When I was a pastor in MA I made the mistake of asking a long-time member what “traditions” the Church had for Christmas Eve worship. I was told, unequivocally, “Traditions? We don’t have any of those?” It was, of course, wrong – but the member didn’t know that. Now, someone has graphically depicted my experience!…
Category: Pastoring
Pastoring is a 24/7 gig. This doesn’t always mean that you’re constantly being called for things, but it does mean that your mind/heart never stop pondering the state of the congregation you’ve been called to.
Why…?
I often wonder why I bother checking my mailbox at Church. Invariably it is stuffed with brochures from several “most important” things I could do this year for my Church, people asking for money to support ministries I’ve never heard of, product adverstisements, and newsletters from other congregations. If I actually wanted to read all…
Questions I Wish Churches Would Ask Themselves
I’ve got several friends who are either getting ready to move on to a new pastoral calling, or have recently started at a new congregation (Hi Chris!). This led me to think about the nature of a congregation’s interim period, as well as my own introduction into life at Central Baptist. Sometime during my revery…
What a Day
Today my family had an unexpected turn of events. We were called upon to care for the children of a couple from our church community due to illness. It was our pleasure to do it. Yes it did create a good deal of stress in our household once everyone got home from school, but life…
Losing Sight of Jesus
Never light a fire in a field of dry brush and think you can control it. Pastors to this all to often in Churches as they try to wrestle congregations to their will. They find the dividing lines in the churches they serve, pick a side, and whip up their supporters into a consuming frenzy. …
Stuck in the Bubble
Philly just had a big “evangelistic event” here in town that a good number of people I know attended. I understand the attraction of these events. They’re flashy, they’re “big,” they can be exciting, and they are “safe” for Christians to come to with their “unsaved friends.” I kinda think that many of my Chrisitans…
