Children’s Ministry is Vital to a Church’s Success

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If you have grown up in church, or if you and your small children attend a church, you’ll know what I’m going to say is fact. Little kids and a church service don’t mix very well.

Someone out there is bound to be the exception to the rule, because their little Sarah is a compliant, quiet angel. Just wait. There will come a day when she isn’t so compliant and well behaved, and it will probably come in the middle of the church service.

I’ve been there. I’ve been the rowdy child. I’ve been carried out of a church service to have my back side swatted, because I disrupted the service – or at the very least, my parents’ ability to pay attention to the service.

And, that’s just part of the reason why churches must invest in their children’s ministry. Continue reading →

Five Things I’ve Learned About Leading in Ministry – Part 2

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In yesterday’s post, I shared a couple of things I’ve learned about leading in ministry. They are two of my biggest struggle points that I have had to learn.

Today, I’ll wrap up this list of five. It’s not an all-inclusive list, because there is a ton you can learn about ministry leadership. But, there five are simply here for sharing. Maybe you would like to share some things you learned. Be sure to leave a comment. Continue reading →

Five Things I’ve Learned About Leading in Ministry – Part 1

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Full disclosure, there are way more than five leadership lessons to be learned while doing ministry. But, often times it pays to reflect on some of the stuff you have learned, and share it for others who are on the way to becoming leaders.

These five things have been learned, in many cases, the hard way. The hard way for me usually means taking on so much stuff that I sacrifice what’s most important. I’ve also stepped on some toes in my leadership experience that I later regretted. And, then there’s just a ton of practicality in these five, too.

So, what are they? Continue reading →

Make Your Website Attractive in Three Easy Steps

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Have you ever driven down the interstate and passed a billboard that had so much information on it that you couldn’t make any of it out? The radio station I work for used to have one of those.

Every square inch of that billboard was utilized with important information about the station. And, station management thought it was great, until I passed it one day and returned with a three word critique — “It’s too busy.” Our billboard was so full of information that motorists passing at 70 mph couldn’t tell what any of it said. By contrast, our next billboard corrected that problem by having only the bare bones info about our station. You could read every bit of that sign from a quarter-mile away. There was no missing what it said. At the same time, we probably could’ve had a better design to make it more attractive

So, what do billboards have to do with website design? Plenty. Continue reading →

One Bible Verse I Am Grateful For

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There is a verse in the Bible (well, many more, actually) that I am very grateful for. This verse reminds me that even though I fail from time to time, Jesus doesn’t give up on me.

So, when I sin and am feeling pretty low due to my actions, I am reminded of this verse, and have a renewed hope that my behavior does not change the way God feels about me. As a believer, my actions didn’t cause God to “save” me, and as such, they cannot cause God to “unsave” me.

What is this verse? Read on to find out.

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Are We Doing What Jesus Would Do

Its a troubling question that I’m not sure I know the answer. And, that’s probably what makes it troubling. Are we really doing the things Jesus would do in our society and culture today?

Back in the 1990s, it became hip to use the WWJD lingo — What Would Jesus Do? It was a call to action for Christians while dealing with people and situations. It was a great concept, but unfortunately, I think it got mixed in with Americanized Christianity, and lost its significance.

Admittedly, the world in 2013 is a lot messier and different than it was in 1993 when Garrett Sheldon published the book What Would Jesus Do? (An updated version of his great-grandfather’s 1896 writing, In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?) Continue reading →

Importance of Integrity

I once worked for a man who portrayed himself publicly to be something different than what those closest to him saw. His public persona was one of reputation and respect.

But, those of us who worked for the man knew of the split personality. We were witness to the worst of this man’s soul.

And, that brings up today’s topic of integrity.
Continue reading →

Time to Saddle Up Once Again

I can’t believe it’s been over two months since my last post. However, things are starting to settle down, and I’m able to let the creative juices flow again.

To bring you up to date, my wife and I decided to merge church planting efforts with my friend John Cremeans and his new church, Restoration Church in Republic, Missouri. I was brought in to be the children’s pastor at Restoration.

The new schedule associated with this position has been very time consuming. But, things are calming down now, and I will be back to writing more.

I’ve Fallen off the Wagon…Sort Of

Well, I have to admit, I’m not the best blogger in the world…at least, not of late. As you noticed by my last posting, my family and I are now working with Restoration Church‘s children’s ministry. Much of my time has been focused on organizing this effort.

But, I still enjoy writing, so as soon as things settle down, I’ll be back. And, given my new position with this church, I’ll likely be changing the focus of this blog just a bit.

All. Things. New

A few weeks ago, my wife and I decided to close down our effort to start a new church in Springfield. I’ll be honest, it was a terribly depressing time for us to see the dream of the last six years end in failure.

“Better to have tried and failed than to not have tried at all,” I suppose. Some day I may post more about the end of Infinity Church. Today, I want to focus on something different, because out of the ashes rises something new.
Continue reading →