God has a plan for your life and it may not match up with your plan. My tenure in ministry is 15 years long now and running. It isn’t the track I thought it would have been, but it is a track that God put me on. He taught and has been teaching me valuable lessons along the way. Even …
3 Ways To Become A Healthier Church Leader Right Now
If you spend any amount of time in a rhythm of Church Leadership, your calendar is probably full of meetings, your whiteboard is full of strategies, and your cup of inspiration is likely running empty —you are busy. In fact, “rhythms” are often replaced by unending weeks of simply reacting. Sound at all familiar? The nature of Church Culture and …
What I Do to Get Myself out of a Leadership Funk
By Dr. Wayne Brouwer My first congregation was very rural, with our home-made church building one of only a dozen whistle-stop structures on the sweeping Alberta prairies. Mail was not delivered, but had to be picked up at the Post Office, housed in the only matchbox-sized general store for miles (five people crowded it; a dozen meant at least three …
New World Order
We were pummeled by death and then amazed by life in a space of 48 hours. Our middle daughter died after childbirth. Not “almost died.” She died. And then she died again. And then she died again. Three times dead. Coded. Pronounced. Followed by three resurrections. The details are sad, tragic, horrific, angering, and even (a couple of times) almost …
Easter Hope
Church historian Martin Marty told of a friend of his who taught Sunday School for many years. One April morning the weather had turned so warm and spring-like that the teacher knew his class needed to spend time outside. He brought plastic eggs, leftover from Easter treats, and told the eight-year-old students to look around for something that showed new …
Two Kinds of Easter Leadership Styles
“Risen” is a movie that portrays a fictional 1st century Roman Centurion named Clavius, who is charged with investigating rumors about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A primary purpose of the film is to illustrate the impact of the resurrection upon this non-believer. The movie, however, also gives us a glimpse of the leadership style of Roman military officers of …
Nine ways to keep the Holidays Holy
Nine Ways To Keep The Holidays Holy A young girl went with her pastor father when he led a Christmas afternoon worship service at a retirement home. His exuberance while telling the story and implications of Jesus’ coming was palpable, and Christmas carols were sung with enthusiasm by a delighted crowd of residents and visiting family members. One nurse, however, …
CLC Courses as they relate to RCA Commissioned Pastor Competencies
CLC Courses as they relate to RCA Commissioned Pastor Competencies Our CLC courses are designed to address and fully equip for the ten competency expectations of the Reformed Church in America for its Commissioned Pastors. Below is a list of the RCA expected competencies and the CLC courses which address them. A fuller treatment of the nuances of each competency …
Everywhere and Nowhere
Everywhere and Nowhere The digital age is our friend, not our foe. “The new center of mission is everywhere and nowhere.” – Richard Bauckham Yesterday, I opened my Google Suite (G-Mail, Calendar, Drive) like I do every day. Except yesterday, my Google Drive was empty. A glitch in the software had hidden all of my documents. All. My. Documents. I …
Fighting Echo Chambers – The Hard Work of Theology
Fighting Echo Chambers – The Hard Work of Theology I have been a CLC facilitator for about three years. With few exceptions, I have led a course in every term. Some of you reading this may still be recovering from the experience. Most recently, I wrapped up Theology 1 + 2. My introductory e-mail included the phrase, “This class will …