A few weeks ago I was talking to my sons Clayton and Samuel about baptism. “It’s when you put water on the baby’s head and the baby officially becomes part of God’s family,” I said. Clayton furrowed his brow and said “But the baby is always a part of God’s family, even before you put the […]
Sermon Remix : Some Thoughts about Baptism and the Book of Order Read More »
When I was in my early 20s, I was unclear about whether or not I was “allowed” to be a minister. By “allowed” I mean if it was something that I thought the Bible permitted. Even though I grew up in a denomination that ordained women, I went to a college that was a part
Princeton Theological Seminary, Rev. Dr. Tim Keller, and the Abraham Kuyper Lecture Read More »
Do you feel like your ministry is marked by a lack of time, volunteers and money? You’re not alone. Many ministry leaders feel this way, and while there’s no “one size fits all” remedy, I’ve come to believe an abundance mentality is part of a successful ministry. The idea of abundance mentality comes from Stephen
How to Transform Scarcity Mentality to Abundance Mentality in Ministry Read More »
Two years ago I put together a very simple “Sundays Only” planning calendar that lots of people downloaded. I’m happy to offer it again here as a JPG (just right click the photo and “Save As”) or a PDF (just click on the link!) I’ve also decided to make an editable version available for purchase on
Sunday Planning Calendar – Free Download Read More »
Last week when I posted about Advent Calendars, I mentioned that I’m planning on doing the “book a day” calendar with my children, starting on December 1. I’ve already wrapped all of the books (um, it took more time than I anticipated, but I was watching The West Wing, so it’s all good.) and
Christmas Love Letters from God by Glenys Nellist: A Review and Giveaway! Read More »
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there’s a part of me that really thinks the best Advent Calendar idea is something that gives the child a toy every day. I’m particularly eying the Lego City calendar, the Plamobil calendar, and the Thomas the Train calendar. They’re cool, right? Getting a toy every day from the
5 Advent Calendar Ideas that Focus on Family Time, Kindness and Service Read More »
I love getting good ideas (and giving them) for DIY stuff on Pinterest and have a whole board full of ideas for church stuff. For me a perfect “Do it Yourself” project should have all of the following to be considered a success: There should be some significant reason to do the project myself vs. purchasing
UPDATE: This post was written in 2016. All the advice still applies, but if you want to buy a calendar for your whole congregation to use, use THIS ONE for 2017. I’m not sure which wise mentorfriend (that’s a word, right? Mentorfriend?) of mine said “You know, I heard that pastors, if they are lucky
How To: Plan a November Gratitude Challenge For Your Church Read More »
A couple of weeks ago an article called “Fifteen Reasons Why Your Pastor Should Not Visit Much” by Thom Rainer was circulating widely on Social Media. It has been rattling around in my mind for a few days and I’ve debated whether or not to post my own thoughts on visiting. Ultimately, I decided to
15 Reasons Pastors Should Visit As Much as Possible Read More »
Sermon Text: 1 Kings 18:20-39 The Hebrew Scriptures of our Bible, what we call the “Old Testament” are full of what I like to call “flashy” stories. Sure, the New Testament has some pretty flashy stuff as well and Jesus being raised from the dead is the flashiest of them all, but when it comes
Sermon Remix: Elijah and the Prophets of Ba’al Read More »
