Discipleship requires management as much as leadership
Pastors manage churches as much, if not more, than leading them. Making disciples requires pastors to be involved in the day-to-day operations of a church.
Pastors manage churches as much, if not more, than leading them. Making disciples requires pastors to be involved in the day-to-day operations of a church.
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It’s tempting to imagine that legendary ministers like E. M. Bounds or Andrew Murray or someone known as “Praying Hyde” were simply born to pray. Along with the likes of David Brainerd, Leonard Ravenhill, Armin Gesswein, Bertha Smith, George Müller and so many others, there is a group of Christians who are primarily remembered for their prayer lives or their teaching on prayer. But no one was ever born praying. The men and women most known for prayer were not members of a spiritually elite corps the rest of us weren’t invited to join. They learned to pray.
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One statement from the introduction of Katie McCoy’s book To Be a Woman sets the stage for the conversation our culture is afraid to have but can’t afford to avoid.
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About four years ago, I was a student heavily involved in collegiate ministry, growing in my understanding of Scripture, and being discipled by a woman in our church. However, even as I grew and learned more about the church, I remember asking myself, “Where do I fit in to all this?”
Today marks the 18th anniversary of the passing of my pastor, Dr. Adrian Rogers. As a seminary student at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and church member at Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tenn., under Dr. Adrian Rogers, I had the privilege of being in the presence of a remarkable man of faith and wisdom, one of the 20th Century's great leaders and preachers. His life was a shining example of what it means to be a dedicated servant of God. In my time with and around him, I learned invaluable lessons that continue to shape my Christian life and ministry.
This month, many churches will take time to show their appreciation to their pastor for his love and ministry over the past year. Some churches will take up a love offering for their pastor. Many will put a basket in the vestibule for members to place cards with kind sentiments they want to share with their pastor. A few churches may even have a dinner or a reception — a nice time to get together to express their feelings for their pastor.
Pastor and columnist Brad Whitt shares five tips for anyone who is new to an area and looking for a church home.
Columnist and parent Brad Whitt says he, like other parents, often is tempted to give his young children a toy instead of his time. Yet time is the most meaningful -- and the most expensive.
With October being pastor appreciation month, columnist and pastor Brad Whitt list his top 10 gifts churches members can give their pastor -- with prayer at No. 1.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This commentary first was published on April 4 at the blog of Brad Whitt, pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Simpsonville, S.C., and immediate past president of the South Carolina Pastors’ Conference. SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. (BP)–When “Young, Southern Baptist … And Irrelevant?” was first published in the Baptist Courier [South Carolina state paper] in […]