When you’ve lost a loved one, every “first” without them can feel excruciating. The first birthday…or Mother’s Day…or Father’s Day. Then there are the holidays.
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Whether you’re a pastor or a parent, a spouse or a friend, the occasion will arise when you encounter someone going through a difficult time.
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I came across a phrase a while ago that has stubbornly stuck with me: Words create worlds.”
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I don’t know about you, but I am really ready for this presidential election to be over.
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Recently I met with a group of pastors I am coaching and we talked about the challenge of assimilating newcomers into an established church body.
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For over thirty years October has been observed as Clergy Appreciation Month in the United States.
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I recently came across an article titled “The Top 10 Problems Facing Pastors Today.” I was not surprised by #1, which was “job-related stress,” or #2, which was “feelings of loneliness and isolation.” I was dismayed, however, at #3.
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The other day I came across this quote from humorist Mark Twain: “If you have to eat a live frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.”
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In my last post, I shared some information regarding the struggles pastors are facing today. What can we do to help hurting pastors?
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I recently came across an article by Jill Foley Turner from the National Christian Foundation that offered some powerful and, sadly, troubling insights on the current state of pastors.
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In my previous post, I introduced a key aspect of discipleship that comes from Paul’s N.T. letter to the Ephesians.
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I recently read a great book on discipleship titled Hero Maker. It’s by a pastor named Dave Ferguson. The book's premise is that the pastor's role is not to be the “hero” in his church – it’s to be a “hero maker.”
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A piece I read from pastor and author Mark Batterson grabbed my attention last week and it has yet to let me go. It has to do with vision.
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Tucked away in the book of Proverbs is a verse that is unfamiliar to most of us, but oh so important to grasp. It’s Proverbs 17:9 – “Love prospers when a fault is forgiven but dwelling on it separates close friends.”
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One of the best books on leadership I have read in recent years goes by the provocative title: Canoeing the Mountains with the subtitle, Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory.
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If you’re a mariner lost at sea, triangulation is a very good thing. It’s a navigational technique that allows you to figure out where you are by measuring the triangle formed by two known points and your unknown point. But in the arena of relationships, triangulation is another thing altogether
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Back in 2021, as we were emerging from the long, dark season of COVID, I attended a gathering of leaders from my denomination, the first of its kind since the CDC had issued its new facemask guidelines.
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I enjoyed meeting with my coaching groups. It’s so gratifying to see these young pastors eagerly leaning into their professional development. Yet it was in a follow-up phone call that I witnessed another need.
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As I write this, it’s the day after Easter…and I am remembering what this day was like for me during my 34 years as a lead pastor. I’m also wondering if some of my fellow pastors may be feeling the same way today.
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As well as having been a preacher for over four decades, I also have been privileged to be a teacher of preachers, having served as an adjunct professor in two universities.
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