by Don Harvey | Jun 18, 2019 | healthy congregation
I had the privilege of volunteering in a local elementary school in its drug awareness and violence prevention program. The fourth graders were quick to identify behaviors that victimized others; we talked at length about bullying in the school and identified...
by Doug Haney | Jun 11, 2019 | worship
On Easter Sunday at Wilshire our Sanctuary Choir sang two great choruses from Handel’s Messiah, “Worthy is the Lamb” paired with “Hallelujah.” In conversation with our worship planning team we had placed these selections after the...
by David Hull | Jun 4, 2019 | future
Cathedrals have been on my mind in recent weeks. I was one of millions who watched in horror as the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burned on April 15. The world has since offered an outpouring of support for the people of Paris and the damaged structure that lies...
by Bill Wilson | May 28, 2019 | change
I am increasingly focusing my time and attention on discerning what is the primary leadership skill needed among pastors for this season of the Protestant church in America. While it is dangerous to paint with too broad a brush, it appears to me that pastors of...
by Jayne Davis | May 22, 2019 | healthy ministry
When’s the last time you had a really great staff retreat? I’m not talking about a “working vacation” type of retreat when you were able to knock out a big project free from the distractions of the office and phones. It’s a bonus if the group can...
by Mike Queen | May 14, 2019 | grace
Stephen Covey told the story of being on a subway when a man and his three children got on the same car in which he was riding. The young children were loud, boisterous and generally out of control. They were disturbing everyone else on the subway, and the father did...
by Jim Kitchens | May 7, 2019 | change
There’s a lot of talk out there these days about how churches are having to deal with change: hard change, messy change, adaptive change. Those of us in pastoral leadership know these challenges are not merely theoretical. Every day, we encounter real change on the...
by Bill Wilson | Apr 30, 2019 | change
A friend was telling me about an organization that is struggling to adapt to some very necessary changes. While not a church, the observation she made about their inability to adjust to a changing world rings true for many of us. Her observation focused on the...
by Phill Martin | Apr 23, 2019 | giving
I have to confess when it comes to calculating and filing my taxes, I am a procrastinator. It is not that I am unaware of where I will likely stand on the subject at the end of the day; it is just a task that I do not enjoy. Ok, no one does unless it...
by Barry Howard | Apr 17, 2019 | healthy ministry
The first time I walked onto the grounds at Augusta National in 2002, I was overcome by the lush beauty. I have been privileged to attend The Masters several times through the years, and on each visit, I am inspired when I step foot on this immaculately...
