Ministry Inside.49

1. Wade Hodges has just released a very helpful e-book entitled, Before You Go: A Few Sneaky-Good Questions Every Minister Must Answer Before Moving to a New Church. This is a must read for anyone considering moving to a new church. This book could be incredibly helpful to ministers. It could also be valuable to other church leaders. Note the following paragraph:

Most churches deceive themselves about how healthy they are. Most ministers deceive themselves about how capable they are. Too many interviews boil down to two self-deceived parties trying to convince each other of how much they can accomplish if they work together.

While it’s vital to maintain a sense of hope that God can accomplish great things through every church and every minister, there is too much at stake to assume the best about the church you’re interviewing (and remember–you’re interviewing them just as much as they’re interviewing you). This decision will impact your finances, your family, and your faith. Avoid cynicism. Use suspicion sparingly. But for the sake of everyone involved, square up with reality and ask the tough questions about the church and yourself. You may not always like the answers, but the truth will set you free to make better decisions.

The book (Kindle) is only $2.99. If you are even remotely thinking about moving, I encourage you to get this book.

2. Lately I have been reading Jeff Goins’ blog and have enjoyed his posts on writing, productivity, blogging, etc. If you haven’t read Jeff yet, you might want to browse through some of his posts. For an example of his writing, you might see today’s post, “Why E-Mail Kills Productivity and What You Can Do About It.”

3. In a few days, I will be co-teaching a Doctor of Ministry seminar at Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis, Tennessee. The class, Exposition of Luke, should be a lot of fun. I look forward to working with longtime New Testament professor Dr. Allen Black.

Are you aware that seminaries regularly post their syllabi on their websites? Incredible resources! If I am about to be preaching through a particular book of the Bible, I will often check with a couple of seminaries to see if a course on that book is being taught. Then, I will skim through the bibliography. Very helpful.

As I prepare messages/classes for the academic year 2011-2012, I am doing some work in the area of spiritual formation, with a particular emphasis on how we are shaped and formed as a church. I went to the websites of several seminaries and looked at their class offerings in this area. I became aware of some valuable resources by reading through the syllabi of courses being offered.

4. I want to encourage you to read a post from earlier in the week. “6 Ways to Avoid Having an Affair.” Please be sure to read the excellent comments.

5. Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to be with a number of younger ministers. I am so impressed with these people. In the last few weeks, I have been with Benjamin Neely, Shane Alexander, Scott Meyer, Scott Seela and Brandon Baker.

Yesterday, I shared a meal with a younger minister who has been a friend for several years. After we ate, the waitress, in her early 20s, came to our table with the check. I reached for it and said something like, “I’ve got it.” The waitress looked at my friend and said, “It’s good to have your daddy pick up the tab.” Good grief!