“When nostalgia becomes the test of faithfulness, we’re not guarding the truth - we are exporting a culture.”-James Bell In the last few articles, I’ve been riffing on an encounter I had at a workshop. The question “What about our seniors?” was asked by a well-meaning person during a conversation on reaching new people and guest integration. In both emails, we covered plenty of ground on the idea. What about our Seniors? I shared a question I received from a workshop participant nervous that...
16 days ago • 5 min read
Last email, I wrote about ministry walls. Have you ever come up on a situation in ministry that you know will be difficult? If you could find a way to move through it, both you and your ministry will be able to bear more fruit. That’s a ministry wall. Understanding ministry walls is important. Ministry walls, if left unscaled, have the ability to create blockades. Personally and congregationally, these blockades limit how we fulfill the great commission. Ministry walls also chase the pastor....
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hey Friend - Last email, I shared a story about a workshop conversation. A participant worried that their church, focusing on reaching new people, would leave older members in the dust. I've heard it before, but it made me start thinking about why it is a common worry. This sort of conversation is more complicated than we realize. The fear of being left out is real. The need for a missional priority for reaching new people is real. Church leaders have to navigate both of these fears. I shared...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
What walls are standing in front of you right now? Ministry walls are barriers that inhibit moving forward. Personal walls are based on leadership. Organizational walls limit your church's ability to live fully into your mission. There are all sorts of walls. If I wanted to define the idea of ministry walls, I’d put it this way. A ministry wall is some outside force, appearing to be beyond natural control, which sets a defining boundary of effectiveness. Let’s dig into that definition a bit...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Let me share a recap of a workshop session I led this spring. I was in Louisiana and teaching a session on engaging new visitors to the church. A good friend was bringing several people from his church and warned me to be ready. About halfway through the table conversation, one of his leaders said: “It’s all good and fun to talk about reaching new people, but what about the seniors who have been at our church for decades?” Honestly, it wasn’t the first time I'd heard this comment, but this...
2 months ago • 3 min read
A few years ago, I was in prayer, thanking God for taking me through a challenging season of life. While doing this, I realized that in times of significant personal turmoil, it isn’t odd for the same time to be spiritually enriching. I’ve been reflecting on that idea since then. One day, I made a big map of all the high times and low times in life, and then started mapping spiritual seasons on top of it. I discovered that in several instances, a difficult patch of life had been preceded by a...
2 months ago • 4 min read
I travel for work. I’m on the road 2-3 days a week sometimes. I average 28,000 miles a year. I travel. A lot. In my travels, there is this gas station I stop at a lot. It’s the only “good” gas station on a 60 mile stretch of interstate here in Louisiana. Technically, you could call it a truck stop, because it offers multiple diesel pumps and the inside is fantastic. Sit-down food options, plenty of caffeinated beverages, and all the other things you might want. But it is a horrible GAS...
2 months ago • 2 min read
After 20 years of working at a church, I have seen countless approaches to my own ministry productivity. Now, I am in an admin role and boots on the ground since I work within the denominational system. I've been thinking through some shifts over the past month, and I realize these are applicable to a broader spectrum. Especially if you are stepping into a staff-sized church of a few hundred people. I am low-key curious about how this would have affected my last full-time ministry gig when I...
3 months ago • 4 min read
I had a conversation last year with a family member that is making its way into nearly all conversations with the churches I work with. My brother-in-law’s Grandmother is a regular part of our family. We see her at least weekly. I enjoy it because I have no one left in my family of her generation. She is 87 and is a ball. Last year, we were talking about how she felt the world was becoming crazy (because it is) and she kept referencing how no one is part of church anymore (she isn’t wrong)....
3 months ago • 3 min read