Blog
- February 27, 2012
What most members and society do not recognize with respect to the role of clergy is the sheer loneliness that…
, , - February 24, 2012
Another category of expectations that is often overlooked is that of the public's expectation for congregations. While many in our…
, , - February 23, 2012
If you want to identify some of the key factors in clergy dropping out, there are probably few areas that…
, , - February 22, 2012
Whether with your email colleagues or with some group within the church, it is worthwhile to use the same categories…
, - February 21, 2012
I want to suggest that you try an experiment in testing out the pressure of expectations in your profession. Choose…
, - February 20, 2012
There is a certain tyranny as well as a blessing to the expectations, internal and external, with regards to being…
, - February 17, 2012
The second area that I suggested may be a factor in clergy dropping out of the profession is the sheer…
, - February 16, 2012
Continuing our discussion about the disconnect between what you expected when you first sensed God's call and the reality you…
, - February 15, 2012
One of the incredible turning points in Israel's journey of faith was how those unique individuals known as the prophets…
, - February 14, 2012
Let's take these causes for clergy dropping out of the ministry one at a time. First, some people experience a…
, - February 13, 2012
Last Monday, before I took a break to attend a conference, I asked you to jot down a list of…
, - February 6, 2012
In a 2005 survey by the Board of Pensions, the dropout rate among clergy in the first five years has…
, - February 3, 2012
Another significant issue with respect to vocation and the future of the church is our response to other servants of…
, - February 2, 2012
We have been looking at vocation or God's call from the perspective of the corporate body of the church. Now…
, - February 1, 2012
We are viewing the future of the church from the perspective of God's call. What is the church's vocation? Yesterday…
, - January 31, 2012
When we consider the future of the church from God's perspective, we are considering the subject from the perspective of…
MY 75TH YEAR AND 48TH YEAR IN THE MINISTRY
February 10, 2016
I CELEBRATE GOD’S GIFT On February 4 I celebrated my seventy-fifth year of life. In September I will have been ordained…
A Pastor’s Lenten Journey
February 3, 2016
Pastors Need Their Own Lenten Experience Ash Wednesday comes very early this year. February 10 seems to be arriving before…
Adjusting to Your Return
January 29, 2016
POST SABBATICAL It is not unusual for a pastor and a pastor’s family to experience what I can best describe…
Litany on return from Sabbatical
January 27, 2016
WELCOMING PASTOR BACK FROM SABBATICAL I thought you might like to see a sample of a litany that a…
SABBATH AS CONGREGTIONAL OPPORTUNITY
January 22, 2016
An Experiment in Sabbath Time Recently, while discussing some sabbatical plans for a pastor, I began imagining with him a…
Sabbaticals, Our Humanity, and Presbyteries
January 20, 2016
PRESBYTERY WITNESS Since we live in a secular society that has lost its appreciation for the Sabbath, and churches…
SEVEN PRACTICAL STEPS TOWARDS A SABBATICAL
January 15, 2016
LET THE PLANNING BEGIN First Find information on how to apply for a grant to help pay for your…
A SABBATICAL AS A FAITHFUL ACT
January 13, 2016
INTERPRETING TO THE CONGREGATION Let me begin by providing you some resources to use in interpreting the need for sabbaticals…
YOUR MODERN DAY PARABLE
January 8, 2016
NINE TIPS FOR YOUR EXPERIMENT IN MODERN PARABLES. Let me suggest some easy steps to releasing the short story…
WHAT IF . . .
January 6, 2016
(TWELVE WAYS YOU CAN BE A WINNER!!!!) WHAT IF you actually wrote a short story and submitted it to the…