Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
The short answer is yes. The real answer is yes but with some nuance. First, we absolutely can and should listen to what our pastor says and to think about whether we agree or disagree and why. I can say as someone who has pastored for more than twenty-five years, I never claimed to be … Read More “Is It Okay to Question What Your Pastor Says?” »
I have been a pastor for approximately twenty-five years and I have enjoyed it for the most part. There are challenges, as there are with any career. If I had the chance to redo my life, I would still want to be a pastor. I think many people are aware of the costs of being … Read More “The Unseen Cost of Being a Pastor” »
I have been a pastor for approximately twenty-five years. Over that time, I have tried to grow as a pastor and I hope to continue to grow for as long as I’m active as a pastor. Growth does not just happen by itself, at least not positive growth. There are things that we can do … Read More “7 Steps to Grow as a Pastor” »
I will often hear pastors preface their remarks with “I’m not a theologian, but…” The problem with this statement is that it is wrong. Pastors are theologians. People have gotten it into their heads that if they do not have a PhD in theology, they are not theologians. There were theologians long before the invention … Read More “Pastors as Theologians” »
When my friends describe what I do, some will call me a pastor and some will call me a preacher. Both are correct in my case but the two words are not synonyms. I know this from experience. My first role as a pastor was as a youth pastor. I got a few preaching opportunities … Read More “What is the Difference Between a Pastor and a Preacher?” »
It does take much to become a pastor. It is another thing to be an effective pastor. What does it take? What I’m talking about here are not necessarily skills but personality traits. What if you don’t identify these traits in yourself? Then you need to be aware of your weaknesses and to surround yourself … Read More “5 Traits of an Effective Pastor” »
What do you do if you want to become a pastor of a church? What steps should you take? I have been a pastor for almost twenty-five years and I am willing to share from my experience. Make sure that you are called to be a pastor. I don’t want to make too much out … Read More “How to Become a Pastor” »
One of the most important lessons I have learned in my two decades as a pastor is that it is important to choose our battles. Neglecting this can easily destroy the pastor and/or the congregation. What do I mean by “choose our battles”? Not every issue is worth throwing our full effort to either promote … Read More “An Important Lesson For Christian Ministry” »
I have been a pastor for over twenty years. I enjoy it and I’m thankful that this is my career. However, there is a truth about being a pastor that I just can’t shake. When I look at the sanctuary on a Sunday morning and see more people than expected, I feel on top of … Read More “The Painful Truth About Being a Pastor” »
Some pastors don’t believe in a day off. “The devil doesn’t take a day off and neither should we.” Except maybe the devil isn’t the best example to follow. For many years I have taken Monday as my day off. The reason is that I am usually tired from all the activity of Sunday. Some … Read More “Why I’m Glad That I Changed My Day Off” »
I would like to say as much as possible but it really depends. The more the better but life circumstances can limit how much formal education some can get. The first question to ask is about your goals. Are you looking to get ordained by your denomination? Some denominations have specific educational requirements for ordination. … Read More “What Theological Education Should a Pastor Get?” »
As I write this, I am just starting my fourth year at my church. It has been an amazing time and it has made me think about other pastors starting at new churches. Reflecting on my own experience and talking to other pastors, here is what I think pastors should do during their first year … Read More “What a Pastor Should Accomplish in the First Year at a Church” »
I have had the role of a pastor, on and off, for over twenty years. It is an important part of my identity and I’m thankful to be able to serve in this way. As part of my reflections as I approach fifty, here are five things I have learned about being a pastor. Invest … Read More “Top Five Things I Have Learned As a Pastor” »
I first heard of the imposter syndrome in the context of blogging. Bloggers often write from the perspective of an “expert,” giving advice in a specific area. But it is not uncommon for bloggers to ask, “Who am I to give my opinion? Why should people listen to me?” This is called the imposter syndrome. … Read More “Pastors and the Imposter Syndrome” »
While I consider myself an apologist, my primary role is that of a pastor of a local church. But I don’t find these roles to be contradictory. I try to include apologetics in my pastoral ministry. There are many ways to do this but one way is through preaching. Often in the summer I offer … Read More “Apologetics and Preaching” »
This is not about when pastors mess up by having an affair, developing an addiction or being financially dishonest. I’m talking about the regular mistakes that pastors make on a regular basis. They are common mistakes, but when not dealt with properly, they can cause major problems. I messed up on Sunday at church. The … Read More “When Pastors Mess Up” »
As we sort through the mess with Billy Hybels and the situation at Willow Creek, there are any number of responses we could have. There are both good and bad responses that we could have. Don’t Respond This Way One bad response to Billy Hybels’ fall from the super-pastor hall of fame is to gloat. … Read More “1 Bad Response to Bill Hybels (and 3 Good Ones)” »
As a pastor, I try not to use the b-word. Which b-word? Busy. This is a change for me. Years ago, when people would ask how I was doing, I would always respond with “busy.” Then I heard some other pastors push back on the idea of talking about being busy. Why have I stopped … Read More “Pastors and the B-Word” »
For years I was convinced that I needed a full manuscript in front of me to preach. I don’t have a great memory and was not able to memorize the sermon no matter hard I tried. My wife tried to convince me to ditch the manuscript but I didn’t have the confidence. The first time … Read More “How to Preach Without a Manuscript” »
The day that I’m writing this is Good Friday, the day that we remember the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus is the focus of our faith and the inspiration for our ministry. How did Jesus lead? He let by self-denial and humility. What does a successful ministry look like? We may aspire to a ministry of … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Remember the Cross” »
Moses had his Joshua. Elijah has his Elisha. Paul had his Timothy and Titus. Who do we have? Every current pastor was once a young person who knew nothing about ministry. Ideally, someone came along side us and mentored us as we discovered our gifts and began to serve. There may have even been more … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Invest in the Next Generation” »
When it comes to ministry, we can look at our past and our present. But what about our future? Specifically, how our ministry will end? Our pastoral ministry will end, the question is whether it will end well or not. Too many pastors simply hope for the best. But we can do more than that. … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Plan to Finish Well” »
Most pastors are writers to begin with. Many of us write out a sermon manuscript, even if we may not preach from that manuscript. However, we can work on our writing skills. Developing our writing ability helps us to improve in our communication. Writing requires us to take an idea and present it in a … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Start Writing” »
Read the Bible? Who reads the Bible more than pastors? That’s the problem. We read the Bible to plan out sermons and Bible studies. But how often do we read the Bible to feed ourselves spiritually? I know from experience how hard it is to read the Bible as a pastor. I start reading the … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Read the Bible” »
Many of the pastors I know love to read. They have large libraries and collect resources to help with sermon preparations. But we can do better than just reading commentaries and other biblical resources. The way we can get better is to develop a reading plan. This can include reading books related to ministry, including … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Start a Reading Plan” »
There are many activities that a pastor can be involved in but prayer is one of the most important. There are many things that we can pray for but one of the most important is to pray for our congregation. Pastors can have congregations ranging from 20 people to 20,000 people but no size should … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better a Pastor: Pray For Your Congregation” »
One way to do ministry is to do it Sunday by Sunday. Each week, pick a passage to preach on. Start or stop ministries as situations come up. Hope for the best and pray it all works out. That is one way but not necessarily the best. Another way is to plan out our year. … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Plan Out Your Year” »
I was involved in a youth group at a particular church. The youth group traditionally went on retreats. One year, the youth pastor announced that Christians don’t retreat and so the time away was renamed an “advance.” I have since seen a number of churches call these events advances. With all respect to that youth … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Retreat!” »
In my first four months as a paid pastor, I gained about thirty pounds. This was the result of two things. One that I was spending much of my time getting together with youth at McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s. The other was that I was not getting much exercise. I was eventually forced to include … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Get Some Exercise” »
One of the biggest challenges that I face as a pastor is responding to mental illness. While I had a couple of counselling courses in seminary, I feel that I lack background in mental health. I spent some time as chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces. They put a tremendous amount of emphasis on mental … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Mental Health” »
Some people embrace Christian apologetics and some have no interest at all. I would suggest that pastors don’t have the right to reject apologetics. Even if we are not interested, apologetics is necessary for our congregation. Even if we ignored Christian apologetics, that wouldn’t stop our people from encountering anti-Christian apologetics. There are plenty of … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Include Apologetics in Your Ministry” »
Can you remember your time in Bible college or seminary? Were you counting the days until your graduation? Were you eager to finish your education? It is interesting to note that many other careers expect that education should continue. Some are required to earn a certain number of continuing education credits. Others are expected to … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Continue Your Education” »
In smaller churches, pastors are equated with preachers. But even in larger churches, many pastors have preaching as one of their responsibilities, although perhaps not every week. After preaching for a number of years, it is is easy to get complacent when it comes to sermon preparation and delivery. It would be a good idea … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Invest in Your Preaching” »
One of the best decisions I have made is to observe a Sabbath. A Sabbath is not just a day off. A day off can easily be filled up with other stuff. A day off is not necessarily a day of rest. A Sabbath is a 24-hour period of rest and focus on God. Obviously … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Observe a Sabbath” »
One of the best ways to become a better pastor to be intentional in lifelong learning. The worst thing is to see graduation from Bible college or seminary as the end of learning. There are many ways to learn but one of the most convenient is to listen to podcasts. You can listen to them … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Subscribe to Some Podcasts” »
There is much respect given to pastors who work long hours and who are always available to their congregation. But that doesn’t mean they are good pastors. What about their family? At one time there was talk of needing to balance church and family. Balance ideas have begun to fall away as a 50/50 split … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Focus on the Family” »
One of the best ways to build a long lasting and effective ministry is to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness. It is easy to focus on the things that are wrong or frustrating. Being thankful takes work and it doesn’t come about by accident. One of the things that I do is to blog weekly … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Embrace Thankfulness” »
One of the frequent descriptions of pastoral ministry concerns the loneliness of being a pastor. It doesn’t have to be that way. While I think it is good to have friends within the congregation, it is also helpful to connect with other pastors who know the pressures of ministry. This can look a number of … Read More “31 Days to Becoming a Better Pastor: Connect With Other Pastors” »
I’m told that Christian job sites have biggest spikes of pastor resumes on Mondays. That is, it is most likely on the day after a Sunday service that a pastor is looking for a new position. The reason for this is that pastors put too much emphasis on what takes place Sunday mornings. Of course … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: No Major Decisions on Mondays” »
I have already talked about the importance for pastors to grow in their relationship with God in a previous post. Related to that but still distinct is the importance of worship. How are they different? When we seek to grow in our relationship with God, we are looking to receive something in terms of a … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Take Time to Worship” »
The two most important things a pastor needs to do is to love God and love people. Often the loving of God comes easier than the love for people. Some people are easier to love than others. What does it mean for us to love our congregations? It doesn’t necessarily mean that we are filled … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Love Your Congregation” »
You have likely noticed that during safety demonstrations by airlines that the stewardess always tells the passengers that in case of emergency they need to put the oxygen on themselves before helping another. The reason for this is that if you pass out from lack of oxygen, you are of no help to others. There … Read More “31 Days to Become a Better Pastor: Seek After God” »
There was a time not long ago when it was trendy fir churches to develop vision/mission statements. We don’t hear as much about it now, perhaps because most churches have now adopted one and so it is less a topic of conversation. These statements are good but the danger is that it is officially adopted … Read More “A Challenge For Pastors in the New Year” »
I have had numerous titles during my ministry career. I have been pastor, reverend, padre, chaplain, captain and hopefully soon, doctor. But what titles, if any, should a pastor use? In my first ministry placement as a seminary student, I worked as a youth pastor. My senior pastor told me that he wanted the youth … Read More “Pastors and Titles” »
“The devil doesn’t take a day off and so neither should the pastor.” Have you ever heard that one? But then again, perhaps Satan is not the best model for healthy leadership. At the same time, I want to affirm that pastors don’t need a day off. What pastors need is a Sabbath. What is … Read More “Pastors Don’t Need a Day Off” »
One of the most common aspects of my pastoral ministry has been to individuals or families dealing with dementia or Alzheimer’s. It is always a difficult situation for those involved. On a personal note. this was a challenge for me early in my ministry. My nursing home experience before becoming a pastor was as a … Read More “Thoughts on Ministry to Those With Dementia” »
My name is Steve and I’m an introvert. And I’m also a pastor. Today, I listened to a great episode of the 200 Churches Podcast titled Yes, I am a Pastor and an Introvert! I was very interested in this as an introverted pastor. I have encountered skepticism that introverts can be good pastors. I used to … Read More “Introverts Can Be Good Pastors” »
It is hard to believe that only three years ago, I didn’t think that I would ever pastor a church again. It is not that I had a bad experience at my previous churches. I pastored for nine years at Woodford Baptist Church and First Baptist Church Meaford and I have extremely fond memories of … Read More “Good News: Thankful to Be Pastoring Again” »
I’m increasingly hearing calls for pastors to step back from pastoral care. Experts in church growth are claiming that one of the most important things to do to grow a church is for the pastor to cease involvement in pastoral care. It has been observed that pastoral care is one of the limiting factors for … Read More “Should Pastors Be Involved in Pastoral Care?” »
I sometimes get asked about how long it takes me to prepare for a sermon. The usual writing of it while sitting at the computer takes between an hour and an hour and a half. But the sermon preparation takes much longer. But how long? I can’t tell you. It’s not because it is a … Read More “Why I Can’t Tell You How Long Sermon Prep Takes” »
When I was studying at seminary, we were told that the greatest temptations for a pastor were sex and money. I have no doubt that many pastors have stumbled in these areas. However, this has not been my experience. That is not to say that I don’t experience temptations. There are some unhealthy habits that … Read More “My Four Greatest Temptations as a Pastor” »
If you spoke to me three or four years ago about my career goals, being a pastor would not have been high on the list. Despite spending a long time in school training to be a pastor and having been a pastor five churches, I thought my time as a pastor was done. It is … Read More “Good News: Thankful to Be Back in Pastoral Ministry” »
My primary role in ministry is as a pastor of a local congregation. Why then do I choose to teach apologetics at my church? Is this just a case of me pushing my interests on my church? There are many different things that I could teach at my church and apologetics is by no means … Read More “Why I Teach Apologetics at My Church” »
What does a pastor do? There are different types of pastors (solo, lead, associate, youth, executive) and so there are different responsibilities. But I can share what my priorities are in my role as the lead pastor of Queen Street Baptist Church. This is not to say that these are all my duties but rather … Read More “My 4 Priorities as a Pastor” »
While pastoral ministry is a very rewarding career, it can easily lead to burnout. Back in 2010, The New York Times published an article on pastoral burnout. The findings have surfaced with ominous regularity over the last few years, and with little notice: Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at … Read More “5 Ways For Pastors to Avoid Burnout” »
I believe that apologetics is important and not just for those interested in apologetics. Apologetics is especially important for pastors, whether they like it or not. The fact is that there is a steady stream of anti-Christian apologetics hitting our people and ignoring Christian apologetics is not going to stop that. While I’m not suggesting … Read More “7 Ways Pastors Can Begin to Integrate Apologetics into Their Ministry” »
I almost called this post, “Should Pastors Blog?” but I chose not to because it suggests there is a yes or no answer. The truth is that some pastors should not blog. Perhaps they are not very good at blogging or they may have the skill but they hate doing it. I would never suggest … Read More “5 Good Reasons for Pastors to Blog” »
When I met with one of the faculty as I began my studies at McMaster Divinity College twenty years ago, I made it clear that I wanted to be a pastor but I didn’t want to preach. Ironically, writing and preaching sermons are now one my favourite activities as a pastor. Much of the work … Read More “5 Things I Do For Sermon Preparation” »
The challenge for preaching is that most churches don’t have a homogeneous congregation. The people who are listening to the message are coming from different backgrounds and perspectives. I think that its is a mistake to write a sermon that attempts to cover every group. It is better to find out what most of the … Read More “5 Different People That Pastors Preach To” »
Although the financial year for a church might start in January, the ministry year really starts in September. As I write this, September is just a couple of days away. Pastors should not just walk into the new ministry year blindly. Here are five questions that pastors should ask at the beginning of the ministry … Read More “5 Questions Pastors Should Ask at the Beginning of the Ministry Year” »
I really enjoying being the pastor of a local congregation. It is a fulfilling and stretching career. But how did I get to this point? What led me to pastoral ministry? This post is about how I first went into ministry. For the story of how I returned to ministry after a three year break, … Read More “How I Was Called Into Pastoral Ministry” »
Being the pastor of a church can be a rewarding experiencing. However, much of that depends on the nature of the congregation. Individuals within a church have the power to make or break the experience of the pastor. Assuming that the congregation wants the pastor to be effective in ministry, here are five ways that … Read More “5 Ways a Church Can Support Their Pastor” »
Perhaps you are considering attending seminary and getting a theological degree. But what degree should you pursue? I would like to put forth the case for getting a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree. The MDiv is the standard degree for many denominations for ordained pastoral ministry. The MDiv offers a blend of academic and ministry … Read More “Why You Should Get a Master of Divinity Degree” »
I have heard from a number of people who have been frustrated when their church leadership does not seem interested in apologetics. You have read the books and have been to the conferences and you know how powerful apologetics can be. But when you talk to your pastor, there seems to be no interest. What … Read More “How to Talk to Your Pastor About Apologetics” »
I recently wrote a blog post called Don’t Be That Apologist, where I gave some examples of apologists (without names) that are bad examples. I thought I would do the same thing for pastors. As a pastor, I have made plenty of mistakes and have witnessed mistakes by other pastors. Unfortunately there are lots of bad … Read More “Don’t Be That Pastor” »
This morning, my ten year old son asked me a very interesting question. He asked me, if I could restart my life, what job would I want to do? Imagine having that second chance. Being able to design your education and plan your experiences to gain that dream job that you have always wanted. What … Read More “If I Could Restart My Life…” »
Here are some leadership posts that I came across this week. You might find them helpful, so go check them out. 5 Questions Pastors Neglect in Sermon Prep – Charles Stone Eight Time Drainers of Pastors and Staff (and Eight Solutions) – Thom Rainer 9 Hidden Factors That Influence Your Leadership More Than You Think … Read More “Weekend Leadership Roundup” »
Being an associate pastor can be a very rewarding ministry in a local church. One of the advantages of being an associate pastor is that you often have a more focused ministry portfolio than a solo pastor who has to do everything. I was a youth pastor for four years and an associate pastor for … Read More “5 Tips for Associate Pastors” »
I first had the role of a pastor in 1996 and have been ordained since 2001. I have been a youth pastor, associate pastor and solo pastor. I have been in traditional and contemporary churches, rural and downtown churches. Of course there have been some challenging times but overall I enjoy my career as a … Read More “5 Things That I Love About Being a Pastor” »
I once talked to a pastor who said that they expected pastors to work 50 hours a week. Their reasoning was that they expect each church member to volunteer ten hours a week plus a full-time job is forty hours a week. Between the pastor’s paid and volunteer time, it should be 50 hours. I … Read More “How Many Hours Should a Pastor Work?” »
The very first pastoral role that I had began twenty years ago in 1996. I began my studies at McMaster Divinity College and my field placement was as a youth pastor of a combined Pentecostal and Salvation Army youth group. Since then I have had many roles and continue to learn. Reflecting on my experiences, … Read More “20 Things I Have Learned in 20 Years of Ministry” »
I remember the feelings that I experienced as I began my pastoral ministry, especially around the role of preaching. I knew that I had to work hard at writing the message and presenting it in a clear way. At the same time, I was very aware that I needed to trust in God through the whole … Read More “Pastors Should Take a Compliment” »
I have attended and visited churches that have different philosophies of preaching. Some churches seem to be purely topical. Each week is a topic such as mental health, finances, prayer and so forth. These can be quite popular. Other churches are extremely expository. The preacher will pick a book and go through it verse by … Read More “Expository or Topical Preaching?” »
I recently came across a blog post called Does It Matter How the Preacher Dresses? written by Joe McKeever. It is an interesting article and is worth reading. For some traditions, this is not an issue. You wear your clerical collar and robes (I was raised Anglican). For others, there is more to talk about. … Read More “How Should a Pastor Dress?” »
I recently wrote a post about why apologetics is an essential role for a pastor. Gavin Rumney at the OTAGOsh blog was nice enough to respond to my post with his own post called Apologists and Predators. That is fine as I affirm his right to disagree with me. But he does bring up some good … Read More “Pastor as Protector: Some Clarifications” »
Just over three years ago I left pastoral ministry after nine years of pastoring at Woodford and First Baptist Church Meaford. I had a great experience at those churches and nothing took place that turned me off pastoring. If you had a personal conversation with me in those three years, I may have indicated doubts … Read More “Good News: Returning to Pastoral Ministry” »
Talk to Your Pastor About Apologetics This challenge is aimed at laypeople but if you are a pastor, the principles are the same for talking to the leadership in the church. One of the frustrations I hear from people involved in apologetics is that their church does not seem interested in apologetics. You may have … Read More “30 Day Apologetics Challenge: Day 15” »
Pastors are just as human as everyone else. This means that mistakes are made. The first step is to just be aware of these temptations. Here are five of the most common mistakes that I have seen among pastors (including myself). Taking it personally when a person/family leaves the church. Sometimes people leave a church … Read More “5 Mistakes Pastors Make” »
Or how IÂ felt it was time to return to pastoral ministry Friends of mine and long-time readers of this blog will be familiar with my transition three years ago from a pastor to an ex=pastor. Technically, I still considered myself a pastor, I just was not in a leadership position at a local congregation. On … Read More “How I Went From an Ex-Pastor to an Ex-Ex-Pastor” »
If you have been following my personal posts, you will know that we are in a season of change. Over the past two days, we have moved back to our home town of St. Catharines. We found a house that really feels like home. The house is a mess with boxes and items to be unpacked. … Read More “Our Big News!” »
You show up for church and find that there is a guest preacher. Is that pastor on vacation again? I have heard such statements, about myself and about other pastors. People in the church seem surprised when the pastor is on vacation. Why are pastors away so much? Actually pastors are not taking more vacation … Read More “Is the Pastor on Vacation Again?” »
I have been preaching sermons for almost twenty years. Hopefully my skills have developed during that time. I know that I have learned a lot, both through the good responses and the less than good responses. How do I write a sermon? It is slightly different if I am writing a sermon for a church … Read More “How I Write a Sermon” »
I am a firm believer that attending a worship service should not be a passive experience. We can do much more than just soak up whatever is offered to us. One of the ways that we can be active is to pray throughout the service. But what should we be praying about during the service? … Read More “7 Things For You to Pray About at Church” »
One of the reasons that some people are surprised by my autism diagnosis is my history of Christian ministry. I have worked as a pastor, chaplain and Bible teacher. All of those roles require social interaction. Since autism affects social interaction, I shouldn’t be able to do those things. Except I did and continue to … Read More “Can I Be a Pastor and Autistic?” »
Despite the way I have titled this post, I am not sure there is a pure should or shouldn’t that fits every case. But I am getting ahead of myself. Does your pastor display their degrees, ordination diploma and other achievements in their office? It may or not surprise you to know that pastors disagree … Read More “Should Pastors Display Their Degrees?” »
I recently came across a blog post titled An Open Letter to Pastor-Theologians that was written by Seth Richardson. Should such a letter be written? Definitely. In fact I am kicking myself that I didn’t do it first. I can see what Richardson is trying to do in this letter and he is correct that … Read More “Responding to an Open Letter to Pastor-Theologians” »
I want to tell you a secret. People eat year round, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of course that is obvious, but for some reason that is when churches like to donate to the food bank. “In the spring and summer someone else should support the food bank or the poor people should figure … Read More “Invest in Your Food Bank” »
What do you do when your pastor preaches? Do you zone out? Do you play with your phone (text, Facebook, etc.)? Do your try and listen? Listening to a sermon does not have to be a completely passive experience. Here are five things that you could be doing. 1. Take notes. One of the most … Read More “5 Things You Can Do While Your Pastor is Preaching” »
It is all about discipleship. It really is. I firmly believe that the Church needs to focus on discipleship more than anything else, including evangelism. Of course evangelism is important, but if the people in our churches were strong disciples, there would be more people to do evangelism and we would be prepared to disciple the … Read More “3 Ways Pastors Can Promote Discipleship” »
There has been a recent article about a United Church of Canada minister who is an avowed atheist. The denomination is trying to determine if she is still effective in her ministry. For those unfamiliar with the UCC, it one of the most liberal denominations in Canada, although I know a number of strong evangelical … Read More “Atheists in the Pulpit” »
I am not currently pastoring a church but I did pastor for fourteen years, nine in the same two-point charge. I really enjoyed pastoring and I left because of some life circumstances more than any disgruntlement about pastoral ministry. But there is something that I found very hard and it continues to affect me. When … Read More “What I Find Hardest About Pastoring” »
Christians need to learn the Bible It is well known that the average person in the pew no longer has a good grasp of the Bible. Yes there are a few exceptions in certain families and in certain congregations, but generally Bible knowledge is much less than it was a few generations ago. The Canadian … Read More “3 Things for Pastors to Teach About the Bible” »
My most popular posts I have been blogging in some manner or other for about ten years. This particular blog is a bringing together of my three previous blogs. Since the amalgamation, it has been interesting to see which posts have caught the attention of my readers. Here then are my top five posts, chosen … Read More “My Top Five Posts” »
Being a pastor is a high calling. It can be both an enjoyable and fulfilling career. One of the challenges of being a pastor is that there are many bosses, whether official or not. A congregation can make a pastor’s time good or bad based on how they feel the pastor is doing. The pastor … Read More “Pastors, Families and Priorities” »
This is not a guide of how to start conflict if you are currently in a good relationship with your pastor. Rather, this post will seek to give some suggestions on how to deal with conflict in a healthy way. Should you ever disagree with your pastor? Sure. Why not? Having a “Reverend” in front … Read More “How to Have Conflict With Your Pastor” »
I have attended eight different churches over my lifetime. However, six of them were churches that I was pastoring at. That means that I have left only two churches based on decisions and not because I was going to pastor a new church. There are times that a family needs to leave a church for … Read More “How to Leave a Church and How I Did It Wrong” »
This is a special interview for me as this one is with my pastor. I have known Deane Proctor for some time as we were both pastoring in the same denomination. When my family was looking for a new church, we visited Queensway Baptist Church and really appreciated Deane’s preaching and leadership. Could you share … Read More “Step by Step: A Conversation With Deane Proctor” »
The Church has been blessed with many talented pastors and it is my desire to introduce some of them to you. Jason Boucher is the Lead Pastor of Lifecentre in the Ottawa area. Although I have never met Jason, I have heard much about him and I knew I wanted him to be a part … Read More “Life Centred: A Conversation With Jason Boucher” »
Being an associate pastor is both very rewarding and challenging. It is not necessarily the role that is difficult but rather the mindset that goes with it. Here are few things I learned during my time as an associate pastor that may help you. 1. Have a clear role. This is easy for a youth … Read More “5 Tips to Becoming a Successful Associate Pastor” »
You may be a part of the leadership of a church that has a pastor interested in reserve military chaplaincy. Your pastor may have introduced the subject and you are not sure what to think. Why should the church be willing to support a pastor interested in military chaplaincy? Isn’t it just a distraction from the … Read More “Why Should a Church Support Their Pastor in Military Chaplaincy?” »
