Jeremy Zach, a youth minister since 2002 and youth ministry blogger, recently shared his list of common characteristics found in great youth ministries. His list of seven shared attributes includes three that are not directly about the youth/students: maintain and train amazing and healthy leaders, engage 25% of their parents, and invite the senior pastor into the student ministry. So What? Zach is right: great youth/student ministry is never ministry in its own silo. Read More …
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What Do You Call Yourself? (#1348)
Douglas Lobb, retired minister and former executive secretary of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, recently wrote about an increasingly challenging and vitally important term often used as a means of identifying oneself with the Way of Jesus: Christian (The Congregationalist, Dec. 2013, p.21-23). Relating his own experience, Lobb writes: In the light of today's Christian world, I find that I have great difficulty calling myself a Christian; because what is Read More …
Angry Men with Fearful Minds (#1344)
Philip Gulley, popular Christian author and pastor of the Fairfield Friends Meeting (near Indianapolis, IN), used his most recent "Back Home Again" essay in Indianapolis Monthly to consider the prevalence of griping in our country - especially griping done by white men. The words he uses to conclude his essay captured my attention and led me to return to his article on multiple occasions as I pondered just what this might mean for me: . . . for reasons I do not fully Read More …
Key Marketing Question (#1342)
Seth Godin, a one of a kind marketing genius who was inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame in 2013, recently shared the most important question any person or entity marketing a product or service to a potential new customer must address: "Do they trust me enough to believe my promises?" So What? When churches engage in marketing they must not ignore this question. Think about how your congregation markets itself to potential newcomers as well as how individual ministries Read More …
Pastor: Best Job Ever (#1341)
Carol Howard Merritt, a Presbyterian pastor and the author of Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (2007 – read my review here) and Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation (2010 – read my review here), recently shared her list of 10 reasons why being a pastor is the best job ever. It included relating to anyone, writing, and variety. So What? Pastoral ministry is one of the more diverse professional pursuits. Read More …
Support Your Pastor (#1248)
October was clergy appreciation month. November includes Thanksgiving. Next Sunday a new church year begins. During this time of year, I encourage you to consider how you can support your pastor. Emily Heath, pastor of West Dover Congregational Church (West Dover, VT), recently blogged about the topic. Her post features 10 practical tips, including: make sure your pastor has sabbath time, remember that you called your pastor, not their whole family, and Read More …
Myths About Raising Interfaith Kids (#1237)
Susan Katz Miller, author of Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family (2013), recently shared myths parents of differing religions who want their children to be raised in both traditions often hear presented as facts: the kids will be confused, the kids will be stressed by choosing between parents, the child will not feel comfortable in a synagogue or church, the two religions are contradictory, Jesus is a huge dilemma for interfaith kids, both Read More …
Is Youth Group Biblical? (#1223)
The National Center for Family-Integrated Churches is currently surveying people about their views of youth groups. The three question survey will remain open through November 8. So What? Cast your vote now. How did you answer the first question? (Are church "youth group" programs a biblical way to reach young people?) Does your congregation have a youth group? If so, what do you understand its role to be? If not, do you believe your congregation should consider starting such a Read More …
Wisdom for Boys (#1220)
For those that do not regularly speak to teenagers, opportunities to give talks to those in this age group can prove especially challenging. On the occasion of preparing to give an extended presentation to a group of teen aged boys, Roger Olson shared a working outline. Among his list of ten items are it’s good to be a boy—and a man, they need to ignore the stereotypes of “manhood”—whether those come at them from their male peers or from the media or anywhere, and they Read More …
What Should Pastors Wear? (#1195)
What should pastors wear during worship? Joseph Yoo, pastor of St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Santa Barbara (CA), recently addressed this question in a post titled "Pastor Dress Code." He writes: What is the appropriate attire that a pastor should wear on Sunday mornings? And, is it really that important? Apparently, the issue is much, much bigger than I had ever thought it would be. So What? I found myself spending more time reading the comments than the original Read More …