Lessons Learned at ARC If you had a leadership toolbelt that held your most important lessons in ministry, what would be on it? These are the things you know you are going to need every day. You don’t keep those in a toolbox. You need them close by for easy access. This month will be five years since we moved…
Religion is exhausting. You don’t have to be hard on yourself to be a deeply spiritual person. Here are 5 keys to enjoying the Christian life.
I get to see over 100 church planting websites every year. I am always surprised by how creative pastors can be with their online presence. I have also been disappointed others hadn’t been more intentional with their church plant website. Having an excellent church plant website is not about spending a ton of money. In fact, simpler is better for…
What to do when we doubt? If you don’t struggle with faith, then you may not have it. Often times, we believe the opposite is true. We doubt because we doubt. But to question our faith, there must be something on the line, or there would be no reason to doubt. Fishing and Faith I grew up fishing. Most of…
Finding Hope in the Midst of Heartache by Amy Roberie It’s August 2012, and it seems as if my worst fears have materialized. Homeless. Jobless. Sickness. Loneliness. Loss. Heartbreak. All of these words are accurate descriptions of my new life. We made a major change and left our ministry positions, and all that went along with them. In many ways…
Do you have a talent for getting people to quit their job and sale their home at the same time? Neither do I. That shouldn’t discourage you from stepping out to launch a church though. Asking people to leave their family and friends to start a new church is a big ask. Don’t get discouraged if everyone you know isn’t…
Why You May Need to Start Watering Down Your Messages Watered Down Coffee No one likes watered down coffee or diluting something valuable. That can be what it feels like at times when we try to market what the church offers to the unchurched. This can cause some to wonder if the modern church is just using bait and switch…
You can have an excellent weekend service and efficient systems, but still lose momentum by not being attentive to your church culture. It is crucial to win the battle in the spiritual, but also to remember the influence culture has on your church as well. Culture is not just your best intentions. It is the reality of what you guard, emphasize, and reward. Culture is the air your team breathes as they operate in your ministry and pursue your church’s ministry mission.
What is leading your decisions? In Twitter’s hay day it was popular for people to post the hashtag #youngminister and then give advice. I don’t remember posting advice with that hashtag, but I did enjoy reading the wisdom that came from more experienced leaders than me. I think if Moses was to use the hashtag #youngminister he would give advice…
Burning the candle at both ends I used to think my heart was the enemy. I thought to listen to my heart’s desires was tantamount to sin. I felt if I was suffering or doing something hard, then I must be pleasing God. Enjoying things or doing something that came easy was equal to not trusting God. Because of this…