As churches look to recover from the separation caused by the pandemic, many pastors have lamented their poor church attendance. I’ve heard pastors say things like “we’re back open but we only have a few people each week.” Some have said “our members won’t come to church but I see them everywhere else.” I’ve considered … Read more
The church has become decentralized. It is not focused on the church building any longer. Many pastors have expressed joy when reopening their buildings and sadness at the lack of attendance. Also, church isn’t focused on the 11:00 hour anymore as people engage with the church digitally at the times that fit their lifestyle. The … Read more
Recently, I was honored to deliver a eulogy for the adult son of one our eldest church members. After the memorial service, I had 2 conversations with another minister and the funeral director that inspired me to write this post. Here are 4 tips to consider when you’re called upon to preach a eulogy. 1. … Read more
It’s been more than a year since I’ve seen a minister preach from paper. Virtually everyone is preaching from an iPad, Android tablet, or Microsoft Surface. Personally, I’ve been preaching from an iPad for 7 years and have learned some lessons I’d like to share with you. Always have a backup. Technology is great but … Read more
In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul takes time to validate his apostleship. You see, unlike the other apostles who walked with Jesus during his earthly ministry, Paul only encountered the risen savior on the road to Damascus. As a result, the people in Galatia were more impressed with the other apostles than they … Read more
Have you ever preached a Saturday Night Special? A Saturday Night Special is a sermon you start preparing at the last minute on Saturday night before you preach it on Sunday morning. For my entire ministry I’ve heard countless seasoned pastors warn against preaching a Saturday Night Special. I’m sure you have too so I’m … Read more
In January, I was blessed with an opportunity to visit the CURE Childrens Hospital in Niamey, Niger, Africa. While there I learned the hospital had several children who were awaiting surgery while the hospital staff increased their nutritional levels. You see, many of the hospital patients come from remote villages where food is scarce. Some … Read more
This morning I read an article about a new social media hashtag called #ChurchToo. You can read the article here: http://flip.it/LIHWbF Before I jump into this post, I’d like to explain hashtags to those who are not familiar with them. Hashtags are made up of the # symbol and words or phrases that can be searched … Read more
This month I will be preaching a series entitled “Identity In Christ” taken from Ephesians 1:1-14. We have video screens at our church and software that will allow us to use PowerPoint slides as an aid help people visualize sermon concepts. So each sermon series has a theme image that is displayed on the screens, … Read more
This is a busy hurricane season. Hurricane Harvey has flooded the 4th largest city in America and hurricane Irma is currently making landfall in Florida and other Southeastern states. As pastors, we may feel the call to make a response. We may also feel the need to encourage our people as they wrestle with the … Read more