To Churches Defying Medical & Political Leaders, Christians should be leading the way in terms of loving neighbors and exercising wisdom. Now that children and 30-50 year olds are known to be dying, there is no “safe” group per se. With that in mind, our witness can be damaged if we value ritual (even good rituals!) more than the innocent … Read More
The Beards of Ministry
A field guide for pastoral facial hair.
10 Steps for Meeting Objectives
Useful tips for meeting objectives in any organization, including the local church: 1. Define purpose and mission. 2. Assess strengths and weaknesses. 3. Write specific and measurable objectives. 4. Work towards general agreement. 5. Maintain a reasonable work load. 6. Develop strategies for using resources. 7. Practice accountability. 8. Design long and short range plans. 9. Be willing to change. … Read More
Creativity & Leadership
“For the leader, creativity is essential. Life is constantly changing, but people always fear change. The leader is responsible to help them adapt and do something new. So, by increasing creativity, suffering or deprivation may feed the springs of leadership in a young soul.” Leighton Ford (Transforming Leadership, 42)
Ten Commandments for Good Organization
Ten Commandments for Good Organization: 1. Definite and clean-cut responsibilities should be assigned to each worker. 2. Responsibilities should always be coupled with corresponding authority, so the task can be carried out. 3. No changes to the scope or responsibilities should be made until there is definite understanding on the part of all persons concerned. 4. No one person should … Read More
Explicit & Implicit Theology
When leading congregations, Christian leaders must be aware of both explicit and implicit theologies. What people believe determines how they act, and because of that, church members will continue to act according to the theologies that they hold. Without an awareness of both explicit and implicit theologies, church leaders can waste time, “spinning their wheels” on technical fixes to problems, … Read More
Why Update Hymn Arrangements?
An important, yet often neglected, reason to update hymn arrangements relates to chord structures and patterns. Updating a song, or becoming more relevant, is not merely a matter of instrumentation. Simply adding guitar and drums does not make a hymn contemporary. In fact, many of the hymns were composed for piano or organ, so we can do them a disservice … Read More
Thoughts on Family Ministry
The family was designed by God to be a unique place, the most basic form of community, where much of our spiritual growth can occur. Because God designed families, churches should support families and minister to them. In this effort, churches need to encourage families to live out their faith outside of Sunday morning. It is during the week, within … Read More
The Structure of Worship
Helpful comments from C.S. Lewis on experiencing the “art of worship” within familiar forms: “Every church service is a structure of acts and words through which we receive a sacrament, or repent, or supplicate, or adore. And it enables us to do these things best– if you like, it ‘works’ best– when, through long familiarity, we don’t have to think … Read More
Intervention Needed
Driving through various parts of Chicago, I was reminded of how scattered and isolated we have become as a nation. This is nothing new, of course, but I realized again how many social and economic barriers we have created amongst ourselves. One block is home to one ethnicity, while across the street is another. As a society, we are not … Read More
Come, See, Go, Tell, and Everything Else In-Between
What is evangelism? Is it inviting people to church? Is it sharing the gospel? Is it about helping the suffering? Christians have used different methods of evangelism. Willow Creek and Saddleback are prime examples of the “come and see” approach, where a large gathering is used to attract people who do not normally attend church. On the other hand, some … Read More
Theology of the Arts
Recently I was asked about my view of the arts in local church. I thought I’d post my brief response, in case it is helpful to anyone. —————————————————– When it comes to the creative arts, I believe that art is a wonderful part of the Christian life. Various passages of Scripture reveal that God loves creativity, He enjoys various expressions … Read More
Art that Betters the World
In his closing comments at the Arise Arts Conference, Brian McLaren complimented Christian artists for “using the arts to better the church.” Most of us could agree with that because over the past 30 years the Church has made huge strides in music and arts in the church. There has been an improvement in quality and diversity, as seen in … Read More