It was the first time Caitlin hosted the holiday dinner for her family. 27 people would be at the tables, 19 at the main, and 8 at the “Kid’s Table.” Two babies would be held or sleeping in carrying baskets. Caitlin called her Mom to make certain that everything was properly planned. “How do I cook the ham,” she asked. …
Preaching Jitters
Chris was called to ministry. He knew it. He felt it. He prayed about it. But before he could be credentialed as a pastor, Chris had to channel his passionate confidence through several years of seminary training. Bible classes were great and theology courses were mostly interesting, although Chris never imagined that basic beliefs could be so nuanced and complicated. …
Deep and Wide
“Deep and Wide.” It’s the name of a children’s song and also the title of a book by Andy Stanley. For the song, click here. Stanley’s book, Deep and Wide, is the story of his personal faith and ministry journey, as well as an explanation of the vision, values, and strategy of North Point Community Church. North Point’s aim is to be a …
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 …
Advice I would give my first-year ministry self
Written by Laura Osborne 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 …
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 …
The Most Important Work In Church Planting
When they found him beside the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” This was Jesus’s reply. “I’m telling you the solemn truth,” he said. “You aren’t looking for me because you saw signs, but because you ate as much bread as you could. You shouldn’t be working for perishable food, but for food that will …
Dealing with Discouragement
When in juxtaposition to one another, the songs “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “Singin’ in the Rain” reflect the extremes of our emotions. Karen Carpenter sings, “Hangin’ around, nothing to do but frown. Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.” To feel sad, click here. Gene Kelly, in contrast, soft (soggy)-shoes while crooning, “I’m singing in the rain, just …
Four Reasons I Love Church Planting
Four Reasons I Love Church Planting Years after each of them went through the great pain of losing their spouses, a curmudgeonly widower and a feisty widow were coaxed toward marriage by well-meaning friends. The wedding was a simple family ceremony in his house, and required no rehearsal. So when the minister used a new form to lead the couple …
Want To Be A Story Teller? Make diversity your goal, not videos.
Thousands of years ago, storytelling was a passageway into humanity; the craft of making images appear in the mind of your audience gathered around a fire was practically magic. Then, technology hurdled into the scene and, by and large, we became lackluster storytellers, dependent on technology to tell the story in our place. Then, technology evolved and grew up into …
