My Problem with Old People Even Though I Are One
Before you get mad, I am an old person. I’m 77, so I’m one of those old people I have a problem with (I Know, preposition in the wrong place. Get over it; it’s not 1950). But here is my gripe with old people in church – they almost always come to church early and […]
Don’t Waste Your First Six Months
There are two ways to approach a new calling to a declining church. (1) Start slowly, build relationships, get the lay of the land, and then slowly effect changes. Ready, Aim, Fire. Or (2) Assess quickly, make changes, and then make adjustments. Ready, Fire, Aim. The first method is the most common approach in ministry. […]
Hospitality as the Foundation of Church Life
Had a great time at the mall recently. The wife gave me a dollar to spend in the arcade. Skeeball is certainly in heaven. And, in total abandonment of my normal aversion to sugar, I and my wife indulged in a chocolate chip double doozie at Great American Cookies. Now I have very good peripheral […]
Lead Like an Old English Sheepdog
For years I’ve asked my coaching clients, “What’s your hobby?” (because, Church Leaders – including you minister-types – it’s critical we have at least one hobby). It’s been said, though, that “those who can’t do teach,” and so I was caught a bit off-guard when a cohort of ministers I was coaching turned the question back on me, “So, […]
Prioritization: Where Do You Fit In?
My birthday was Sunday and for the first time I decided to give myself a gift. Not merely a present but, rather, a gift that will last the whole year. I decided to give myself the gift of “ME” – me first (okay, me second – but only after Jesus). I can hear the gasps […]
5 Ways to Share the Gospel in a Crazy World
We live in a world that is torn apart by discord between nations, between political parties, between and within churches, within families… As a follower of Jesus, I look to find how God wants me to speak to and live in the world. I submit five ways for you to consider as you seek to […]