The May 22nd Episode of the Rainer on Leadership podcast is titled "Six Reasons to Love the Established Church." There was a time in my ministry when I did not love the established church. Even now, it's sometimes a struggle. I was raised in the established church. My great-grandfather, Matthew Bunyan Smith, was the pastor … Continue reading To Love the Established Church
You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep in which is a blemish, any defect whatever, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 17:1 How often do we give God our leftovers? Not merely "tithing" after taxes or what is left over at the end … Continue reading Are we giving God our best, or what’s left over?
Jesus came into our context, calling and intentionally drawing people to him to be discipled. We also need to be intentional about drawing people to Him.
This Sunday morning I had the great privilege of worshiping with Persian followers of Christ.
As a minister I regularly consort with drunkards, the violent, gossips, the sexually immoral, the rebellious ... and then there's my work outside the church body...
An open letter to churches who add first time guests to their mailing lists: Please stop!
What a turmoil of emotions. Relief and anxiety. Encouragement and frustrations. Hope and despair. Excitement and dread. Those words describe my experience of leading a struggling church through a merger. I have to admit it's not the end I had in mind when accepted the call to pastor this small church a year and a half … Continue reading Reflecting on the Recent Journey
