This year I celebrated my 30th year in pastoral ministry. The years have flown by like a flock of geese heading south for the winter. Those years have been filled with countless weddings, funerals, counseling sessions, staff and Elders meetings, hospital visits, sermon preps, writing projects, mission trips, church planting adventures, seminary classes, and denominational meetings. During those years, I’ve had …
BY GREG LOVE First of all — you’re not alone in your uphill battle against debt. “Save more and spend less” is consistently one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. And for good reason. 49% of full-time working adults in the United States — polled across generations from millennials to Gen Xers to baby boomers — say they find it difficult to …
By Jeff Palmer This is the third blog in a series of discussions about a biblical, sustainable missions strategy for your church. Question 2– Does this project involve, empower, and enhance the development of local believers? On the surface, this question looks identical to the first one. However, this question focuses specifically on the involvement, empowerment, and enhancement of local believersin …
BY GREG LOVE There’s something about the Christmas season that makes us want to view our cup of coffee as half full, not half empty. This time of year has us overflowing with thankfulness and optimism! However, in the delight and busyness of the holiday season, don’t allow your church to become distracted from managing potential risks. For example, do …
In the previous post, I talked about the importance of evaluating your church’s missions strategy to make sure it results in long-term, sustainable change and the intentional spread of the gospel message. Over the next seven blogs, I will provide valuable questions to help you assess your church’s approach to missions. Question 1: Does this missions project involve, empower, and enhance …
By Jeff Palmer “Hey pastor, I just got back from a trip to Kenya and I was touched by the needs I saw there, especially the need for clean water. I’d love to rally our church to build a water well. What do you think?” As a church leader, you’ve probably heard that question before, or at least one like …
BY JAMES WILLIAMS It was 2:30 a.m. when we received the call. After months of training, house inspections, CPR certifications, and background checks, we were finally approved to be foster parents. Half asleep, my wife answered the phone. A five-year-old girl had been rescued from the hospital and was in need of a home, so we agreed to take her. …
Originally Posted at: https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/5-small-pro-life-steps-churches-can-take The March For Life took place a few weeks ago in Washington, D.C., beginning on the National Mall and proceeding to the steps of the Supreme Court. Hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children walked this path to advocate for the dignity and protection of human life, especially in its most vulnerable form, that of …
For Southern Baptists, the words in James 1:27 to care for the orphan and the widow are not simply a suggestion we can overlook but rather a command we are honored to follow. In fact, November 3 was Orphans and Widows Sunday, and churches across America participated in this special emphasis by holding special offerings and sharing ways to get …
This past week as I shopped a local Lifeway’s liquidation sale, a woman stopped me in the aisle where I was browsing bookshelves. She gestured to the book I was holding by Gloria Furman, The Pastor’s Wife. “You a pastor’s wife, then?” “I am.” She shivered slightly. “You have my deepest sympathy. I wouldn’t want to be you!” I think that she was …
