As followers of Christ, we ultimately want what God wants. So how do we figure out exactly what that is? While neither I nor anyone else knows exactly what that is every time, there is time and space to discern and arrive at what that could be.
All tagged discernment
To the Discouraged Minister
The church minister occupies a unique space. It is a difficult space inhabited by critique and pressure both from within the community and from without.
Why Does My Ministry Exist?
Why does my ministry exist? This might seem like an overly simple question, but I think it isn’t just valid but essential. What role does my ministry play in the Kingdom of God?
Is it Time to Quit My Church?
For me, perhaps the saddest aspect of the pandemic has been the polarization and consequent sorting of churchgoers.
Making Decisions About Decisions
The past 18 months have given ministers and leaders ample – if unwanted – experience in making difficult decisions.
Reflection Roundup: Relationships Birth Understanding
The resurrection Spirit pursues us as we continually cycle through relational renewal with the evidential environment of the created world: with the people, the creatures, the living organisms therein.
Reflection Roundup: Listen for the Voice of God
Is the voice of God always a word? Might it be found in a child’s exploration of a grandparent’s elderly, muscular hands? Is God’s voice in the soil they worked? Listen.
Discernment Is God’s Gift to the Church, Not to an Individual
I fear Christians are doing decision-making the wrong way. We are not lone wolves who must discern the will of God on our own. Spiritual gifts like discernment are given for the common good.
The Complex Questions of Reopening After COVID-19
Is there something we are not experiencing now (online)? If so, what is “it”? Given that “it” comes with potential costs, how do we decide if and when “it” is worth it?
The Complexity of COVID-19 for Churches
Should your church cancel worship services and other corporate gatherings? Here is how we are thinking through that question at my church.
Appointing Quality Elders
Unless we reconsider our traditional handling of the biblical texts on elders, we may stall these selection processes before they even begin.
God is Not on Your Side
It is important to remember that our purpose is to discern God’s will for how to live, and choose that.
All of You is Welcome Here
To love is to invite each other to bring our full selves and all of our experiences to the relationship.
Leaving Church: What I'm Learning (Part 1)
It seems to be true that when you work for a church, the ups and downs and gains and losses have a deeper significance than in other industries.
When to Quit, and When to Persevere
Quitting has become a dirty word of sorts, reserved either for the obviously lazy or morally repugnant. Especially in church and leadership circles.
Partnering with Churches and Ministers to Discern God's Call
Whether you are a minister wrestling with the question of whether it is time to go, or a church leader faced with questions of ministerial transition, reach out to the Siburt Institute.
Fourteen Rules for Discerning Spirits (Part 1)
The discernment of spirits is one of those things that we know is in the Bible, but are not always eager to discuss. We aren’t avoiding the topic, I think it sounds too mystical for many Christians.
