In the vibrant and sometimes unpredictable world of children’s ministry, the relationship between a kids minister and their pastor can make all the difference. While curriculum, volunteers, and creative programming are essential, the support and leadership of the pastor are foundational to a thriving ministry.
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When it comes to church finances, trust is everything. Every dollar given in tithes, offerings, or designated gifts is an act of worship, and our churches have the responsibility to handle those resources with integrity. The truth is, no church is completely immune to financial missteps, or even fraud. But with some intentional safeguards in place, we can reduce risk, protect our ministries, and strengthen the confidence of those who give.
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What do your church members miss out on when they miss a Sunday at your church? Do they miss out on an event or a production, or do they miss out on a participatory experience that shapes their spiritual lives?
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In 1989, I was called to my first church, beginning a full-time pastoral ministry lasting just over twenty years. But, since resigning a dearly-loved church in 2009, I haven’t held a full-time pastorate or staff position. Here are a few things I’ve learned since then.
In 1989, I was called to my first church, beginning a full-time pastoral ministry lasting just over twenty years. But, since resigning a dearly-loved church in 2009, I haven’t held a full-time pastorate or staff position. Here are a few things I’ve learned since then.
For reasons beyond the scope of this post, my younger self went many years without reading anything not at least indirectly related to pastoral ministry or my Christian growth. Commentaries, works of theology, homiletics, and church leadership comprised the bulk of my reading. Biographies had to be missionary biographies…unless they were biographies of Christian athletes.
Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of a computer or machine to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence, such as learning, decision-making, problem-solving, and language understanding. AI systems can be trained to perform these tasks using data, algorithms, and machine learning techniques. There are several different types of AI, including narrow or weak AI, which is designed to perform a specific task, and general or strong AI, which has the ability to perform any intellectual task that a human can.
