I have a confession. I have been very cynical and snarky about big-box megachurches. I’ve been jaded about the light shows, the worship bands, and the hipster pastors in skinny jeans. I may have, once or twice, even referred to a certain big-box church as “Six Flags Over Jesus.” Maybe you’ve been there too. I’ve … Continue reading I’m A Small Church Pastor, And I’m Quitting My Complaining About Megachurches. Here’s Why.
Ministry
What I Learned From The Time I Didn’t Pray
Our church secretary, Bonnie, knocked on the doorframe and poked her head into my office: “Pastor, I just wanted to let you know that there’s a woman in the sanctuary. She said she just got diagnosed with skin cancer, and she needed someplace to come and pray.” “Does she want to speak with me?” I … Continue reading What I Learned From The Time I Didn’t Pray
One Church, Many Tribes. It’s Not a New Problem.
We used to think that generational difference determined church participation – “Builders” like traditional forms of church, “Boomer” like seeker-sensitive churches, “Gen X” likes a harder, edgier church. Therefore, when we talk about the Age of Design, that’s just church for Millennials, right? Not exactly. Certainly the cultural zeitgeist shapes the generation coming of age … Continue reading One Church, Many Tribes. It’s Not a New Problem.
“Daddy, what do you do all day?”
“Daddy, what do you do all day?” “I help people know Jesus.” “How do you do that?” “Well, sweetheart, you could say that I’m a storyteller. I tell stories about God. In sermons, articles, blog posts, the books that I write, even in the bedtime stories I tell you. Sometimes they’re stories about people who … Continue reading “Daddy, what do you do all day?”
The Pastor as “Curator of Inspiration”
I’m playing around with a way of framing the work of a pastor – perhaps you’d be willing to help me out? I suggest that a part of the role of the pastor is to serve as a “curator of inspiration” Let’s break it down – starting with inspiration. First, there is the theological sense … Continue reading The Pastor as “Curator of Inspiration”
6 Must Read Books for Doing Ministry in the Design Age
As I suggested in my last post two posts, we have moved out of the cynical, deconstructing era of Postmodernity and into an era that I have been calling "The New Creative Era"As I've been reflecting further on this trend, I think we might call this era "The Design Age" (I'll tease that idea out … Continue reading 6 Must Read Books for Doing Ministry in the Design Age
