October is Pastor appreciation month, when we make a special effort to thank our pastors for their ministry to us as undershepherds of Jesus Christ. “Every Christian’s life is meant to be a parable of Jesus. However, pastors are particularly suited to this because so much of our lives are spent doing what Jesus did […]
In “Code Blue In the Church Part One,” I addressed five Code Blue facts about the health of the American Church today (CLICK TO READ PART ONE) 1. Americans are not only skipping church services; they are skipping out of the church. A 2023 study by George Barna and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian […]
A church leader, a great friend, told me today of churches closing in his city. Sadness and lament poured from his heart. He is grieving for the church in his area, aching for his fellow believers and church leaders. Key phrases he shared with me: “The apostasy grows day by day.” “What we see around […]
I am a collector of quotes. As I read a book, I note significant passages and add them to my collection. At present, I have approximately 20,000 quotes on my computer (yes, backed up!), the fruit of more than forty years of reading, all filed by subject. One of the largest sets of quotes in […]
In my previous article, I addressed the essential elements needed for living a healthy life in vocational ministry today. As a pastoral coach who focuses exclusively on young ministers, the ten essentials I share—five in this article and the five presented in my previous article—require the careful attention of young ministers in America right now, […]
Are you hearing what I’m hearing? America is on the verge of a great revival! All the signs indicate we are on the precipice of a history-making revival of never-before-seen proportions! “Revive your church, oh Lord, beginning with me.” Augustine A REVIVAL STORY. OR IS IT? When God called our family to serve as missionaries […]
I read the news today; oh boy About another church that failed the grade. And yes, the news was rather sad I found no reason there to laugh. My home church closed. Even as I type these words, I can’t believe it. And yet, I know it’s true. After 48 years of ministry, the church […]
With 2024 only days old, here are my predictions for the Evangelical church in America this year. My predictions are not presented as prophetic (we have enough of those), but as my read on the future based on present trends. There is no “God told me” in the thoughts below so you can put away […]
As we turn the final pages of 2023, I again offer my list of favorite reads for the year. As always, this is not a list of my favorite books published in 2023, but books read in 2023. If a book is on my “Best Of” list, I recommend you give it a read in 2024. Of interest, the publishing […]
In March 2023, The Barna Group reported the following: It is a sobering, even shocking revelation. One that must be addressed immediately. Picture it this way. Imagine a gathering of 100 pastors, all seated in chairs in your church sanctuary. Fifty-nine of them sit facing the pulpit, awaiting the Word of the Lord with […]
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