. I witnessed countless men stand behind pulpits, open their…