Personal Timeline Lessons of Ministry Leaders
Gateway Seminary has a course that is required at the beginning of every degree program called P1111 Introduction to Ministry Formation. New students filter through this class as they start seminary to develop a deeper understanding of their calling and how seminary aides them in fulfilling their call to ministry leadership. Students take the class […]
Anger or Acceptance
Most American Christians realize our cultural context for ministry has changed dramatically in the past few years. The emotional response among many believers is anger—at the culture, media, politicians, Christian leaders, etc. This anger expresses itself in diatribes on social media, personal confrontations, and even militant protests. Anger like this is often driven by fear—in […]
Jury Duty
When a person receives a jury duty notice, their first response is usually a groan. Many people resent the intrusion and mandated adjustment of their work and family life. They are frustrated by the inefficient system of jury selection, and have concerns about (if not outright disdain for) the legal system. Last week it was […]
Reaching Senior Adults
A church in our area recently completed a project to reach senior adults with the gospel and accelerate the spiritual growth of their senior members. They hosted a Vacation Bible School for senior adults. It was my privilege to be their Bible study leader for a few of their sessions. VBS for Seniors met each […]
Paying your Pastor
A recent study by Lifeway Research produced some helpful information about pastoral compensation in North America. Among other findings, the study showed pastors are being paid about the same as in 2018—with few increases in either salary or benefits. Since the Consumer Price Index has increased 17.6 percent over the past four years, the purchasing […]
Content and Community
We enjoy attending live events—concerts, musicals, sporting events, etc. While we enjoy community theater and high school football, we are fortunate to live in the greater Los Angeles area where we also experience world-class entertainment. We have been to many events at stadiums, arenas, and concert halls in our area. When we leave, one of […]
Same Old, Same Old
We are facing serious problems today like pandemics, moral foundations vanishing from higher education, and economic difficulties brought on by global events. Prominent Christian leaders have spoken poignantly and passionately about these issues. On pandemics, one leader wrote, “It disturbs some that the power of this disease attacks our people equally with the heathens, as […]
Sportswashing
A new term—sportswashing—has been coined to describe using sports to legitimize questionable individual or organizational behavior. The emerging LIV Golf tour is the latest controversial example. LIV Golf is funded by the Saudi royal family and pundits are besides themselves with self-righteous indignation about the moral bankruptcy of this organization and how everyone associated with […]
The Ministry Workforce
Shadow Christians are people who work in dimly lit margins, in the shadows created by the spotlight shining on others. They are believers who serve quietly, often anonymously, doing the work that keeps churches, organizations, families, and communities functioning. Shadow Christians make an impact even when no one knows their names. If there had been an organizational […]
The Rule of Law and Roe v. Wade
In a blog in November 2021, I wrote, “Respect for the rule of law is a foundation stone for a healthy democracy. This respect begins with the cop on the corner and extends to decisions made by the Supreme Court. Without respect for the rule of law, anarchy and vigilantism will eventually rule the day.” […]