On Tuesday Est.Church launches! Micah Fries, Josh King, and I are starting a new podcast for those who lead and love the established church. We've had a blast recording the first few episodes. You can learn more about the podcast on Twitter: @EstChurch. Follow us and look for more information on Tuesday. Give us a listen. If you like the podcast, then rate and review us on iTunes or your podcast app. Read more [...]
Generally, long-term pastor tenures are better than short-term pastor tenures. The context where the pastor ministers can impact the tenure. The church body can impact the tenure. And the pastor can impact tenure length. Below are eight ways pastors can cultivate their own long-term tenures. Elevate your family above your career. You simply cannot overestimate the importance of family stability. Your family is not a quantifiable metric in the decision to transition or not. One wise Read more [...]
The wound of a parent is healed by the adoption into God’s family. Jesus heals the wound caused by a parent. Jesus restores after denial. Jesus restores after indifference. Jesus restores after abandonment.
There’s plenty not to like about smartphones in church. Most every preacher has experienced a jarring ringtone at an inopportune moment in a sermon. My favorite was the time AC/DC’s Back in Black blared as I was making a point on hell. Too bad the lyrics forget the hearse ‘cause I never die didn’t quite fit the theology I was preaching. Smartphones can both interrupt and distract. Of course, the same could be said of windows (not the operating system). In Acts 20, a sleepy Eutychus Read more [...]
The beauty of our faith is found in the glory of Jesus. Christ’s promise of a future beauty is superior to the world’s present beauty. The beauty of salvation only comes through the ugliness of the cross.
Three notable articles I read this week: Trevin Wax – 4 cultural trends leading to the decline of religious liberty. “Religious liberty, America’s ‘first freedom,’ has fallen on hard times lately. . . What’s going on? What are the cultural trends leading to diminished religious liberty?” Jay Sanders – Three reasons rural churches matter more than you may think. “Many people see small, rural churches like the minor leagues: they are a great place for pastors to be trained Read more [...]
This Sunday my church, West Bradenton Baptist, adopted a new constitution, covenant, and bylaws. Throughout the process of writing the document, our leadership teams researched several different examples of covenants. There were some good ones, but many covenants do not directly address expectations of church members and expectations of pastors. If your church is looking for an example of a church covenant, then feel free to use ours as a starting point. Covenant Throughout Read more [...]
Loving the world like Christ means you will be controversial. Hypersensitivity is childish. Christians are to be childlike. Avoiding hardship is not strength.
Three notable articles I read this week: Mark Dance – Pastors are not quitting in droves. “Each time a pastor prematurely exits the ministry race, I grieve. I also grieve each time I hear the awful pastor retention stats which are unsubstantiated and sometimes exaggerated.” Selma Wilson – 4 signs emotional work may be exhausting you. “God has given us a wide range of emotions that help us navigate life. There are positive emotions and also negative emotions. They all have purpose Read more [...]
On Sunday, I taught our new members class. It was a smaller class than usual, so I had time to converse a little more with those attending. One woman mentioned she had been a Christian for 75 years, almost to the day. The class took a moment to congratulate her. It was a reminder to me of the importance of a multigenerational church. If I remember correctly, she told everyone she was a church secretary for 40 years. Just imagine the stories she could tell. Just imagine the wisdom she has Read more [...]
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How Many Extra Hours Are Pastors Working During COVID-19?
Pastor, You’re Tired. Maybe It’s Right Where You Need to Be
EST.church Podcast: When Pastors and Deacons Do Ministry Together
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Leading a Whiteboard Session with Your Staff or Church Leaders