Our dog Roscoe sometimes wanders away from home, but thankfully he is smart enough to come back home or even smarter to go to Brian and Marianna’s home – friends of ours who live on the next street. Roscoe likely prefers their home to ours because when they watch him for sometimes, they feed him…
Church Leaders
3 Reasons Ministry Leaders Will Leave “Vocational Ministry” During the Pandemic
In the last month I have been on several zoom calls with pastors who I am in “learning communities” with and the subject of pastoral turnover has been surfaced. Early stats are being thrown out as to the number of ministry leaders (not just senior pastors) who will leave vocational ministry during this pandemic and…
Important Interview on Succession With William Vanderbloemen
I recently sat down with William Vanderbloemen of Vanderbloemen search group to talk about succession. William is who helped Mariners through the succession planning, which ultimately led to me coming to Mariners as senior pastor two years ago. I think the interview is important because I ask some common questions people have asked me since…
Colliding Data Points and Why Your Church Leaders (Likely) Aren’t Idiots
Your church leaders are likely not idiots. Yes, of course, that is possible. There are foolish leaders in all types of roles, and all of us are fully capable of making unwise choices. But just because your church leaders are not making the same call you would make does not mean they are idiots. When…
3 Thoughts on the Differences Between “Being Biblical” and “Being Political”
Here is a frustrating reality for a pastor during a politically polarizing time: when speaking about a social issue, the pastor can be affirmed for being “biblical” by people who are politically passionate about that viewpoint and then be accused of being “political” by those same people when sharing something that is contrary to their…
3 Thoughts for Church Leaders on the Increasing Struggles with Mental Health
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought significant disruption to community, structure, exercise, and meaningful work. Therefore, the pandemic is having a devastating impact on people’s mental health. People we love in our churches and in our communities are struggling. While we were rightly concerned about surges in Covid-19 cases, we should also be concerned about the…
Church Ministry and When “An Affair” Is Worse Than “An Affair”
Imagine that Danny (fictional name) is one of the pastors on staff at a large church. He is personable, kind, hardworking, and has invested his life into others. People enjoy being around him and respect him, both in the church and in the broader local community. Over time Danny develops a relationship with a woman…
Church Leaders: 5 Items on the Top of Your List as 2019 Ends
For several reasons the last six weeks of the calendar year is an important time in local church ministry. The Christmas season gives a church many opportunities to serve the local community. The Christmas worship services are a time where people new to the faith or curious about the faith are willing to come if…
One Thing We Know For Sure Is God’s Will for You…
Pastors are often asked questions about God’s will for a particular decision someone is facing. “How do I know which job is God’s will for me?” Or which relationship? Or which city to live in? Often I do not know the answer to a question about God’s will in a specific situation, but I can…
5 Reasons Not to Give Announcements in Worship Service
Several years ago my former boss and wise sage, Thom Rainer, made the observation that large churches (700 and up in average worship attendance) are highly unlikely to have announcements as a part of the worship service. Thom always has a keen sense of what is happening in large number of churches, so while many…