Summer can stress pastors, but churches can support their well-being by protecting family time, offering practical care, and encouraging renewal.
Category: Ministry
The Denominational Employee as Spiritual Thermostat: On Being an Agent of Spiritual Renewal
Note: This essay was originally titled “The Associational Mission Strategist as Spiritual Thermostat” and was presented by the author at the Century Associations Network breakfast as part of the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Leaders (June 11-12, 2023) – New Orleans, Louisiana. Click here to obtain a PDF copy of this …
How Every Ministry in the Church is to Fulfill the Great Commission
A small group of senior adults met early at the church on Sunday mornings to pray for the classes and worship services that would follow. Theirs was a ministry of prayer for the pastors, deacons, Sunday School teachers, and workers who would soon be filling the church hallways and walkways. One week they invited me …
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5 Ways Your Church Can Respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic
(Published by Baptist Press on April 18, 2007) As the coronavirus disease spreads around the globe, thousands of deaths have forced decision-makers to cancel sporting events, restrict international travel, and discourage common social interactions. Individuals are being asked to self‑quarantine themselves. Financial markets are in disarray. Daily lives are being disrupted. For the elderly and …
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Weathering the Storms of Life – A Way to Minister to Your Community in Hurricane-Prone Regions
One night on a routine visit in a home, I asked a recent guest in our service “How did you decide to come visit our church?” “It was the magnet on the refrigerator,” she said. Immediately, I was moved beyond words. I never imagined the magnet would be a divine tool for life change! In …
Stones, Serpents, and Scorpions… or Life in the Spirit?
For most of my journey as a Christ-follower, I have repeatedly asked the questions, “How does God change a man?” and “Am I changing?” Consequently, I am—at best—a student of what happens to someone in the Presence of God. No experts here—so I pen these words with a continual readiness to be corrected and better …
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Pray Hard, Live Hard
On August 2, 1745, David Brainerd penned the following words in his diary after 28 discouraging months of serving as an early colonial missionary to native Americans in New England:"I began to entertain serious thoughts of giving up my mission. I do not know that my hopes respecting the conversion of the Indians were ever …
At The Starting Line
Read Acts 2:1-21 In high school I enjoyed running on the track team. As the official gave us directions at the starting line, I vividly recall the adrenaline pumping through my veins at the beginning of each race. He would slowly call out three phrases in an elongated, deliberate tone: “Ready… on your mark… set!” …
Stop World Whining
In a church parking lot one Sunday I passed a small truck that had a new bumper sticker on it I had not seen before. It said, "Stop World Whining." I stifled a laugh as I thought about the many times pastors have to handle dissatisfied members in their church. Have you ever felt like …
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