Articles
Counseling Not Your Thing? You Got This.
Often, one of the toughest jobs a pastor has to do is counsel others. Preaching? It’s in the bag. But counseling . . . “Um . . . I’ll pass,” you say. Why is that? Oh, kindhearted pastors would probably offer a variety of reasons, but let’s be real: With preaching, you...
Curing the Messiah Complex
Hannah Anderson A few years ago, I found myself going through a period of intense anxiety and stress. From the outside, my life looked fine. Besides serving in my local church, God was opening up more and more opportunities to serve through writing and speaking. I...
Am I Equipped to Minister to the Dying?
The local church is confronted with death and the resultant grief on a consistent basis. There are approximately two million funerals in America per year or about 5,479 funerals that take place per day. What does the God and church leaders have to say to those who are...
Pastor Cubello Almost Stepped Down, but His Congregation Wouldn’t Let Him
After a devastating family loss, Pastor Tony Cubello of Branch of Life Christian Fellowship in Cape Coral, FL was ready to walk away from ministry. The overwhelming love and support he and his family received from their congregation in the months that followed were a...
Why Ministries of Greeting and Hospitality Matter
The ministries of greeting people and showing hospitality may be two of the least recognized areas of church ministry. In fact, many people may not think of them as ministry at all, but they are vital to your church. You will notice I am referring to them in the...
Peacemaking 101: Biblical Conflict Resolution
Most of us don’t like to deal with conflict—it can be messy. Yet Jesus encourages His people to not put off dealing with conflicts. We are told that to be reconciled to God we must first be reconciled to others: "...leave your gift there in front of the altar. First...
Aleppo: What You Need To Know (And What Gary Johnson Didn’t)
In the midst of one of the tightest and most divisive elections in our history, Gary Johnson, a third party candidate for president, made a huge error when being interviewed on one of the most influential news stations on television. On CNN, Gary Johnson stated he had...
Quick Recap of Catalyst 2016
For those who work in ministry (or truly any leader looking for inspiration) Catalyst is an event that will rejuvenate you and give you incredible insight that you can take home and use to influence your daily walk. The theme of this year’s event dives into how Jesus...
Why Our Physical Health Matters in Ministry
Three years ago I lost my mobility for three months due to leg injuries. For the sake of great storytelling, I could blame something dramatic like a ski accident. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. The truth is, I’d neglected my physical health for several years...
How Planning Kills Motivation
It is often said that everyone wants to be a writer, but no one wants to write. Although this may be true for some, I believe many people want to write, they just have no idea how to get themselves to do it. As a writer and editor, the question I get most often is,...
Mediating Clashes Between Young and Old As Times Change
Many smaller churches, especially those that have been around for a long time, have quite a few senior citizens. There may be a good reason for that: sometimes they have been in that particular church for many years, maybe since they were young. Having a good senior...
Pastor Derwin Gray Wrestles with Modern Evangelicalism
Why is the church the most segregated place on earth? Why are there celebrity pastors? How do you reconcile the business principles that often overshadow the Gospel of the church? How do you deal with doubt, disillusionment, and disappointment as a pastor of the...
Do You Have An Ego Problem?
You never struggle with an ego problem, do you? No, of course not. Ego problems are for athletes and celebrities. CEOs and politicians. Maybe from time to time you find a head deacon or a retired pastor in your church who thinks their way is the best way, but that’s...
What if You’re NOT Insanely Busy?
There are many stereotypes people have concerning pastors: They do not make much money (unless they pastor a megachurch, in which they then make too much money). Most of their week is spent studying and memorizing the next sermon. They are definitely Type B...
Inspire Giving Without Preaching On It
How many times have you mentioned Malachi 3:10 in a sermon meant to inspire giving? “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse. . . . Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing...
A Response To Violence In Charlotte
Every night recently, pictures of violence fill the evening news as the riots in Charlotte filled rage on. After I went to bed, I lay thinking about the images and how the violence and disunity must break the heart of God. I wondered how we – the people of God -...
Responding to Terror in New York, New Jersey, and Missouri
We are at war. The world is a crazy, scary place. Children are being sold into slavery, terrorists are attacking innocent victims and no one knows where Isis will strike next. This newest bombing in New York and New Jersey confirms that the U.S. is not immune from...
When People Try to Undermine the Pastor’s Authority
This subject is difficult for me because the very thought of it makes me ill. If you have experienced, or are now experiencing, a situation where a congregant or a group of congregants try to undermine your authority as a pastor, you are not alone. I would imagine it...
Managing Volunteers at Church
In the business world, there are managers and employees. Managers normally have the authority to hire and fire at will, and everyone is working for an hourly wage or salary. If an employee doesn’t do the job as instructed, he or she may be replaced. But in the church,...
Pastor Kevin Harney on Neglecting Family for Ministry
Kevin Harney, Pastor of Shoreline Community Church in Monterey, CA, shares how a broken promise to himself to live a truly balanced life led to redemption through "dad home nights" and an admission that sometimes family must come first.
