“How can I help you, Pastor?” The man served in our church as a ministry leader. He ran a large business with several employees. He was a busy man, and yet he wanted to know how he could help me! I invited him to pray for me. Immediately he stood up, walked next to where …
Continue reading How to Support Your Pastor and Your Staff in the Ministry You Lead
I’m old enough to recall when “leadership” became the latest buzzword among pastors. The key to being a good pastor was to become a good “leader.” I won’t bore you with the history of how it happened, but gradually we replaced “discipleship” with “leadership” as a primary pastoral objective. (Ironically, the seminary that pioneered secular …
Continue reading Leadership Expectations as a Source of Pastoral Pain
Not. One. More. Thing. He was physically tired and emotionally spent. For four years he had done everything he knew to get the church growing again, but with no visible results. He no longer looked forward to preaching. Committee meetings had become gripe sessions. The mounting criticism of his leadership was withering to his soul. …
Continue reading The Beatdown: Runaway Expectations in the Life of a Pastor
With economies floundering and a potential flu epidemic, it's natural for someone to reflect on the big questions of life: why am I here? What does life mean? Where is God? How should a Christian preacher respond? During World War II, Martyn Lloyd-Jones continued to preach at the historic Westminster Chapel in London every Sunday …
Continue reading Preacher, What Will You Preach This Sunday?
Several years ago a mission pastor entered a barber shop around the corner from his church. Although he needed a haircut, his purpose was to build a witnessing relationship with the owner. They had a good talk, but the only result was a really bad haircut. Laughing at his new "butchered" look, the pastor visited …
Who gets in? Who gets left out in the cold? The door man decides. Several years ago, The Los Angeles Times entertainment website unveiled a cover story on the city’s club scene. Profiling door men who screen entry intoexclusive establishments, the article explains that success is attached to what you wear and who you are …
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