Want to Strengthen Your Marriage?

by Grady King – The greatest gift husbands and wives can give each other is to grow in Christ.  No human being can fully meet the needs of another human being. On our best day, we still fall short.  This is why growing up in Christ—which is tantamount to doing what is in the best […]

Leaders as Weight Bearers

by Grady King –  A friend of mine recently reminded me that good leaders are weight bearers. The phrase, “weight bearers” conjures up carrying a load, bearing burdens, being responsible.  Inherent to all of this is anxiety.  No church rejected Paul more than the Corinthian church. Paul, however, yearned for them to be devoted to […]

Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times (part 2) – The Importance of Presence

by Tim Woodroof –  When it comes to congregational leadership, showing up is half the battle.[i] Leaders should never underestimate the power of simple presence. Most of the time, church members don’t need their leaders to be charismatic, eloquent, brilliant, and wise. They do need their leaders to be there, to be accessible and approachable, to be visible […]

What Makes a Minister: Calling and Gifts

by Grady King –  Calling . . . What is it that God has called you to do? Biblically, when God called someone it was often not what they wanted to do and certainly not what they planned to do.  The Latin word for calling is ‘vocatio’.  To ask, “What is your vocation?” is to […]

What Makes a Minister: Soul Care

by Grady King This week we continue our discussion about another element that makes a minister – your soul and spirit. Soul is about your essence as a person–your very being.  It is what connects you to God.  To care for your soul is to consider what energizes you and makes you feel alive as […]

Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times (part 1)

by Tim Woodroof Peter Steinke’s book—Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times: Being Calm and Courageous No Matter What—is a “must read” for church leaders in these difficult days. Every church constantly teeters on the brink of anxiety-inducing events that can tear it apart. A church leader is caught in an affair. A deacon embezzles funds. Theological […]

What Makes a Minister: Your Spouse

by Grady King Wiring?  Yes, it’s the best word to describe the complexities of personality, family of origin, needs, gifts and expectations. To ignore the question, “How is your spouse wired?” is to travel down a dangerous road  swerving around the potholes of frustration, chronic anxiety and feelings of hypocrisy. Imagine driving at night on […]

What Makes a Minister: The Question of Family of Origin

by Grady King Continuing our look at what makes a minister, we focus on on the father question.  The father question is critical to ministry concerning four interrelated dynamics: authority and intimacy; acceptance and rejection; guilt and shame; fear and anger. These are the essential dynamics related to God as Father and earthly father. You […]

What Makes a Minister?

by Grady King “Could we have lunch together soon?  A friend of mine recommended I get with you and talk about preaching. Specifically, how do I know if God is calling me to preach?” This is how the email began. We did meet and continue to consider his question. In the conversation, which was less […]

Reflections on Being a “Minister”: A Job or Calling?

by Grady King   The Latin word, “vocatio” is the English word vocation.  It’s basic meaning is, “calling.”  Every Christian’s calling is to be God’s person–to seek  and love him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. God calls us through the gospel (2 Thessalonians 2,14), yet, after 40 plus years of doing this […]

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