One of the reasons I am ardently committed to a plurality of leadership in a local church is because pastors need pastors too. I’ve written about it before, and this month (Pastor Appreciation Month) is a prime opportunity to express specific reasons I am thankful … Read More
5 Things I Learned from our Regathering
Last Sunday our local body of believers regathered. After nine weeks of virtual church, we were able to once again meet physically. Yep, live and in person. Here are (at least) five things I learned from our first week back together. COVID-19 fear is real. … Read More
The Grace and Grit to Regather
Leaders across our state and country are asking this question increasingly: When, and how, should we begin regathering? What does it look like to reconvene in a COVID-19 culture? It Will Take Grace Without a doubt there are multiple answers to that question. They will … Read More
How NOT to Leave Your Church
Like it or not, people change churches. There is no shepherd or sheep exempt from this scenario. The good and the not-so-good of both deal with departure. Sometimes a switch is Spirit-led; sometimes it’s self-serving. Assuming God is actually directing your move to a new … Read More
When It Rains, He Pours
Inconveniences are actually opportunities in disguise. Such was the case this past Saturday night into most of the day Sunday. Ankeny, the city where I live, received 10 inches of rain in just 3 hours on Saturday evening. Talk about a deluge. In fact, a … Read More
Q and A: Why is the Kingdom of God Not Just the Church?
One of the questions I received Sunday was in response to my assertion that the kingdom of God was not just the church, nor was it just national Israel. More specifically, they were curious if I would “expand on that idea” and show “why it … Read More
What to Look For In a Church
A few years ago as I was teaching from Acts 2-4, I, almost in passing, threw out some observations about what people should look for in a church. Not that these qualities are unimportant; rather, it wasn’t the bulls-eye target of the text that day. But … Read More
We Were Multiplying (And I Didn’t Even Know It)
When I returned from my sabbatical in 2015, one theme from God’s Holy Spirit burned hot in my heart: Mobilize to multiply. God’s passion for the nations had never been more clear to me, and the most logical place to start doing that was with the … Read More
3 Do-Or-Die Actions I’d Encourage Young Pastors To Embrace
It has been just over a year since our church launched a young church planter to Central Asia to begin work there as a church planter/pastor. And though he had good preparation in the church before he began, as well as solid schooling prior to … Read More
13-Year Old Napkin Notes
It was somewhat surreal, and a little surprising. Not that I had expected something really different, but it was still a reason to raise the eye-brows a bit. That was my reaction to an email from Pastor Chris, one that contained a letter and some … Read More
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