By Bill Wilson Time for a confession. Let me tell you a consultant’s dirty little secret: congregational strategic planning is frequently a waste of time and can be counterproductive. There, it’s out. Now, it’s time to explain. Many congregations, for…
The tired arms of ministers
By Bill Wilson A friend recently shared a daily devotion that pointed out the story in Exodus 17 regarding Moses’ arms. Remember? As long as Moses held his staff with his arms aloft, the Israelites prevailed in their battle with…
The J word
By Bill Wilson I cannot stand this word and what it represents. I hear it far too often. It represents an attitude that should be banned from local church life. It is the word just. As in, “I’m just a…
When you pastor the Titanic
By Bill Wilson What if you knew that your congregation was on a collision course with its demise? What would you do? Who would you tell? How would it change the way you lead? Would it affect your sense of…
Are you ill?
By Bill Wilson My grandmother often used a word to describe herself or other people. It was the word “ill.” She did not use it to describe someone who was sick with a cold or the flu. She used it…
Recalculating
By Bill Wilson It comes in a variety of accents. It can be a man’s voice or a woman’s (my favorite is the female Australian). It can break your heart or serve as a warning. It will mock you. It…
Intervention
By Bill Wilson The award-winning reality show Intervention is about addiction and the extraordinary lengths it can take to face one’s unhealthy compulsions. Each episode chronicles the attempts by family members and friends to bring health to someone who is…
Mind the gap
By Bill Wilson Three years ago, our youngest son graduated from college. Yeah! Following graduation, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his degree. Boo! Solution: take a “gap year” and spend it in South Africa working…
High anxiety
By Bill Wilson Anyone feeling anxious? A better question: anyone not feeling anxious? God’s people in the 21st century suffer a serious malady. We mouth the words of faithfulness while we live lives dominated by anxiety and frustration. For every…
Is your church making you healthy or sick?
By Bill Wilson In talking with the doctors and nurses during his procedure, I learned that one dose of immunoglobulin is derived from the donated blood of more than 1,000 blood donors. This collection of antibodies from the donated blood…
The two most dangerous words
By Bill Wilson “Yes, but” are Two of the most dangerous words in a minister’s vocabulary. Two of the most destructive words a congregation will ever utter. The order of their utterance is important. First we say, “Yes. I agree….
Are you closed?
By Bill Wilson A friend recently shared with me an interesting story. When his church decided to replace its sign out front, it meant that the old one had to come down. For about a week, there was no sign…