Deep Work and the Life of the Pastor
When I first started graduate school, I read a book by Cal Newport titled Deep Work. The main idea of this book is that quality, uninterrupted time-blocks for work are far more effective than longer hours of distracted work. He argues that this approach to work results in a better quality production. When I read this, I couldn’t help but to think about how important this idea is for pastoral ministry. There’s much about a pastor’s...
Book Review: Charles Malcolm Wingard, Help for the New Pastor
Needless to say, ministry is not easy, and it can be discouraging for the young pastor just starting out despite the many years of training at Bible college or seminary. You know how to prepare a sermon, but where should you start? You know you need to visit people, but how do you balance this with the much-needed office time to prepare for Sunday? Starting out in ministry can almost be like sitting down with a jigsaw puzzle right out...
Living on the Fringe: Navigating a Culture without a Religious Center
by Ron Davis Is it correct to assert that the United States is no longer a Christian nation? If we’re judging based on census answers, then no, the majority of the U.S. still claims Christianity. The answer is yes, however, if we are concerned with what occupies the center of the nation’s cultural thought and life. A type of postmodern thinking, which holds that individuals are the arbiters of truth for themselves (in particular times...
Another Reason Why Change Is So Hard
Lately I’ve heard of several churches preparing to interview prospective pastors. I often think that I would like to be a fly on the wall of those interview rooms. I’m fiercely curious about the questions that search committees ask prospective hires and the questions these men ask those committees. Much of what is said—and perhaps more of what is left unsaid or unasked—will have profound implications for the church’s ministry for the...
Why Church Administration?
by Jeff Nichols Why did you enter ministry? To make a difference? To help people? To introduce people to Jesus? There may be many things on your list, but somewhere close to the top of that list is to obey Christ’s command to make disciples. That’s why you are giving your life to this grand adventure called ministry. You want to tell people the good news of Jesus Christ. You want to see them be baptized and grow by leaps and bounds as...
Recent Comments