By Art McNeese, D. Min Churches often experience trauma when going through the process of succession. The previous preacher resigns or retires. The church then experiences the disequilibrium of finding a new minister. This normally creates ‘anxiety’ within the church system. After all, even in the event of needed change or positive change, the transition […]
by Lantz Howard During a six-hour road trip through the panhandle of Texas headed for our home in McKinney, a major turning point in my marriage occurred. I looked over at my wife, Jessica, and acknowledged the tears streaming down her face. Our four girls, all under the age of six, were in the back […]
Authors : Lantz Howard
by Kaley Ihfe My husband and I had been in campus ministry for a little over a decade when he decided to go into preaching. We ended up at a great church; and it felt like the perfect fit for us. We had a strong sense that God had called us there. Karl immediately loved […]
Authors : Kaley Ihfe
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 […]
Authors : John Eastland
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
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