By Bill Wilson Failure. Just saying the word in the same sentence as our name makes us nervous. Far too often, failure and ministry go together. Frequently, failure is the last word for ministers and churches. Many ministers’ inner life…
Dreaming with God
By Bill Wilson I’ve made a transition in recent years in the way I think and talk about God’s will. For many people, the will of God is a mysterious, elusive and frustrating concept. Too often, we have made it…
Traps for clergy and their new congregation
By Bill Wilson Several traps come to mind: The trap of expectations. Coming into a congregation as the new minister is a wonderful season of new beginnings and possibilities. People await you with great expectations. Often those expectations are exaggerated…
A week to remember
By Bill Wilson Some weeks fade from memory quickly. Others stand out for their significance and impact. This year, the week of Easter and following was a memorable week to learn some indispensable things about being a vibrant and healthy church…
Words from a master
By Bill Wilson I recently had the privilege of hearing Fred Craddock preach. For many clergy, Craddock represents the personification of a stream of preaching that emphasizes narrative and intuition over expository and logic. For some it is extremely appealing,…
A new ministerial role
By Bill Wilson For centuries the church has taken Ephesians 4 to heart and suggested that there are five primary roles for a minister to fulfill. Modern ministers are expected to embody these roles as needed and with a significant…
A church for those who wander
By Bill Wilson The book of James closes with a most interesting assertion: “My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner…
VITAL SIGNS: Disagreeing agreeably
After one particularly frustrating performance by his Green Bay Packers, legendary Coach Vince Lombardi called his team together. He was determined to get them refocused on the things that made for winning. As they knelt before the coach, he held…
Life by the clock or life by the compass?
By Bill Wilson Which do you live by: Clock or compass? If the clock dictates, your life is consumed with the immediate and pressing issues of the moment. Clock-life is focused on short-term results. If the clock rules, you find…
Staffing for survival
By Bill Wilson What is the most important staff position at your church? Of course, as a former pastor, I must declare that we cannot function without a pastor. What would we do without a music/worship leader? We cannot live…
A year of ‘gracious uncertainty’
By Bill Wilson On the threshold of a new decade in our new millennium, there is a pervasive mood among God’s people: uncertainty. We hear it weekly from clergy and laity alike, usually around a specific concern regarding employment or…
Giving thanks
By Bill Wilson Healthy Christians are people of gratitude and generosity. That is a clear biblical truth that has been lived out across the years in church history. If the gospel has not penetrated a person’s heart to the point…