“The business of the church is to tell and embody a story." Lesslie Newbigin
Congregationalists are becoming connectionalists.
I’m a little behind in my reading, but supposedly, I’ve just read in Dave and Jon Ferguson’s book, “Exponential,” the story of how their church became one of the first churches in the United States to be “one church in multiple locations.”
Something happened to me this year. I became uninteresting to mostly everyone. I turned thirty-five. Marketers no longer put me in that all important eighteen to thirty-four-year-old category. My own denomination no longer considers me part of an age group that we especially need more of.
Conventional wisdom says that leaders hate criticism and those who work with them would rather keep a dysfunctional team than confront a leader’s incompetency. No one wants to be seen as uncivil or impolite, especially in ministry settings. We have an epidemic of niceness that keeps us from giving and receiving good feedback, but I think we leaders long for constructive criticism, and I think those who we lead long for ways to dish it out without feeling like they’re tripping the “nicewire.”
Just came across this video on Call and Response. They’re going to be doing a series on information overload and strategies to navigate through it. You can find the initial blog here. Join in the conversation the rest of the week.
How much socializing should a pastor do? A recent article in “Newsweek” got me thinking about this. It seems the lack of socializing in Washington keeps the political stalwarts from getting things done. Or as the headline reads, “Just because Michelle wears McQueen doesn’t mean Washington is having any fun.”
Here’s my latest blog on Call & Response:
All pastors-in-training look forward to the first church they are called to serve. I was privileged to serve a “first church” twice. Read more…
I’ve been contemplating dashboards lately. In part because I’m borrowing a family member’s hybrid that has all kinds of information that flickers up at me while I’m driving, but also because I’m contemplating how my own local church can create a helpful quick picture of what’s going on in our church. Read more…
The last of five reflections on Francis Asbury as a model for second pastors is now up on Call and Response. I explore Asbury’s personal piety and how that was the foundation of his leadership and authority. Check it out here.
My latest blog entry about Francis Asbury as a model for second pastors is up on Call and Response. I explore how Asbury went about consensus building and discernment. Check it out here.
Here is the third in a series of five reflections on Francis Asbury as a model for second pastors. Asbury had to give up some authority to get it back. I think this is probably true for most if not all second pastors. Read more about it here.
Simplify – From Overscheduled to Organized* Sycamore Creek and Potterville UMC October 2016 Tom Arthur Peace friends! Or should I say: Overwhelmed, overscheduled, and exhausted friends! We’re currently in a series called Simplify. We’re figuring out how to unclutter our souls so we can focus on what’s really important. Many of us wrestle with being […]
Recent Comments