The elders in most of our churches today are deeply devout individuals with amazing spiritual maturity.
All in Church
Thinking About Church Membership
When someone says “church family,” I think of people, not congregations.
The Answer Is Not for Me to Be Less
The answer is not for your female ministers to be less; it’s for all of us to lead in such a way that only God’s name can be praised.
Courage, Prayer, and Hope
The pandemic is ushering us into liminal space – one that differs from the immediate past but is not yet whatever the future may eventually be.
Minister as Counterweight
Despite what many organizational leadership books suggest, leadership – especially ministry – is much more than just being a non-anxious presence.
For Elders Who Are Facilitating Gender Inclusion, Elders’ Meetings Can Be a Difficult Place to Be
When I asked my fellow female ministers what they want their elders to know, here are a few of the responses they shared.
A Special Project for the Church
They wanted to go beyond simply writing a monthly support check to local and foreign missions or benevolent efforts. They wanted to put their Christianity to work.
Barna State of the Church 2020 and the Next Generation
The fact is the church sits in the middle of a world needing restoration, and our next generation sits in the middle of the church.
Life After Forced Live Streaming
It’s 2020 and I have to acknowledge that our credibility, along with how we tell our story as a church family in this digital age, hasn’t merited the attention it justly deserves.
Free Will and Healing
The most painful thing we do is talk with husbands or wives whose marriages are not being healed.
Close but Distant
Everyone knows each other in rural towns, but I have come to know that there is a difference between knowing of someone and actually knowing them.
Reopening After COVID-19: Treating Our Worship Spaces as Workplaces Rather Than Theaters
I think it’s time to think creatively about how to reopen churches in a way that honors both God and neighbor.
Back to Normal or Toward New Possibilities
Is going back to what used to be really possible? And – listen closely, church leaders – is going back to what used to be really desirable?
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?
For Elders Who Are Facilitating Gender Inclusion, Coronavirus Brought You a Gift
As if things couldn’t get any weirder, it seems that coronavirus is proving to be quite the surprise on-ramp for gender inclusion.
The Future Is Coming Quickly
What is church supposed to look like when the primary expressions of congregational life and ministry and mission are no longer available to us?
A Chance to Do Church in a Radically Different Way
If you share a house with family members or roommates, then do family church instead of (or in addition to) online church.
Who You Callin’ “Non-Essential”?
One of the most powerful spiritual gifts a leader can possess is the ability to make each member feel essential.
Stock Up on Hand Sanitizer, Toilet Paper, and Your Crisis Communication Plan
If this whole coronavirus mayhem has taught me anything, it’s that we seriously have no idea what is going to hit church leaders next and that panic spreads worse than the virus.
Serving in a Surviving Church
What can a graying congregation in a shrinking rural community do?