She Still Sings to Me

My wife had a beautiful alto voice with a slight rasp and warm Texas accent. One of my favorite memories of marriage is her singing to me. February 5, 2015 would have marked fifteen years of marriage for Jill and me. I struggle to express my heart on this wedding anniversary, so I have decided to …

Keeping Small Groups Out of the Ministry Junk Yard

It was exciting news. My friend’s eyes lit up as he shared the exciting changes in the church he recently began pastoring. One of the neatest transitions the congregation had made was to begin small group meetings. Small group ministry has been around for decades now. However, it is still a relatively new concept to …

Have You Created a Monster?

Fact: Some congregations chew up pastors and spit them out every 2-3 years. I don’t have a Barna Study or Pew Research Poll to verify that assertion. But I don’t think verification is necessary. We’ve all seen the tragedy of “Monster Churches.” What leads me to believe it is the church’s fault? Before I get …

Stop Raising Mules

I’m not a country boy. There, I admitted it. However, I do live in Arkansas, which means I get a few “country boy points” by default. For instance, I know that horses reproduce horses. I also know that donkeys reproduce donkeys. And, for bonus points, I know that a horse and a donkey together produce …