March 2016
I don’t care if the church is culturally relevant.
No, I don’t want us to wallow in some old-time, glory days that probably never were. But cultural relevance is not the answer.
As I wrote in Six Church-and-Culture Issues I Don't Care About Any More, it’s ...
Pastoring is hard work. But should it be this hard?
According to a post by Philip Wagner, Peter Drucker said that the four hardest jobs in America are:
- The President of the United States
- A university president
- A CEO of a hospital
- A pastor
(UPDATE: Please note the disclaimer about ...
Recruiting and keeping church givers and volunteers is harder than it used to be.
People keep saying it, so it must be true, right?
Wrong.
If I was ever tempted to tell pastors to quit whining about something, this is it.
Here’s how the party line goes: It used to be fairly ...
The resurrection of Jesus is the greatest event in history.
But Easter has an unseen downside for many small churches.
Right now, all around the world, churches are excitedly preparing for Easter Sunday. Lilies are being arranged, Passion Plays are being staged, Easter eggs being ...
“How can you possibly say that a church of 100 is as valuable as a church of 10,000?”
Yes, I was actually asked that question.
I ignored the insult and answered it this way: I’m not saying that a church of 100 is as valuable as a church of 10,000. Or vice versa. ...
I’ve been in the church all my life. Literally.
On the first Sunday I was alive, I was in a baby basket beside my mother as she played the piano in my parents’ tiny, store-front, start-up church.
In recent years, I’ve worked with churches of virtually every denomination. ...
The church I pastor isn’t like your church. If it was, one of them would be unnecessary.
Our church probably shares many traits with yours. Starting with core biblical theology, I hope. But we are uniquely us. And you should be uniquely you.
Here’s a short metaphor ...
Megachurches, we’re with you.
You’re our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our partners in ministry.
We know that the task of reaching our communities, nations, cultures and world is an enormous one. And an enormously important one. We don’t expect you to do it ...
I want my church to grow.
I want your church to grow.
But more than anything, I want The Church to grow.
I want as many people as possible, all over the world, to know Jesus.
The good news of the gospel can’t be confined within the walls of my church, the distinctives of my ...
Good stories matter.
They can tell us truths that drill themselves deep into our core.
As Easter approaches, many pastors will be tempted to tell a feel-good story of spiritual renewal, personal growth and universal hope to our larger-than-usual congregations.
That's a good ...
(This post has been updated – twice – with Stanley’s apolog(ies). Scroll down to see them.)
I hate situations like this.
I just listened to a sermon from a guy I like, who insulted me, my church and 90 percent of the churches on earth for no good reason.
For over ...
The world doesn’t need more Episcopalians.
No one wakes up with a hunger to be a Methodist.
No child says "I want to be Assemblies of God when I grow up."
We live in a post-denominational world. The day of being Presbyterian because we grew up Presbyterian is ending. ...
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