(Each Thursday, I write particularly for church leaders. If you are a church leader, hopefully this post will connect with you. However, the post may be relevant regardless of ministry role.) I knew a man who was a good preacher and overall minister. He was well-read and had a good seminary education. He continued to… Continue reading Ministry Inside.137
Category: Ministry Inside
Ministry Inside.136
After 20 years of ministry in one congregation, I am about to leave. (My last Sunday here is November 24.) Charlotte and I will move to Memphis, Tennessee, to begin working with Harding School of Theology. Twenty years is a long time. That is 20 years of sermons, conversations, and cups of coffee. That is… Continue reading Ministry Inside.136
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What do church leaders do with the red flags? Not long ago I was on the Interstate and glanced at the car on my right. The driver had an intense look on her face. She was staring at her phone. She was texting. Think about this. She is driving 75 miles per hour and texting!… Continue reading Ministry Inside.134
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Focus on your future and not your age. Some people are obsessed with their age. They seem to focus on the idea that they are not as young as they were. Others go even further and make regular comments about being old. Of course we are all getting older. Each year we experience another birthday and… Continue reading Ministry Inside.133
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The following are ten possible marriage pitfalls. Ignore these and put your marriage at risk. 1. Beware of ignoring your wife’s spiritual development while you focus on feeding yourself and the congregation. A ministry couple can easily drift apart spiritually. 2. Beware of assuming that because you read and talk theology that your work with… Continue reading Ministry Inside.132
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What I have learned about long-term ministry. This month marks the 20th year I’ve served the Crestview Church of Christ in Waco. Yesterday, I saw a picture of our family 20 years ago when we moved here. Since then, I have learned a lot. This post will list some of the lessons learned about congregational… Continue reading Ministry Inside.129
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Do you listen well? One of the most important tasks for any church leader is listening. Listening can be incredibly difficult. In fact, most of us have had far more training in speaking than in listening. A few suggestions: Listen intently. This means eye contact. This means paying attention to body language. This means asking… Continue reading Ministry Inside.127
Monday Start: Resources for the Week
Have you seen this resource? I recently came across issuu. Are you familiar with this tool? One place for many publications. Excellent address See this presentation by David Brooks from the 2013 Aspen Ideas Institute, “The Inverse Logic of Life.” Brooks is not only an excellent writer but a good speaker as well. This presentation caused… Continue reading Monday Start: Resources for the Week
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(During July, I am reposting a series regarding healthy habits for believers and church leaders in particular.) Habit #6. Adjust your expectations. When I first began preaching, my expectations of people were way too high! I was constantly disappointed in others. My assumptions on the front end were skewed. For example, I thought that everyone… Continue reading Ministry Inside.126
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(During July, I am reposting a series regarding healthy habits for believers and church leaders in particular.) Habit #3. Choose to contribute to healthy communication. James Bryan Smith, in a seminar on The Good and Beautiful Life, said that our technology is way ahead of our ethics and etiquette. Remember that there is no substitute for… Continue reading Ministry Inside.125