Jennifer Thomas, an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Vice President of Missouri Faith Voices, recently blogged about the challenges pastors face when seeking to help congregations transition from a maintenance mentality to one focused on mission. Regrettably, seminary didn’t prepare me for the backlash I would receive as a missional leader in a congregation. Some folks prefer a maintenance model of ministry, where the pastor is called primarily to Read More …
Smarter Sentencing Act (#1415)
I am one of almost 700 clergy and faith leaders who have signed an interfaith letter to Congress about the Smarter Sentencing Act. The Act (S. 1410/H.R. 3382) is "a step towards addressing racial injustice as well as reducing the mass incarceration that characterizes our current justice system." So What? As followers of the Way of Jesus, we must recognize the inherent dignity of all people and advocate for a criminal justice system that treats people justly and humanely. As people Read More …
Changes in Worship Services (#1414)
Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, recently shared a list of rapid changes in church worship services. His list includes the disappearance of choirs (down 10% in just 10 years), the emergence of screens as normative in worship, a shift toward more casual dress for worship, and longer sermons. So What? Worship services have changed dramatically in recent years. Rainer's use of the word rapid to describe several shifts is significant. As religious Read More …
Sermon: Going Viral (#1413)
Sermon Text: Mark 4:1-20 Sermon Excerpt This morning things are different than usual. For you, maybe that difference started well before you got in a vehicle and made your way to church . . . Or maybe it started moments ago when you saw something unfamiliar happen as Pastor Ron moved a screen onto the chancel . . . Or maybe it will begin the moment I hit play . . . <Show World's Toughest Job Video> While not a religious holiday, many Christian worship services in Read More …
Print Media Costs How Much? (#1412)
Without giving away my age, I will admit that when I started out in ministry print media was at the center of the church communications world. Nearly everything deemed worth communicating was printed. Anything of real significance was communicated through a variety of print pieces usually including a specialty piece (brochure, postcard, etc.) and mentions in the big two (weekly worship bulletin and monthly newsletter). While websites did exist, they certainly were not a central Read More …
Music in Worship (#1411)
David Neff, former editor in chief of Christianity Today and church music director for nearly three decades, recently suggested that music in worship should be intentionally eclectic - utilizing a variety of styles and sources, and focused on enabling worship rather than artistic excellence (or a performance mentality). So What? Music plays an important role in Christian worship. When a given congregation experiences only a very narrow range of music styles or theological Read More …
Youth Min: Exit Interviews (#1410)
Every congregation I have served has recognized students when they graduate from high school. In most cases this recognition has included both formal recognition in a Sunday morning worship service (or services) along with a more personalized celebration in the context of youth ministry. As these new graduates prepare to transition from the youth ministry (those devised for students in middle school and high school) into a college or young adult ministry, youth ministry leaders Read More …
Only in Church (#1409)
Jon Acuff recently shared a short list of things that only happen in church: ask a stranger to scoot to the middle, hug people you don't really know, and shout phrases of encouragement when someone says something good. So What? As I read his post and skimmed some of the many comments on it, I realized the focus was primarily on worship. While I am not part of a community of faith that practices shouting in worship (words of encouragement or otherwise!), I certainly have seen Read More …
Happy or Meaningful? (#1408)
Daisy Grewal's recent article - "A Happy Life May Not Be a Meaningful Life" - is a good reminder of the difference between happiness and meaningfulness. Happy According to recent research, happiness "was strongly correlated with seeing life as easy, pleasant, and free from difficult or troubling events." While money alone may not be enough to create happiness, "having enough money to buy what one needs in life, as well as what one desires, were also positively correlated with greater Read More …
Recent Reading – May (#1407)
Busy is a buzzword. It is, however, also an accurate description of my world at the moment. With this in mind, I offer ratings rather than reviews for the last four books I read (listed by rating, on a scale of 5.0). For those awaiting regular weekly reviews, stay tuned! I hope to return to that feature in July. (5+) The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown by Paul Taylor (2014). (5) Learning to Walk in the Read More …