If there is no hope, there is no future. In his 1992 novel The Children of Men (Made into a movie of the same name in 2006), P.D. James tells of a future where no children are born. James insists …
The Death of Hope (Part 1)
“…there’s an extraordinary wave of depression and anxiety in teens and adults, for example. There was one analysis that said that 44 percent of American 8th, 10th, and 12th graders report feeling, at times, that, quote, ‘my life is not …
Who is at the table?
The Last Supper. We scan the faces at the table seeing the 12 disciples and Jesus. But who’s really at the table? Fishermen who are considered the middle class of their day. A tax collector who likely ripped fishermen off …
Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places
What do you love? What does your congregation love? These are essential questions to dig into because St. Augustine states, “Wherever I am carried, my love is carrying me.” Putting it another way, our congregations do what they love to …
9 things your Pastor wished you knew about but can’t say out loud
An ice storm on Saturday night! Everything was cancelled. Roads were closed and powerlines down. Chad was the new pastor at Creekside Church. In fact, he was new to ministry leadership. His ordination service in this rural congregation happened only …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …