When you study the prophets, it is clear that they were not just criticizing conditions in their society. Certainly that…

On this day when we celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday, it is interesting to reflect on the role of churches…

A new pastor arrives and s/he has been called to be a spiritual leader of this congregation. It is so…

If you overemphasize the message that the congregation needs to care for the pastor, it begins to feel like the…

Your new pastor is about to become the church’s pastor. Everybody wants this to be a healthy and productive beginning…

A major challenge for not only the pastor but the pastor’s family is how to get a sense of the…

OK, you’ve completed the process of identifying a new pastor for the congregation, making the offer and having it accepted,…

An important message that you want to convey to the prospective pastor is your acknowledgment that stress in the ministry…

A PNC can convey from the beginning that they are interested in supporting the pastor in having a healthy pastorate.…

The church, like most other professions, is increasingly faced with the complex dynamics of the family in our society. It…

A second phase of your conversation with your prospective new pastor needs to be around salary expectations and benefits but…

Let’s focus for a few sessions on what a Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC) should do in preparation for the new…

Yesterday, we reflected on theological doctrines that spoke to your spiritual journey. Now, on New Year’s Eve, I invite you…

Yesterday we made use of a color to guide your reflections as you drew to the close of the year.…

Sometimes it is helpful to approach a subject from a completely different perspective. As you end 2010, I want to…

I recently had the privilege of charging a congregation at the installation of their new pastor. Since it was Advent,…

I have worked with CSS publishing Company to produce three volumes of reflections on the lectionary passages, one for each…

As we approach the end of Advent and the celebration of Christmas, let me suggest that you overcome your guilt…

Within the Presbyterian tradition, an elder remains an elder even when they are not involved in actively serving on the…

Like the clergy, family members can also be affected positively or negatively by the elder’s ministry. An awareness of these…