Articles
Pastor David Doster Describes Frustration with what Felt Like Never-ending Transition
David Doster, pastor of Burke Community Bible Church, shares about a challenging life season where God worked in his heart to deal with his need for control. In this season, he came to truly understand how ministry can happen anywhere and at any time.
Politics and the Church
The presidential election of 2016 will probably go down in history as one of the most memorable. I would imagine most people, whether Republican, Democrat, or Independent will monitor the Republication convention with interest, if for no other reason than to see the...
An Urgent Conversation Many Pastors Overlook
Recently the CEO of Awana, Valerie Bell, asked a pastor, “Pastor, in 30 years from now, will the children in your church thank you for preparing them to walk into an unknown future?” That question punched me right in the gut. As I pondered my response in my head and...
The Millennial Pastoral Staff And You
Whether you are a near-retirement baby boomer, a Gen-Xer at the zenith of your career, or a uniquely driven millennial still fresh in the ministry, there’s probably one thing you all agree on—your millennial staff drives you crazy at times. In 2009, authors Neil Howe...
Should Your Group Leaders Plan Their Own Bible Studies?
The writer of the Book of Hebrews gave us a lasting, but very practical, exhortation in Hebrews 10:24-25. He told us that we should not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but continue on. Keep gathering. Keep meeting. That’s because the...
Author and Former Pastor was Entrapped by Alcohol
Matt Bays is on a mission to open the conversation about an often undiscussed topic amongst the church. He learned the hard way how certain coping mechanisms can take your life down a dangerous path. Thanks to a life-altering encounter with a friend and an...
Building a Church from Scratch
My husband and I are not church planters. We were once called to lead a new mission after it had already begun; and we have been a part of a core group starting a church, becoming a part of the group shortly before the church met for the first time. Although we have...
Kurt Sauder, Further Still Ministries, on Dealing With Anger & Unexplainable Loss
God can handle our deepest pain and questions and even our frustration and anger with Him. Kurt Sauder of Further Still Ministries and former pastor at Southeast Christian Church shares about working through anger at God in the midst of unexplainable loss.
5 Ways To Plan a Great Staff Retreat
Whether you have a huge staff or just a handful of loyal warriors, a staff retreat is a terrific way to reward hard work, deepen personal ties, build unity, and set aside time to simply be. Here are some tips for creating a great staff retreat. First, distance is...
17 Ways Pastors Can Hit the “Refresh” Button
Every pastor who still wants to be in the ministry five years from now needs to take a day or two off each quarter to hit the “refresh” button. The most valuable assets we have, after all, aren’t our offices, computers, books and other tangible resources. Instead, our...
Five Resource Options for Today’s Teens
More than likely, it’s been many years since your youth group days of Sunday school, discipleship training, and midweek groups. For some, many more than you’d care to admit. If you can even remember what resources your leaders used back in your day to help teach God’s...
The Necessity of Being A Bivocational Pastor
Does God still call people to become a bivocational pastor? Most young pastors probably assume that, of course, God wants them to receive a salary from their church that compensates for all their family’s financial needs (and if the budget’s not there, then that’s...
Bob Russell Shares How Being Over-Driven Became Destructive
Pastor Bob Russell knew that watching the numbers was a necessary part of growing his church. Sadly, without balance, the numbers game can lead to competitiveness. In Pastor Russell's case, this created a major distraction, ultimately stealing him from the Kingdom and...
Erin Blair Wrestles with What it Looks Like to be a Pastor’s Wife
Erin Blair, lead pastor of Limitless Church gets real about the struggle of being a pastor's wife. The challenges and difficulties of this role are real. Erin share's her story of turning pain into purpose and following God's call on her life.
Ways To Keep Kids Engaged
It can be hard to plan church activities for children during the summer, especially in small churches, because of sports, family vacations, and so forth. Our church will have Vacation Bible School, as will many other churches. But, in addition to whatever Sunday and...
It Made a Difference to That One
Many of us in pastoral care prefer getting to know people in groups, on Sundays, or at meals. While group settings are helpful in building a team and a community of believers who support one another, I have found one on one relationships are truly the key to the most...
The Pastor And His Rural Community
For most of his ministry, my husband has pastored rural churches. He feels called to serve smaller churches, to “remind them . . . to be ready for every good work” (Titus 3:1 nkjv). Pastoring in a rural community is a mixed blessing. On the positive side, we have...
8 Books for Pastors Who Want to Last
Every pastor who still wants to be in the ministry five years from now needs to carefully read eight books. All eight have been game-changers for me. Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by Arbinger Institute (Berrett-Koehler). This international...
Matt Blair of Limitless Church on Overcoming the Battle of the Comparison Game
What do you do when the dream God puts on your heart doesn't look like you thought it would? Matt Blair and his wife planted Limitless Church in Tampa Florida through ARC (Association of Related Churches). Here, they share their story on some of the unexpected...
Making Disciples, Not Diaper Changers
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. —Matthew 28:19–20 Go. Make disciples. Baptize them. Probably every single evangelical church is very familiar with Jesus’ final command to...
