“…an overseer must be above reproach…” From I Timothy 3:2 (ESV) “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of…
How To Keep A Good Pastor, Part Three
I keep hearing these disturbing stories: good pastors who have been greatly used in their churches to bring about significant, God-honoring change, burning out and ending up in other occupations. I’ve seen more of this disturbing trend since writing Seven Reasons Why Pastors Are Dropping Out, just a few weeks ago. Why is this happening?…
How To Keep A Good Pastor, Part Two
Recently, I wrote about why good pastors are leaving their ministries (Seven Reasons Why Pastors Are Dropping Out): The pastoral “call” isn’t what it used to be. The home church isn’t what it used to be. Pastors are rethinking the current pastor paradigm [the full-time superhero trying to excel at every task that God assigned…
How To Keep A Good Pastor, Part One
Last week I wrote about seven reasons why pastors are leaving their ministries: The pastoral “call” isn’t what it used to be. The home church isn’t what it used to be. Pastors are rethinking the pastor paradigm [the full-time superhero trying to excel at every task that God assigned to elders]. A hard-to-live-with performance value…
Seven Reasons Why Pastors Are Dropping Out
“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus…” F/I Timothy 1:3 “Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.” I Timothy 4:14 You may have heard about the young man who told his mother that…
An Apostle’s Counsel To An Introverted Pastor
Introverted pastors have been around at least as long as the Apostle Paul’s young protégé, Timothy. It didn’t help that his father was an unbeliever (Acts 16:1). While his mother and grandmother were Christ-followers (II Timothy 1:5), there are encouraging words which introverted sons need to hear from their fathers, and Timothy probably didn’t hear…
The Introverted Pastor’s Survival Guide, Part Three
I’ve mentioned, in two previous posts on this subject, that many pastors are “introverts in an extrovert’s job.” By an “extrovert’s job,” I mean that the general population, widely believed to be more extroverted than introverted, carves the pastoral model in its own image. Here’s what I mean: While I’ve had people compliment me for…
The Introverted Pastor’s Survival Guide, Part Two
A few years ago I came upon a delightfully different title in a bookstore’s psychology section: Quiet: The Power of Introverts In A World That Can’t Stop Talking. I wonder if anybody heard me saying “Amen!” as I paged through the book. Author Susan Cain argued that modern western culture is biased against introverts, noting…
The Introverted Pastor’s Survival Guide, Part One
Many people are surprised to hear that a lot of pastors are introverts. More specifically, they are – in my opinion – introverts in an extrovert’s job. For the record, the basic differences are as follows: Introverts are less outgoing, talkative, enthusiastic and energetic, than their extroverted cousins. Introverts are more oriented to the world…
The Small Church, Post-Pandemic, Survival Guide
Everybody knows that churches were hit hard by the COVID pandemic shutdowns: Theologically liberal churches lost large percentages of their attendees who don’t seem to be returning. Many of these congregations are closing their doors. May these buildings be re-occupied by gospel proclaiming “re-start” churches soon, for the glory of God! Larger evangelical churches lost…
The Only Cure For Pastoral Insecurity
“Insecure pastors! They drive me crazy!” Such was the rant of a mentor of mine who served for a number of years as the leader of a state-wide church association. He didn’t say it contemptuously, but he was often frustrated with the many pastoral and congregational dysfunctions which find their source in pastoral insecurity. As…
How Your Church Can Get A Great Preacher
Most church-going people want their congregation to have a great preacher. Good for them. Why would we want anything less? The wrong way to make this happen is to get rid of your current preacher and go find one who is already great. There are all sorts of problems with this approach which we won’t…
Why We Must Get Disciple-Making Back Into The Christian Life
Here’s what I’m concerned about… In the New Testament, sharing one’s faith, personal efforts to make disciples by individual disciples, is the norm: Jesus wasted no time in sending the twelve, and then the seventy, into Judea and Galilee. As busy as he was, Jesus regularly modeled personal disciple-making for his 12 men-in- training (John…
Experiencing God’s Leadership
“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers…While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” From Acts 13:1-2 After many years of believing that church leaders were pretty much “on their own” with…
Christian Hedonism: Three Timeless Truths
“In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus.” Afro-American Spiritual “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25,26 “For me, to life is Christ, and to die…
Maximize Your Church’s Joy!
My Grandpa Thorstad was a wise guy and a tease. He usually had a twinkle in his eye and a trick up his sleave. After his daughter, my Aunt Evelyn, moved to California, she praised her newfound “land of milk and honey” ad nauseum. My gardening-fanatic grandfather was constantly beguiled with stories of California’s bounty….
Eight Ways Churches Practice Ongoing Revitalization
In a recent post I shared Seven Reasons Why All Churches Need Ongoing Revitalization. Without thoughtful, intentional effort, even the most vibrant congregation will slip, almost imperceptibly, off the peak of the church life-cycle mountain. It’s much more pleasant to stay on top than to try to stop a congregation which is on a downward…
Seven Reasons Why All Churches Need Ongoing Revitalization
I’m no science guy but I know how to Google, and I discovered this morning that 50-70 billion cells in the human body die – and are replaced with new ones – every day. Cell types that experience the greatest turnover are skin cells, blood cells and some of the cells that line structures like…
Three Ways Revitalizing Your Church Is Like Remodeling Your Home
“Revitalizing your church is like remodeling your house: It will take more time, cost more money and create a bigger mess than you ever could have imagined. But in the end, it’s worth it.” Anonymous I have loved that observation for a long time now, and…
Eight More Reasons To Expect Persecution
An old friend who is a keen student of Church history has been telling me for thirty years that “The only hope for the American Church is persecution.” I fear that he’s right, and as much as I’d love to see a vibrant Church in my country, I can’t say that I’m embracing persecution. But…
What In The World Did We Expect?
Having the right expectations really matters. Just think about the expectations with which you entered into: High School College Marriage Your spouse’s extended family Your first full-time job Many American Christians are reeling right now because of their expectations. They thought that the unusual (from a historical perspective) conditions which we had in America for…
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