Matthew 28:16-20 “16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples […]
Two weeks ago, in Part One of this two-part look at church trends to anticipate in 2026, I presented nine negative trends of the year to come. You can read that article here. In this article, we turn our attention to a more encouraging subject: nine welcome trends. “Revival is Christ. . . Revival is […]
Born in the late ‘50s, I’ve seen my share of trends. Cars, clothes, and cultural icons, I’ve seen them all. And having lived in the French-speaking region of Europe, I’ve even seen fashion trends come to America. In their teen years, on those rare occasions when my daughters came to America, they were always studied […]
Every December, Journey Pastoral Coaching posts Christmas wishes for ministers. These are requests we are asking God to grant to His servants. In past years, we’ve posted wishes for pastors, missionaries, and young ministers; we’ve posted the wishes of history’s pastors for the pastors of today. And we’ve posted the Christmas wishes our pastoral coach […]
As we turn the final pages of the book on 2025, I offer my annual list of favorite reads for the year. This was another great reading year with many happy hours invested in the “Big Three” of mellow music, strong coffee, and a good book. As always, this is not a list of my […]
When we were missionaries in France and Belgium, we discovered one of Europe’s most wonderful secrets: its book villages. Towns like Montolieu (France), St. Pierre-des-Clages (Switzerland), and our personal favorite, Redu (Belgium) are essentially village-wide bookstores, given over not just to the selling of books, but to their enjoyment, and the encouragement of reading. Imagine […]
There was a moment during the COVID-19 pandemic I will never forget. I was in my car, a few blocks from my house, returning from a quick trip to the office. Sitting at a stoplight, a thought struck me: “There is literally nowhere on planet Earth I could go right now, to get away from this global catastrophe.” Even in places that were […]
As he does every morning, a young pastor rises early. He can do so because last evening, he went to bed early, focused on beginning this day well as a disciple and pastor: he knows that what he does tomorrow will affect eternity for one, possibly for many. He prepares for the day before driving […]
Introduction Our relationship with God is often characterized as a journey. The Old Testament authors frequently spoke of two paths we might take, with one leading to life and the other leading to death. The Book of Acts literally recounts Paul’s missionary journeys and the resulting growth of the Church. On several occasions, Paul uses […]
My heart sank. No, please, Lord, not another one. Not another minister of the Gospel who surrendered his call to run off with a mistress. He had such a great thing going. He and what he said was “the love of his life” were so happy together. Content. Fulfilled. And their love for each other […]
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