It’s easy to get weighed down by the day-to-day tasks of ministry. I’ve seen dozens of us work early and late hours, make ministry happen, and neglect ourselves and our families. Meanwhile, our ministry work is barely appreciated and very much expected; people are quicker to criticize than applaud. After a few weeks of this,…
Love it or loathe it, since its launch in 2020, ‘Ted Lasso’ has gained a global following. The award-winning Apple TV+ series follows the story of a college football coach from Kansas City who travels across the pond and manages a fictional English Premiere League soccer team, AFC Richmond. Ted’s unique leadership style has led…
A perspective on bi-vocational ministry. If you’ve been in ministry for any length of time, you know that it reaches much further than the time you’re officially “on the clock” for your job. Ministry can seep into every corner of our lives – sometimes in beautiful ways, other times in unhealthy ways. On a typical…
(A follow-up to “They’re Not Coming Back”) By Rev. Rob Dyer If you’re familiar with the Broadway musical Hamilton, then you’ve probably heard the song “You’ll Be Back.” Sung by the character of King George III, this song is a sharp shift in style and tone from the rest of the show and serves to…
Years ago, we used to tell ourselves that young adults who had strayed from the church would come back after they got married. When that didn’t happen, we shifted our hopes and proclaimed that they would return when they had kids. Some came back for baptisms, but the tsunami of baby-toting individuals never quite hit…
I know you’re not all that thankful for the discouraging text message or email you received from one more disgruntled churchgoer. The truth is, because we live in a fallen world, poor communication and hurt feelings are a certain reality. I know it seems odd that I’m about to ask you to be thankful over something…
“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” Ernest Hemingway My grandmother is an excellent listener. She could sit for hours listening to you talk. She says very little in response, but you know that she values what you have to say. When she does speak, you listen, because…
It Starts with an Idea … … because someone, an individual or a group, has identified a need, or they’ve identified a problem in the community. And they either think or say, “Somebody ought to do something about this.” And then the wheels begin to turn. An individual has a need, a community has a…