Asking for Help
I still remember the look I got from a fellow church member when I mentioned in conversation that I had been seeing a pastoral counselor. The expression was a strange mixture of disbelief and pity. I...
View ArticleThe Honeymoon
We still talk about the period after a couple is married as the honeymoon. This is more than a short period of time to get away to a resort or vacation spot. This is the time when the couple...
View ArticleProdigals and those who love them
Even if you are the parent of a child who has never rebelled, been in trouble, or broken your heart, please read the rest of this blog. If you have never encountered a day of difficulty in raising...
View ArticleSaying good-bye to old friends
OK, I will readily admit that I have too many books. My wife and I are both book lovers (bibliophiles, for those who desire a classier word). Our home is packed with books. We have passed this love...
View ArticleA future and a hope
With the retirement of Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal, the departure of many top level staff, and the adoption of a new organizational plan, there is much discussion about the future of the...
View ArticlePracticing hospitality
There was a time when churches were excited when a young married couple with 1.5 kids walked through the doors of the church building. The conventional wisdom was, “These are the kind of people we...
View ArticleFor such a time as this
“Why would anyone want to go into ministry today?” I overheard this question recently, but I did not respond because I was not the person being addressed. As I thought about the question, however, I...
View ArticleWhat’s your story?
After I watched the Heisman Trophy presentation on ESPN last Saturday night (my selection did not win, by the way), I stayed on the channel and saw the documentary “You Don’t Know Bo” about athlete...
View ArticleLegacy
As the president of the United States enters into his second term, there is much discussion among the “talking heads” about legacy. What will President Obama seek to do that will assure that he is...
View ArticleBreaking new ground
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has a nominee as third executive coordinator of the organization. Once again, the nominee is from Texas, but . . . this nominee is female and a layperson—Suzii...
View ArticleChurch planting: time for new terminology?
Susan Rogers serves as church planter and pastor of The Well at Springfield in Jacksonville, Florida. The Well at Springfield is self-described as “a community of faith seeking to practice the way of...
View ArticleTheological education that works
Theological education is just beginning to catch up with changing needs of churches and culture that must be addressed if seminaries and divinity schools expect to survive. I received my first seminary...
View ArticleA new theme song for CBF?
On a recent Sunday, our church choir sang “Find Us Faithful” as the anthem in the traditional worship service. I have always liked this song that was written by Jon Mohr and popularized by Steve...
View ArticleThe care and feeding of pastors
Our church recently went through a pastoral transition. Thanks to good staff and lay leadership, we weathered that transition well. We added some members and even completed a building program, but the...
View ArticleWhen the church is at its best
Hardly a day goes by that I do not read some criticism of the church—whether in its local, national, or global expressions. I acknowledge that there is much to criticize but there is much to praise as...
View ArticleYoung ministers want to be mentored
Starting out in any field is not easy, but ministry has its own challenges. Most congregations expect that their new pastor or staff member will “hit the ground running” and be ready to deal with both...
View ArticleHow do we welcome people to the church?
During my ministry, I have visited a number of churches and not always as the supply preacher or in an “official” role. Often I have just dropped in on a worship service and have experienced how a...
View ArticleChange is Good
When Fellowship Baptists met in Greensboro in June for their General Assembly, they embraced not only change but a clear future for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. As CBF moves along in its third...
View ArticleDo we need denominations in the 21st Century?
Those of us who worked in denominational roles in past years often referred to ourselves as “denominational serpents” rather than denominational servants, questioning the motivations of the...
View ArticleWhat do Millennials want from denominations?
Associated Baptist Press writer Jeff Brumley recently posted an article responding to research by the Public Religion Research Institute suggesting that “the rise of religious progressives and a...
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