Have you noticed our tendency to try and control others with rules? We started with Ten Commandments. That led to Jewish scholars noting that the … [Read more...] about The Rise of Church Discipline
New Clergy Deserve a Chance
A recent column on the surge of churches calling pastors in their fifth decade evoked a wide range of responses. Many came from mid-career clergy who … [Read more...] about New Clergy Deserve a Chance
Prime Time
One thing that is predictable about pastor search committees is that they all want something similar: a great preacher, an amazing administrator who … [Read more...] about Prime Time
Critical Questions for 2012
If there is one recurring theme to the conversations I have regularly with clergy, lay leaders and denominational employees, it is viability. In a … [Read more...] about Critical Questions for 2012
Can we have a healthier pastor search process?
An increasing part of my life is spent advising and coaching Pastor Search Committees. A healthy search process requires great patience, spiritual … [Read more...] about Can we have a healthier pastor search process?
Are you Ill?
My grandmother often used a word to describe herself or other people. It was the word “ill”. She did not use it to describe someone who was sick with … [Read more...] about Are you Ill?
The two most dangerous words
Yes, but… Two of the most dangerous words in a minister’s vocabulary. Two of the most destructive words a congregation will ever utter. Yes, … [Read more...] about The two most dangerous words
