Category: Church Leadership
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Transitions
I know what you’re thinking. You saw the title “Transitions” and you instantly thought… “Holy crap, Adam is transitioning?” Nope. And I didn’t buy those transitions lenses for my glasses that adjust to the sunlight either. In the past year or so I’ve really started to think of the youth ministry tribe as a people…
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Cool Church
“You can’t make yourself cool. You can’t buy cool. You’re either cool or you aren’t. The harder you try to be cool, the more you look like a dork.” I don’t know if someone told me that in 9th grade or if it’s from an episode of Saved by the Bell or maybe it was…
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A Weakness with Formal Ministry Preparation
Driving across rural Kansas in December I couldn’t help but be reminded of this fact: In the New Testament, nearly all of the illustrations Jesus used were agrarian. In modern times, nearly all modern formal education happens in the city. It’s a conflict that most people training for vocational ministry either completely ignore or they…
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Looking for Help in the Wrong Direction
Pastors have an infatuation with the business world. I’m not exactly sure where it comes from but it is unhealthy. Perhaps it’s because church hierarchies tend to favor business people on boards and committees and eventually they give in to the way business people think? Or perhaps it’s kind of an Oedipus or Freudian thing with pastors…
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A Leg to Stand On
Our high school small groups have a confidentiality rule. So I can’t get into the specifics of what happened last night, but I want to share something that happened last night in general terms. Brian, our high school pastor, kicked it off by asking one of our college-aged volunteers to come up and share a conversation they’d…
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A Problem of Polity
Controversial Seattle megachurch founder Mark Driscoll will step down for at least six weeks while church leaders review formal charges lodged by a group of pastors that he abused his power. source Most people seem aware of the situation with Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill. However you feel about the situation we can all agree on one thing:…
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Muzzled Leaders
In 2010 Andrew Marin got himself in trouble for calling out a room full of Christian leaders. It was the best kind of trouble… black balled for saying what needed to be said. Here’s what he said: I stand silent to give dignity to a moment many Christians take for granted. There are only a few…
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You Had Vision for Me
Last month I turned 38. What? Thirty-eight. XXXVIII. Thurdy-ate. If you know me well you know I’m not much of a personal birthday celebrator. One of the most fun things I’ve done in the past five years was learn how to hide my birth date from Facebook so I didn’t have 200 people wishing me…
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Literal Pastor Titles
The other day I got the giggles thinking about the absurdity of the titles people get at multi-staff churches. Sure, these titles describe a role. But it also says something about what the other pastors don’t have to do because that person is on staff. Literal Pastor Titles: What They Really Mean…
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Do you own that? Ethical considerations for church workers
“Make sure you know who owns what.” I remember Bob MacRae, my undergrad advisor, telling that to a class full of youth ministry majors about the stuff that you acquire and produce as part of your job. This brought up ethical questions like: