Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, recently asked more than twenty pastors who had been in ministry for at least 25 years a single question: “What regrets do you have about the years you have served as a pastor?” The top seven answers follow: Lack of practical training for local church ministry Overly concerned about critics Failure to exercise faith Not enough time with family Failure to understand basic business and finance issues Failure to Read More …
Discipleship
Self-Appraisal Statement (#0970)
My understanding of who I am is shaped more by following the way of Jesus than any other factor. I strive to live the love of neighbor Jesus taught by embodying an ever-widening inclusiveness of the circle of those I count as neighbor. My academic preparation for Christian ministry in schools affiliated with three traditions, varied roles in parish ministry in congregations affiliated with four additional denominations, and interactions with those in the wider family of faith through Read More …
Endless Options (#0968)
Barry Cooper, director of product development at Christianity Explored Ministries and a part of the team planting Trinity West Church, wrote an article on the false God of endless options in the January/February 2013 edition of Christianity Today. In this piece he suggests that we have opportunities to choose from nearly endless options whether in life's larger choices like choosing a college major or in everyday decisions like ordering at Starbucks. As a result many people have Read More …
Religious Hope for 2013 (#0966)
Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, senior religion editor for the Huffington Post, recently shared how his experiences interacting with religious leaders offers him hope for the future. Rather than attempting to capture the vast wisdom of these leaders in a short blog post, he allowed over forty religious leaders to share their hopes for 2013. Three that were especially meaningful to me follow: For the New Year: may we believe deeply without despising difference; hope extravagantly Read More …
Statement on Ministry (#0962)
Tiger population has declined by 90% over the last 50 years; those involved in creating a brighter future for tigers understand that extinction will be reality if significant changes are not implemented soon. The role of religion in America has changed dramatically and the size of mainline/progressive Protestantism has declined dramatically over the last 50 years; those involved in leading United Church of Christ communities today must be open to innovation and experimentation in order to Read More …
The Story of Jesus (#0960)
In the December 26, 2012 edition of the Christian Century, John M. Buchanan writes: The more I ponder the story of Jesus the more convinced I am that it's about a radical inclusivity that threatened and still threatens all who are invested in exclusivity of any kind, but particularly religious exclusivity. Jesus had no time for religion as a definer of who was "in" and who was "out," who was "us" and who was "them." The story still challenges every Read More …
Living or Loving? (#0959)
Bob Bohl is the former moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and pastor of Village Presbyterian Church. He is currently chairman of the Board of Trustees at Princeton Theological Seminary. In a sermon entitled "Living In the Direction of God's Dream," he offered these challenging words: I believe there are at least two kinds of churches...one is a living church and the other is a loving church. There is a distinct difference between the two. Living churches are judged by their Read More …
Warm Wishes for a Blessed Christmas (#0954)
The following video by the Officers of the United Church of Christ is a powerful reminder of what this day is all about. The closing blessing is worth repeating: May God's blessings be yours this Christmas. Be filled with wonder. Be touched by grace. Believe in the miracle of God's love made flesh. And may the miracle, glory, and wonder of this sacred season warm your heart this Christmas and through each day of the coming year. Read More …
A New Multi-Site Model (#0947)
Teddy Ray is pastor and preacher for the Offerings Community and the Executive Pastor of 1st United Methodist Church in Lexington, KY. Recently, he wrote about the dramatic growth in multi-site churches and provided an explanation of how his church's approach differs from the traditional multi-site models. Multi-site congregations are a relatively new idea. Ray mentions the years multi-site congregations in the USA reached significant numeric milestones: Read More …
An Internet Challenge (#0942)
From 2003-2011 Paul Brandeis Raushenbush was the Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel at Princeton University. Now he serves as the Senior Religion Editor for the Huffington Post. A few weeks ago he wrote an article focusing on the power and prevalence of the internet as a source of religious information. He concluded that piece with these insightful and challenging words: Instead of the bombs of negativity, distrust and conflict that can find Read More …