Blog
- May 26, 2014
HEALTHY PASTORATES FEEL GOOD If you have had a good experience as pastor of a church over several years, then…
, - May 23, 2014
THE AWEFUL CALL It is awful to be called by God in the original sense of the word. Consider the…
, - May 21, 2014
SEXUAL SCANDAL PLAGUES THE CHURCH It happened again. A descent pastor with multiple gifts destroys his promising ministry by having…
, - May 19, 2014
I'm developing a series called "Healthy Clergy Make Healthy Congregations." (HCMHC). All of it is in preparation for the fall…
, , - May 16, 2014
OK, SO YOU HAVE RETIRED I retired in June of 2006. The first thing I wanted to do was find…
, , - May 14, 2014
I'VE RUN THE RACE A few years before I retired, the Presbyterian Church debated whether Honorably Retired should be the…
, , - May 12, 2014
This is a litany making use of Psalm 111. Draw upon what you have heard about the gifts and contributions…
- May 9, 2014
CONGREGATIONAL INITIATIVE The celebration of the ministry of a church's staff needs to be initiated by the congregational leadership. This…
, , - May 7, 2014
HALF PASTORS OR WHOLE PASTORS If we tend to neglect appreciating the work of pastors, we double that neglect when…
, - May 5, 2014
By J Harold Ellens, 2 May, 2014 A Star and A Tear, Stephen McCutchan, 2013, Pp 386, Self Published. Reviewed…
- May 2, 2014
AFFIRMING STAFF MINISTRY A council that cares about those who are exercising ministry on their behalf should take time occasionally…
, - April 30, 2014
A TIME TO LISTEN At least every couple of years, and in times of extreme stress more often, you should…
, - April 28, 2014
WORSHIP Denominational staff members who work for the larger church need to deliberately identify ways that they take care of…
, - April 25, 2014
THE MINISTRY OF DENOMINATIONAL STAFF Denominational staff are a specialized or extra-congregational ministry that needs to be addressed. As we…
- April 23, 2014
RECOGNITION OF MINISTRY In any given presbytery or regional gathering of the church, there are several who exercise their call…
, , - April 21, 2014
CONNECTING WITH THE BODY Most people who are involved in specialized ministry also are associated with a congregation. Sometimes…
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Oh What Stories Clergy Could Tell
March 14, 2018
YOU CAN WRITE A STORY I want to invite you to explore various aspects of ministry and your spiritual life…
BREAKING THROUGH IDEOLOGICAL FRACTURES
March 9, 2018
I’m at a AWP writer’s conference this week in Tampa Florida. Being around so many writers reminds me of the…
GOSPEL FIRST, OPINIONS SECOND
March 7, 2018
STANDING IN THE BREACH I think one of the challenges of being a pastor is that you are called to…
Presbyteries and Financial Literacy
March 2, 2018
FINANCIAL LITERACY FOR CLERGY Recently I have heard about a course that is making the rounds of churches that focuses…
NEW RESOURCES TO SUPPORT HEALTHY CLERGY
February 28, 2018
COMING IN 2018 In 2018, I will augment the Healthy Clergy Make Healthy Congregation s, (HCMHC) ToolBox with six volumes…
MINISTRY WITH A PURPOSE IS HEALTHIER
February 23, 2018
this is excerpted from a soon to be published “Clergy vocational health.” WHY ARE YOU IN THE MINISTRY It’s time…
5 Ways a Pastor Can Appear Pious But Destroy Self
February 21, 2018
an excerpt from a soon to be published book on clergy spiritual health If People Ask It, I’ll Do It…
A CHRISTIAN FAMILY DISCUSSION OF FINANCES
February 16, 2018
An excerpt from a soon to be published book on Clergy Financial health. FAMILY FINANCIAL FUN Consider a game for…
YOUR STORIES CAN AFFECT YOUR FUTURE
February 14, 2018
A STORY OF YOUR FUTURE Have you ever wondered where you will be five or ten years from now? Would…
CHURCHES CHOOSE BETWEEN FEAR AND HOPE.
February 9, 2018
The Tension between Fear of Death and Hope of Faith In Hebrews 13:5, we read: “Keep your lives free…