by Matt Cook | Jan 13, 2021 | Best Practice, healthy congregation, healthy ministry
“Religion in our time has been captured by a tourist mindset.” (Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction). I love to travel. There are few things I enjoy more than picking somewhere to go, figuring out the most interesting places to experience,...
by Jayne Davis | Jan 11, 2021 | Best Practice, community, healthy ministry
There is something very empowering about a new year – a clean slate, a fresh start. But 2021 is not just any new year. It comes on the heels of an ‘old year,’ unlike any in our lifetime. And if the first few days of 2021 are any indication, it is...
by Bill Wilson | Jan 11, 2021 | healthy ministry, Self-Care
Regularly, ministers ask for my help with ministerial and congregational life in pragmatic ways. What is the best way to organize, plan, preach, administer, supervise, lead, teach, evangelize, pray, cultivate a spiritual life, raise a family, play? You name the task;...
by Paul Grier | Dec 21, 2020 | change, Legacy, Transitions
When we hear the words “legacy” and “congregation” in the same sentence, most of us think of a devoted church member leaving a bequest in her will to her faith community. Yet, in the last eight years, I have worked with hundreds of congregations that have questioned...
by Jim Kitchens | Dec 21, 2020 | hope, Legacy, Transitions
Most of us have read the statistics about how many churches are likely to close over the next 3-5 years. Although the various studies come up with different totals, all of the figures are staggering. To make matters worse, it’s already clear that the hit many of our...
by Joel Snider | Dec 21, 2020 | hope, Legacy, Transitions
First Christian Church of Rome, Georgia (Disciples of Christ), was a great partner in ministry with the church I pastored for twenty-one years. Our congregations shared common commitments to feed the hungry and care for the poor in our community. For more than a...
by Matt Cook | Dec 8, 2020 | Administration
What do NBC, Blockbuster, HBO, and Netflix have in common? That’s easy. They’re all entertainment companies, right?What do Tower Records, Napster, ITunes, and Spotify have in common? Also easy, they’re all music companies, right?You’re half right. Both lists are made...
by Michelle Snyder | Dec 8, 2020 | Administration, healthy ministry
Bruce was in his first call to a small town church that professed community and love for each other as primary core values. While they were not expert evangelists, they loved each other well in times of crisis and understood the mandate to be each other’s keepers. ...
by Barry Howard | Dec 8, 2020 | Administration
A few months ago, a collegiate football coach and I were discussing ways that coaching and pastoring have changed across the years. Our tenures were somewhat parallel. I mentioned the changes in technology, noting how computers, the internet, and smart technology have...
by Ryan Richardson | Nov 2, 2020 | worship
This past Sunday morning my family gathered once again in the living room, brunch in hand, ready to participate in worship, virtually. These have been interesting days that have required a reimagining of congregational life while challenging our understanding of...
