Former Harvard University chaplain Elton Trueblood said, “Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained people, but it is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus.”
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What Jesus is saying is that marriage is meant for this age to point us to the reality of that age. How does it do that? There are so many broken marriages and always have been since the fall, but it wasn’t originally like that. And even the best marriages, even the ones that last “until death do them part,” are often fraught with conflict or hurts or just disappointments. But that wasn’t the original design. The original design—that man would leave his parents and cleave to his wife and become “one flesh” with her—was meant to be a reflection of God’s loving commitment to mankind.
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My ministry calling has allowed me to build relationships with people who serve in a similar capacity as mine. Whether it was in the pastorate or in state convention work, I have always benefited from times with ministry colleagues.
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Does your church want to be a help to missionaries? Chuck Lawless offers 12 practical ways a local church can serve and support missionaries.
Gary McIntosh and Charles Arn wrote a deeply insightful book several years ago titled “What Every Pastor Should Know”. As someone who values both research and real-life church application, I find the data in this book incredibly helpful. One of the most eye-opening sections focuses on church member retention – and the patterns behind why people drop out. The findings are not only illuminating; they’re actionable.
In many circles today, the church bulletin—or worship folder, as some prefer to call it—has been relegated to relic status. It’s often seen as a leftover from a bygone era, something traditional churches cling to while more “cutting-edge” congregations go completely digital. Some church leaders proudly announce that they’ve ditched the bulletin altogether. Thom Rainer believes that is a mistake.
An “unforced error” is a term borrowed from sports, especially tennis, meaning a mistake made due to one’s own lapse rather than being forced by an opponent. In everyday language, it refers to an avoidable mistake or misstep, typically resulting from a lack of attention or care rather than external pressure.
There are a lot of us Baby Boomer pastors and Christian leaders around. And it’s cliché, but we aren’t getting any younger. It’s a quiet question that many are asking, but they are asking it nonetheless: What age should I retire?
They are the second largest generation in America’s history. At 74 million persons, they are only surpassed in size by the Boomer generation. Born between 1980 and 1997, they are shaping our businesses, our government, and our culture.
There are great rewards in the pastoral call. And there are times that there is great pain. In this article, I have asked a pastor to share his experiences in a difficult church, one where he eventually left under pressure. I wrote the interview verbatim while allowing the pastor to remain anonymous.
There seems to be a convergence of issues that could have a profound effect on churches in 2025. Frankly, I could name at least a dozen issues, but these five seem to be the most likely.
A sincere pastor asked me this question: If I only had to measure and follow five church metrics, what would be my top five choices?
This article reflects on seven phases of the firing of a pastor. I have worked with countless pastors who shared their stories with me. These phases are common in many of them. Also, I will use a recent conversation to provide a real narrative of a real pastor in a real church. I made some slight adjustments to protect the identities of the pastor and the church.
One of my research-based answers is that many church members are confused about the meaning of church-based evangelism. The confusion often lies in understanding what constitutes an evangelistic ministry in a church.
