I have great respect for Billy Graham, but we don't need another one! God does not call anyone to be a copy. What has He asked you to accomplish during your stay on planet earth? I mention an inspiring video on YouTube about Billy Sunday. Watch it here . Click here for the show notes that include links to other resources....
We're in a position that tends to attract critics. The public feels comfortable making comments on our preaching, our churches our lifestyle and even the clothes we wear! At the same time, we are called to reach these people for Christ. How can we reach those ensnared by a negative outlook on life without allowing them to poison other members? I offer a free download at the end of the podcast called, 4 Types of Criticizers and What To Do With Them . that you can download here ....
Vision is essential to effective leadership. What exactly is it? How do you get one? Does it matter where it comes from? During the show I mention the book, Good To Great by Jim Collins. You can read a chapter or get the book here . You can also read the show notes from today's podcast by downloading them here .
Depression is a serious problem in America - a problem church leaders are called to address. What happens when ministers experience the blues? How can you get "un-funked?" On today's podcast, we offer a free download that you can get here . Help us by share this podcast with other leaders by leaving an honest review on ITunes or sharing on social media using the buttons to your left....
Pastors need and deserve a regular time of rest and refreshment. Usually they don't get it. How important is it for ministers to observe a Sabbath? What are the consequences to when we don't? On today's podcast, we offer a free resource guide about how you can incorporate a Sabbath into your weekly schedule. You can download it here .
Preacher's Kids are a unique group of people. By default, they experience all the pressures of your ministry even though they never became ordained. Today we discuss 4 major reasons preachers kids walk away from the church. I then offer some practical steps in this free download .
I sat down with Jan Nel, a close friend and apostolic leader. Jan shares insights about how God shaped him for his ministry to many nations of the world. You can learn more about Jan and the apostolic adventure here . This is a short video on Jan and Sarah's recent ministry in Thailand To follow him on Facebook, go to The Ministry of Jan Nel...
Church attendance is decreasing. Is this the media's fault or has the church relied upon outdated methods to attract new people? What can we do as pastors or church leaders to reverse the trend? On today's podcast, we are featuring two separate downloads. The first is called, Basic Web Information and will help you either get started with your church website or vastly improve it. The second is Tips for Bloggers and features entry-level information about how pastors can get started blogging. This...
One of the greatest challenges a minister faces is betrayal. We invest hours, days, weeks and years into relationships with church members and other ministers only to get "stabbed in the back." Truly betrayal never comes at the hands of an enemy, but a friend. How can pastors not only survive, but thrive from acts of betrayal - particularly when they impact our families so severely?
As church leaders, precisely how do we use our time effectively to accomplish the work Christ has called us to do? Depending on your circumstance, it is easy to waste time under the guise of "busy"-ness. Today we share some practical insights from scripture to help pastors use their time wisely. During today's podcast, we offer a free download to help you organize your time more effectively. Click here to get it....
One of the major reasons that church leaders change vocations is loneliness. As pastors, we are trained to preach and teach effectively, but not to create alliances with fellow ministers. Today we speak with Ramin Salehi who has worked with the Luis Palau organization to create strategic relationships with pastors to have regional impact. We also share Steps To Creating A Minister's Fellowship .
Every day ministers are confronted with sexual temptation in the form of advertising, the Internet and the broken lives of those we serve. How can church leaders make sure they don't fall into sexual traps? Pastors are easy targets for affairs because their "job" is to understand and offer help. Without clear boundaries, sex and spell the end to a promising career. Here are a few resources to help you avoid the pitfalls of sexual temptation in ministry....
Money is the one topic that pastors avoid talking about but is more often than not, the elephant in the room. How should pastors and church leaders be compensated for what they do? What are the benefits offered to ministers under current tax regulations? How can pastors take advantage of these provisions? I have a free download called, Financial Resources For Pastors .
Do parachurch ministries help or hurt the work of the local church? Today we speak with Sarah Carabetta, Director of ACTS4 on how parachurch organizations can form strategic partnerships to broaden the impact of your local congregation. You can get more information about ACTS4 here . Here is the free download, 5 Tips To Help Choose A Parachurch Partner Transcript of Today's Podcast A para church ministry by definition is an outreach that shares Christ via a specific service or benefit. They are ...
Blogging is a free opportunity available to anyone to communicate the gospel. We take a tongue-in-cheek look at why pastors should avoid starting a blog and then offer practical reasons why they should. To get started, you need your own website. I mentioned our affiliate link Bluehost , but there are others like godaddy.com and hostgator.com to name a few. Once you have your own web address, this is the free download I offered: Step By Step Process For Starting Your Own Blog . If you need some b...
Funerals are one of the difficult responsibilities assigned to ministers that no one truthfully wants. Unfortunately, funerals can be made worse when a church leader uses the occasion to showcase their preaching instead of honoring the person who has passed. Today, we share some tips on doing wakes and funerals in ways that can help lead people to Christ. Here are my tips for conducting an excellent funeral I also mentioned getting a free book from Audible.com If you need a basic minister's manu...
One of the critical functions of a church leader is to teach "sound doctrine." What is sound doctrine and is one view "sounder" than another? How does a leader discern what is true from what is error? On today's show we talk about how a leader can discern true doctrine from false in a discussion that will definitely NOT be what you expect! On Today's podcast, I mentioned our free eBook on Why Social Media is Vital To Sharing The Good News. Transcript of Today's Show As church leaders, we have be...
Dennis Ritchie, pastor of Oasis Church in Cheshire, CT shares his journey from a life out of control to church volunteer to worship leader to pastor. Dennis' testimony is an encouragement to anyone who thinks that the events of their life are arbitrary. To contact Dennis or attend his church if you are in Connecticut, go to their website: celebratethejourney.org
Should church leaders align themselves with one political party over another? What happens to those who do? When we put our trust in any candidate, party or ideology, we step away from God's calling and destiny upon our lives. Ministers are called by God to be societal change agents. When peoples' hearts change, then their actions change. Historically, revivals do not follow political actions. Good government follows revivals because the focus switches from self interest to honoring and serving ...
Is Bi-Vocational ministry effective in today's church culture? Is it a viable way for pastors to support their families while doing church ministry? Today, I share some of my experiences working in bi-vocational ministry and offer some constructive ways to navigate this challenge. Here is the free download I offered on the show: Transcript of Today's Show Carpenter, mason, short-order cook, farm hand, teacher’s aide, insurance salesman, ADT home security salesman, Advertising representative, Reg...
When someone says they were " called " into ministry, exactly what does that mean? Should we assume that God spoke to them audibly? How can a person really tell if God is calling them to church ministry as a vocation? We look at the right and wrong reasons people choose church ministry as a profession. Here is the free download, Ten Tips To Discover Whether God Has Called You To Church Ministry Be sure to give us a review on ITunes! This helps us get the word out! Transcript of Today's Show “Cal...
Social Media is a must for any church leader hoping to connect with new people. The vast majority of people will never darken the door of any church until they have checked out a church website, listened to a sermon or two and investigated the church Facebook page. Today, we talk about basics for leaders to get and stay connected on the web. We also talk protocol. Many pastors ruin their presence on the Internet by not understanding these fundamental "rules." Here is a free download mentioned, c...
Weddings are always a time of great joy and anticipation. They can also provide an excellent opportunity for ministers to grow their churches. Today, I share about a really bad wedding. We also share some tips for making any wedding memorable for the bride and groom. Here is the free download, Wedding Resources For Ministers. Transcript of Today's Show: The two events most closely associated with ministers in our culture are weddings and funerals. These are two occasions when the need for a mini...
Welcome! This is our very first podcast episode, where I share a little of our journey through several decades of pastoral ministry. I also highlight some of the topics we will be discussing in upcoming episodes to encourage you in your vocation. If you have the chance, I would appreciate you giving me an honest rating and review on ITunes by clicking here . It will help us get the word out to other church leaders to help them in their calling. Thank you and enjoy the episodes!...
