BP Toolbox

Churches put tremendous energy and money into events—fall festivals, concerts, car shows, you name it—and then wonder why no one returns. It’s not that the events are bad. In fact, they’re often excellent. The problem is deeper.

As a former sports reporter, I cannot help but still keep a watchful eye on the sport I enjoy so much. Every now and then, the chaos that is college football crosses from the football crazies like me to the talk of the nation.

One of the unexpected blessings of being raised by a blue-collar father in rural Carroll County, Md., was the joy of being taught and not just told. My father never pointed to a task and asked for it to be accomplished. Instead, he always took the time to teach and train so I could be successful. 

While every pastor should want to finish their ministry where they are, Chuck Lawless says there are indicators that a pastor has stayed too long. Read this piece for his list.

Typically the posts on this site are evergreen in nature and rarely reference current events. But after watching the unfolding saga of Lane Kiffin moving to LSU this past weekend, I read a post that addressed a lot of the generic motivations and ideas around coaches taking new jobs midseason and knew there was a parallel to the Church and pastors moving from church to church.

Discipleship is much easier to preach than it is to practice. Often, pastors are more eager to make disciples than to be discipled. How can a pastor receive the care he needs?

How do you know whether the hand of God is on your life and your ministry? I noticed Ezekiel often stated, “The hand of the Lord was upon me,” so I looked deeper to find out what God’s anointing looked like in his ministry.

In a time when even small talk can spark tension, sharing our faith feels risky. One wrong word and the conversation shuts down.

The reputations of churches today are just one crisis away from being destroyed. Yet, an overwhelming majority of churches are unprepared to manage even the slightest level of hostility that is becoming more prevalent in American culture.

I was 30 years old when my mental breakdown happened. In retrospect, I’m thankful it was as early as it was.