Adam McLane

Tag: Church

  • Public Ministry Prerequisites

    A friend recently expressed a frustration that anyone who works in a church feels all the time. He said, “We just get the leftovers of people’s time, energy, and heart.” He said it in a negative way. I affirmed him in a positive way. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be.” I get the same…

  • 5 Ways to be a Peacemaker in Your Community

    5 Ways to be a Peacemaker in Your Community

      Separation is to the protestant church what kryptonite is to Superman. In my opinion, separation is the bitter herb of the Protestantism Reformation. Separations marks are seen in every corner & practice of the church. Nearly every denomination began when one group of people decided they didn’t agree to the point that they needed…

  • If Sunday morning is about teaching…

    Then how are you measuring what people are learning? As a youth worker I’m always aware of leakage in my teaching. That is, the difference between what I am teaching and what learners are learning. There is a naughty little educational word called “retention” we need to deal with. If there isn’t, what is the…

  • No more country clubs

    Quick facts Cumulatively, the American church is likely the largest private land owner in the country. Most zip codes contain at least one house of worship. In my zip code alone there are more than 30. In many communities around our nation the church occupies some of the prettiest property in town. It’s square footage…

  • Final thoughts on canceling church

    My post last Sunday about megachurches (and their copycat little brothers) canceling services the day after Christmas generated a massive response. Apparently, there were a lot of people who also felt it was a smidge ridiculous that in America we found an excuse to take a Sunday off while those in other parts of the…

  • Pastor as Vocation

    Confession: I do as much or more pastoral ministry now than I did when I worked in a church. That is no knock on my friends in full-time vocational ministry. It is more an affirmation for the myriad of people I know who have stepped out (or been pushed out) of their ministry job. Leaving…

  • Rejecting the priesthood of the staff

    And Reaffirming the priesthood of all believers. That the pope or bishop anoints, makes tonsures, ordains, consecrates, or dresses differently from the laity, may make a hypocrite or an idolatrous oil-painted icon, but it in no way makes a Christian or spiritual human being. In fact, we are all consecrated priests through Baptism, as St.…

  • Farm Fresh Offerings

    Right out of college, Kristen and I were full of ideals about where we wanted to serve in a local church. We had a list of things we were looking for: Having been in the midwest for eight years we were ready for a geographical change. We wanted to see mountains and take a break…

  • Economy of Words

    Good communicators are aware of an economy of words. Whether its blogging or public speaking or preaching– you must have a constant awareness of how many words your audience is capable of processing in the amount of space/time you have. Too many words and people get overloaded and tune you out. (or navigate to another…

  • My Kids Aren’t Your Target Audience

    Imagine the freedom of hearing this one phrase. A parent affirming a youth pastor by saying, “My kids aren’t your target audience. Reach the lost.” What would happen if parents stepped into their role and discipled their teenage children, and at the same time affirmed the church’s youth pastor by saying, “My kids aren’t your…