by John Eastland Jesus laid down his life for the sheep. In Jesus’ time, a shepherd knew the individual sheep in his flock. He cared for it, protected it, fought against wild beasts for it and, when it was lost, searched for it. Conversely, each sheep knew the shepherd’s voice, mannerisms, and care. It was […]
by Matthew Love I am a preacher, and I care deeply about preaching, preachers, ministers in general, and congregations. Most the lay-folks in the pews I know also do. So, it’s alarming to me and to many to hear about recent trends and data suggesting significant turnover in ministry personnel. (See https://christianchronicle.org/our-ministerial-crisis-has-arrived/ as one example […]
Authors : Matthew Love
By Adam Gray Before the workday was over, I met six new employees with this organization – three of which, after introducing myself and sharing my title, immediately responded by acknowledging their mental wellness struggles to me and wanted to schedule a time together. The biggest surprise in my first year with this organization is […]
Authors : Adam Gray
by Doug Peters The Optometrist was clear… my vision was not! I was surprised. Frankly, I had inadvertently become accustomed to how things were. Over time, a lack of clarity and focus became my normal. So, it took an intentional process with a qualified resource to diagnose, prescribe and implement steps to bring a vibrant […]
Authors : Doug Peters
By Lance Parrish After concluding a (successful!) five-month search for a new children’s minister, I found myself reflecting upon the process and experience. During the search, our team reached out to several authorities within the Church of Christ brotherhood to seek advice, drum up potential candidate names, and get a finger on the pulse of […]
Authors : Lance Parrish
Adapted from: TOMBSTONES to CORNERSTONES By Rick Krug Hope and Help for Churches in Stress and Decline Jason sat across from me at the dinner table with others and said, “Our congregation just keeps getting smaller and I don’t know how much longer we can hold out. I feel like we are just giving up […]
Authors : RIck Krug
The language of trauma has become a part of our general consciousness, but the church has been slower to engage in the questions and challenges that are raised by our increasing awareness of how trauma shapes and misshapes both people and communities. As a theologian who works centers around these questions these are ten (though […]
Authors : Grady King
By Greg Anderson (Ed.D.) Many years ago, Dr. John Savage posed the following question during a seminar I was attending, “If your congregation were a patient and you were her primary physician, what is your diagnosis when evaluating her health?” I love the analogy and think it provides a framework for church leaders to examine […]
Authors : Greg Anderson
By Grady King I am not boasting. I spend a great deal of time listening to church leaders—of providing encouragement, admonishment, and at times, rebuke. The list of church leaders who are in pain, weary, or experiencing some form of discouragement is growing. Some of them simply need rest. Others need to resign. And still, […]
Authors : Grady King
by Grady D. King, D.Min Most leaders and congregations know the term “normal” means the future will not be like the past. What it looks like in terms of people in the pew, programs, and mission is uncertain. The loss of regular attendees is a pandemic reality. Empty pews translate to anxiety. If we only […]
Authors : General, Grady King
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