Transformation on the ground Our first training session in an eastern Asian country was about to begin, in the foothills of the Himalayas. We were waiting for one more pastor to arrive. As I walked up the footpath to the training center, I saw a man trudging up the road towards me. I stopped, thinking: this is probably him. I greeted him with one of the few words I knew in his language. Switching quickly to English, I said ,“we’re ready to begin!” In spite of the language barrier, I persuaded him to follow me. During that first training session, the pastor, Tham, […]
by Aaron Buer blog reposted courtesy of Breeze. Here’s a question: Why is it that some churches grow and others don’t? In many cases, growing churches and stagnant churches look almost identical from the outside. Similar buildings. Similar worship style. Similar budgets. Similar locations. So what’s the difference? Why is it that some grow and others don’t? Something that I’ve noticed through interacting with different churches is that growing churches are typically structured differently than stagnant or declining churches. Growing churches either never had, or at some point shed their start-up structural configuration, while stagnant or declining churches were never […]
Posted originally on Leading with Questions. Reposted with kind permission from Bob Tiede. It all started with a dandelion in an alley in Calgary. A weed in the wrong place, it became the impetus for discovery that may eliminate much petroleum-based pollution. The wonder is in the question that led to innovation. Most of us might merely pluck such an offending plant. Some might plot a means to permanently eliminate such occurrences. Kelcie Miller-Anderson, 15 at the time, simply wondered: “How it is that dandelions thrive where other plants do not?” Starting with her reframed question, Kelcie, now 22 and in […]
Do you: Spend more time doing the ministry instead of spending time with your wife? Find a huge percentage of your conversation with your wife to be about ministry? Retire to bed with ministry on your mind, and wake up with it still lingering? Are you more concerned with the problems of your church members, more than the problems ailing your family? find more satisfaction with your involvement at church so much so that you’d rather spend time there than with your wife and kids? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may be at risk […]
Watch Video Interview Here!!! “We were made for community. It’s not a defect,” Pastor D shares candidly as he reflects on his own personal struggles with discouragement and depression. Do you remember when God first called you to train pastors? For some, it may have been a Damascus Road encounter … for others, it may have been a real need you experienced personally, as it was for Pastor D. In the painful desert seasons, Pastor D was surrounded by fellow pastors who took the time to walk alongside him in the healing process as he endured years of depression. Today, […]
Editor’s Note: Enjoy this read on micromanaging by author Aaron Burr. We did! Reposted with kind permission of Breeze. If there is one thing none of us wants to be called it’s a micromanager. We hate being micromanaged and can’t stand the idea of being identified as one. And yet, because we care deeply about the work that we’ve been called to do, most of us are at least somewhat guilty of micromanaging. I know I have my moments. So, how do you know if you’re a micromanager? Here are three signs: “Only I Can Do This” There have been […]
Preaching the content of the Bible is not enough. Content must lead to intent. The Scriptures are purposeful…they were written to a particular group of people with the intention of bringing about a necessary (from God’s perspective) change. Our noble task, as teachers and preachers of God’s Word, is to discern the original aim of the text. Of course, this requires a careful reading of both the text and the context. Once grasped, the original aim or the shepherding intent of the text leads us to a biblically-driven application for today. God’s aim then fuels our application. Unfortunately, we might miss God’s aim […]
“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines” 1 Corinthians 12:7, 11 The Bible says that each Christian is given a spiritual gift(s) for use in building the Body of Christ. But what exactly are spiritual gifts? Are they the same as our skills and talents? How do we know what spiritual gift(s) we have? Why are they important? And how do we know when and how to use them? These […]
In this episode, Dr. Darrell L. Bock and Tom Nelson discuss work and the pastorate, focusing on the church’s relationship to the business world. 00:15 Nelson’s background integrating a theology of work with ministry 03:30 How the concept of faith and work entered Nelson’s ministry 06:30 The importance of Genesis to biblical theology of work 11:45 How did understanding a biblical theology of work affect your ministry? EXCERPT FROM TRANSCRIPT: Tom Nelson: But yeah, I was committed to teaching the word, to helping people walk closer to Jesus in their own private walk with God, and helping them with their […]
The Power of the Gospel Since people move from the lost side of “God’s and-yet bridge” to the right side, the power of the gospel to change a life is the result of salvation. Their biblical status, and even their existential situation, is changed in the exchange. For example, “guilty” is not only a divine verdict but also a personal feeling. When unbelievers embrace the gospel, both the theological verdict and personal feeling of guilt are changed to “forgiven.” Yes, they are theologically forgiven by God, but they also sense being forgiven by God. “To us who are being saved […]