Pastoral Ministry

Oct 14 2014

3 Vital Benefits Pastors Miss When They Are Isolated

While it is popularly believed that pastors are people persons, that isn’t always the truth. It is possible to make pastoral ministry, outside of Sunday morning, a solitary endeavor. It is possible for a pastor to become solitary by filling a week’s calendar with solitary events like study, reading, writing, and retreat. The truth is that the solitary pastor, and the church they lead, probably isn’t as effective as they could be at fulfilling the stated mission of the church. [Read more…] about 3 Vital Benefits Pastors Miss When They Are Isolated

Oct 13 2014

What I Did When I Couldn’t Take The Lies Anymore (Maybe You Can Relate)

I remember like it was yesterday. I felt that I had been lied to. To make matters worse, I felt that I was still being lied to. The frustration built as I continued to contemplate that, what I had thought to be the truth was actually something else. I can remember exactly where I was when I, as a newly minted church planter came to the realization that all of the things that I had been told about church planting failed to come close to the reality that I was now living. That is also the moment I knew that I needed to begin writing about my experiences, thoughts, and feelings as a church planter and church leader. [Read more…] about What I Did When I Couldn’t Take The Lies Anymore (Maybe You Can Relate)

Oct 09 2014

As a Leader You Will Only Have One True Legacy

The older I get, the more I think about what I am leaving behind. When I was younger, leaving a legacy was the furthest thing from my mind. But now I begin to wonder if the things that I have done in life matter. I wonder if the generations that come after me will have knowledge that I existed at all. As leaders we ask, or should ask, the same question. What is it that I am leaving behind? What is my legacy? The answers may vary from leader to leader, but there is one answer that should trump all of the others. [Read more…] about As a Leader You Will Only Have One True Legacy

Oct 02 2014

8 Lessons Church Planting Has Taught Me – Part II

Church planting has been one of the most difficult and rewarding things that I have ever been blessed to do in my life. In the first post in this two-part series, I talked about the first four of the eight lessons that I have learned as a church planter. You can read the first post here. In this post I will cover lessons 5 through 8 that I have learned since planting Harvest Christian Fellowship in 2007. [Read more…] about 8 Lessons Church Planting Has Taught Me – Part II

Jun 02 2014

3 Ways to Prevent Becoming Stranded as a Ministry Leader

We’ve all seen it, a motorist stranded on the side of the road or a car abandoned on the highway with a white cloth dangling from the windshield. Someone has been stranded. Their vehicle has malfunctioned and left them stranded somewhere between where they began and their ultimate destination. Inevitably we wonder what became of them, did they make it safely to help? Inevitably, we whisper a word of thanks that it was not us as we motor toward our destination. A similar scene plays out daily in the lives of pastors and leaders of ministries.