For many ministers, Sunday evenings are hard. You finally go home after an exhausting day. If you are not careful, your mind and emotions can take you places that are not good. You wonder, am I really making a difference? What’s the use? You think about those biting words of criticism. At the time, the… Continue reading When Sunday Evenings are Hard
Tag: Ministry
5 Essentials for Ministers Who Wish to Stay Ahead
Serving a church in a ministry role can be very challenging. Yet, there are some things you can do to get out in front of some of the challenges. For example: Y0u are far ahead if you are committed to maturing in Christ. Pay attention to your own spiritual formation. Whatever spiritual disciplines you practice… Continue reading 5 Essentials for Ministers Who Wish to Stay Ahead
Don’t Murder Your Minister
I have known ministers who were wonderful people, but some attempted to murder their ministry a long time ago. Most people in the churches I’ve ministered with treated me quite well. Some of the best people I have known are in the churches I’ve served with in Alabama, Missouri, and Texas. However. . . I… Continue reading Don’t Murder Your Minister
What Your Preacher May Not Tell You
Recently, I was with a number of ministers from across the country. Many of them were fairly young. I would guess that most of these young ministers are conscientious people who want to do the right thing for their church. I have preached for over three decades. I know many preachers. Most of them are… Continue reading What Your Preacher May Not Tell You
How to Murder Your Own Ministry
There are many ways a person can murder one’s own ministry. Sometimes ministers self-destruct by unwise choices and decisions. Ministers who serve on a staff at a church can kill a perfectly good ministry through foolish words and actions. Sometimes such choices result in a minister being “fired” or “let go” from a church. Yet,… Continue reading How to Murder Your Own Ministry
Focus on the Heart (Part 2 of 2)
Like choosing a mate, sometimes churches seem to focus on the “outward appearance” when it comes to selecting a minister. Sometimes it seems that we are preoccupied with finding a minister who like King Saul of Israel will look the part. Years ago, a church leader called me regarding a reference check of a prospective… Continue reading Focus on the Heart (Part 2 of 2)
What Validates a Minister’s Value?
How do you know when a minister has great value? Or, if you serve as a minister of a congregation you may wonder how much value you really have. Perhaps there are times when you when you feel as if you have great value. What factors have led you to come to that conclusion? Perhaps… Continue reading What Validates a Minister’s Value?
Want to Make a Difference? (9 truths about ministry)
The following are a few basic but critical realities of ministry. 1. Good thinking and good practice matter. Those who work with churches are sometimes challenged on both fronts. What we do with the text matters. How we think theologically matters. 2. We serve out of our identity in Christ. What we know is important.… Continue reading Want to Make a Difference? (9 truths about ministry)
When You Feel Insignificant
Feeling insignificant? I am writing this to you. You may be a preacher or a minister in some role in a remote area. Or, you may be in an urban area but you feel alone and isolated. There are days when you ache with loneliness. To make matters worse, some of your minister friends talk… Continue reading When You Feel Insignificant
Ministry Inside.135
I was two years old when this picture was taken. My parents had just moved to Dallas from Little Rock. Of course, I don’t remember this moment. Nevertheless, this picture means a lot to me. At that moment my parents were a young couple who had moved to a big city with their two year old.… Continue reading Ministry Inside.135