Is It Time to Drop the Requirement?
I’ve been watching the trend escalate for the past decade. For centuries, it has been the practice of non-mainline groups. But for the last couple of decades its has been a rising factor in thriving churches. I’m talking about the rise and effectiveness of non-seminary trained pastors. It used to be that pastors like enormously […]
4 Steps from Church Spectator to Disciple Maker
Why do people resist church so much? Yes, those who are a part of church need to be concerned with the valid aspects of the critique that religious people are hypocrites and out-of-touch with the intersection of faith and daily life. But there is a significant underlying reason. Our culture believes that most everyone is […]
You Need a Friend/Coach in Christ
Why do we try to do things on our own in church ministry? Why do we seem to honor being a Lone Ranger? Okay, not even the Lone Ranger did things on his own. There was Tonto. The greatest professional athletes have coaches. Why do we do ministry relatively alone? Why does the concept […]
Mostly For United Methodist Eyes – Bloom Where You’re Planted
Take an “imaginary” trip with me. The year is 2017, but things are different in some subtle ways. The U.S. military uses horses as its main mode of transportation because horses worked so well during the Civil War. Major companies conduct business through the phone party line because that is what worked for a century. […]
Pastor, Leader, and Equipper – O My!
If you’re a pastor, you’ve likely heard it. “We need a pastor who is more of a shepherd!” What does that mean? I interpret that to be the 20th century American fallacy that we pay people to do things on our behalf, including pastors to do the primary ministry activities. Go visit members in need. […]
Hospitality Begins with Signage
Think about times you’ve been embarrassed. What was the context? How did you feel? It wasn’t good, was it? Being embarrassed is a terrible feeling. When I’m embarrassed, I’m tempted to turn around and run. And that’s what I see from you too! I hang out at a coffeehouse where there’s great service and lively […]