In one of my former lives as a children’s minister, I had the “joy” of corralling young urchins while we waited for their parents to pick them up. Their patience was about as good as a gnat. But to keep them safe from strangers, an adult had to be there until one or both parents […]
by Rev. Dr. Bill Greenwood If I were starting my ministry over again, these insights percolate to the surface. Perhaps they could serve as questions that I ask myself even now – ten years into retirement from the active pastorate. Could I have focused more intentionally on the task both of being a radically committed
Looking Back to Look Forward Read More »
Summer is a good time to experience the joys of Vacation Bible School or make plans for the new church year. It is also a good season to rest, reflect and recharge. That sense of reflection and recharging is what we would like to share with you in this newsletter. Earlier this year we put
A Summer Collection Read More »
Many ministers are considering moving to other careers. What are some of the reasons these moves are contemplated? Is the church becoming a more difficult place to work? Is God calling these ministers to unfamiliar places of ministry in a different context? Is it a misunderstanding of calling? I would like to hear your comments
Ministry in Other Contexts Read More »
The second part of Einstein’s equation that is symbolized as c2 stands for the speed of light multiplied by itself. Yet how can this relate to your church? In my years of working with churches the primary way that God’s Light, His Word, gets to us and therefore gives us energy is found in two
Another Twist on E=mc2 for Your Church Read More »
Jesus cultivated and nurtured his intimacy with the Father, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed (Mark 1:35). He also had a vision, a mission, and a strategy for ministry. His vision was the Kingdom of God. His mission was to seek and
Jesus as a Model for Ministry – Coaching Read More »
Jesus’ practice of intimate communion with the Father was the life source of his ministry. He said, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). Later in the metaphor of
Jesus as a Model for Ministry – Spiritual Direction Read More »
In our recent newsletter, I shared a few ways to minimize the distractions that our smart phones bring when it comes to ministry. In this post for today, I want to address another distraction that, when left unchecked, can take us away from the important parts of our ministry… email. I sat in on a
Dealing with Distractions in Ministry – Part 2 Read More »
Editor’s Note: Part one of this series was the feature article in “The E-ncourager”, our periodic email newsletter. You can view Part 1 here. To subscribe to our newsletter, click here. In Part One we noted that every member of the church is responsible for the mission of the church, but the ministers are the
Job Performance Challenge for the Church – Part 2 Read More »
