As a ministry wife, it can be very difficult to have a true friend. There are so many layers to being in church leadership, and people often hold you to unrealistic expectations and may treat you differently. It’s not easy. But, some of my sweetest friendships I...
There are many ways the association can assist you as a pastor as well as your congregation. Here are eight things I will briefly mention Fellowship. A setting is provided whereby people of like faith and beliefs can come together for a time of sharing and...
What Pastors Need to Know About Grief In March of 2004 my wife of 27 years and 18-year-old daughter were killed in a car wreck on the Indian Nations Turnpike in Oklahoma. By that time in my ministry as a pastor I had done dozens of funerals. But I had no idea about...
“There’s been an explosion at the church!” Seminary prepares a pastor for many things, but no class, lecture, or seminar prepared me to handle the damage done to our church building when a compressed natural gas tank torpedoed through it, leaving over a hundred...
Being a parent is such a privilege. It is a true gift from God to love and care for a little person. But, your kids can drop you to your knees faster than anything. Each season brings with it another layer of relationship and surrender. It doesn’t take long...
Any marriage is complicated. But, marriage in ministry? Whew, let me catch my breath. We all carry something into marriage: our upbringing, our past, our preferences, and our personalities. But when you add the layer of ministry, church leadership, expectations,...
I love a good burger or pepperoni pizza or double-stuffed Oreos. These are not necessarily healthy choices, but I love them. Every day when I open my pantry, I make a choice (healthy or unhealthy) about what I put in my mouth. Healthy and unhealthy decisions also...
Worship is a vital part of any effective ministry. The relationship between pastor and minister of music is key to consistently presenting powerful sermons with music and praise that compliments and supports the pastor’s message. The pastor and minister of music need...
The Associate Pastor slowly meandered to the pulpit. The congregation could nearly hear the second hand on the clock ticking it took so long as the final words of the last verse were sung and Mr. Pokey finally reached the microphone. “This morning we are going to read...
A few years ago I talked with a college student who had been a part of our ministry at Olivet. As we talked I mentioned some of the other students in our community that he had graduated with who were known as followers of Jesus during their high school years. In the...
