As a pastor, I hated the idea of evaluation. It sounded too much like a way to open myself up to needless criticism. After all, who really wants to invite an outsider to tell them what they are doing wrong, add more “to do’s” to their list, or make them feel guilty for what they …
Tag Archives: Church
Loving My Roots
I have friends from many different evangelical denominations. We love, support, and encourage one another in kingdom work. My roots happen to be planted in the Baptist Missionary Association of America (BMA). While there is plenty to say about the dangers of denominational pride and competition, there is also plenty to say about appreciating and …
Take it Home, Church!
Read the following list of Scriptural commands and ask yourself, “How well can I obey this commandment in a crowded Sunday morning worship service?” Gal. 5:13 “serve one another” Gal. 6:2 “carry each others’ burdens” Col. 3:16 “teach and admonish one another” Jam. 5:16 “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other” …
Balancing Great Commission Work
The Great Commission has at least three key points of emphasis: 1) A Discipleship emphasis (…make disciples…) 2) A Global emphasis (…of all nations…) 3) A Local Congregation emphasis (…baptizing them…) These three points of emphasis are not a checklist of tasks to be performed in order. It is not as if we are to …
A New Sword Drill For the Church
Growing up, I remember my Sunday school teachers having periodic “sword drills” where they would call out a verse of scripture and the class would have a race to see who could be the first to find it in their Bible (sword). Although its been quite a few years since my last sword drill, I …
5 Things Your Pastor Would Love To Hear From You
Pastors are people. They are susceptible to the same emotional challenges everyone else faces. From time to time, they question their abilities, skills, direction and effectiveness. But unlike every other member of the church, most pastors do not have a pastor to counsel them through such challenging times. Life in the pulpit can be very …
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The “Perfect” Singles Ministry
“I don’t belong here.” That was the first thought that entered my mind when I walked into the room labeled, “singles.” I had recently relocated and was interested in building relationships in my new church home. On that particular Sunday morning, I was greeted in the Church entrance and asked what kind of class I …
Why it’s Great to be a Child
Remember when you thought “growing up” was going to be the best thing ever? “Adulthood” represented not having to eat your vegetables, or go run errands with mom, or do your homework, or finish your chores. The dream was to grow up and become independent so you could sleep late, watch tv all day, eat …
Churches Discipling Churches
The church where I formerly pastored, Wyatt Baptist Church of El Dorado, Arkansas, is one of the most mission-minded churches I know of. Every year they send a large percentage of church members around the world in partnership with various missionaries. One of the missionary families they partner with is Oscar and Tamy Gaitan of …
Don’t Hesitate to Ask
Before a church calls a new pastor, they will spend time interviewing him. The logistics vary from church to church, but eventually the pastoral candidate will find himself sitting with a search team, personnel committee, deacon body, or something similar. Without fail, the representatives of the church will have important questions for the candidate. But …