This week’s blog is on the light side. Most of us are using tablets and smartphones on a daily basis. In fact, they have become an integral part of our interaction with others. Some of you may not know what an “app” is. The dictionary defines it as “an application, especially as downloaded by a…
10 Things Pastors Hate to Admit Publicly
Linda and I have been in full time ministry for over 35 years. Often a pastor and his family feel the pressure to be “on top” of everything when we feel like we are at the bottom of things. It’s hard to admit that you don’t feel like preaching this Sunday or you are having…
Book Review: Didn’t See It Coming
by Nancy Austin I have always been a reader. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of cracking the spine on a new book. When I taught elementary school, I always spent the first week(s!) of summer vacation reading crime novels and mindless fiction. One summer we went to dinner with my husband’s boss, the dean,…
3 Reasons Your Pastor Should Take a Sabbatical
Many of you know that my wife and I are currently in Scotland. We are spending time with our family and our newest additions to the family—twins! I really enjoy being a grandpa! This morning I’m sitting at a Costa coffee shop thinking about how important it is for pastors to take extended time away…
A Rant About Women in Ministry
This is my second rant this month. A few weeks ago I blogged about ordination and education. Today, I’d like to talk about women in ministry. Currently, our Denomination ordains only men as elders. We tend to use the term elder and pastor interchangeably. We also “commission” men and women into specific areas of leadership…
36 Great Quotes from the Leadership Summit – 2018
This past week the Pacific Conference hosted the Global Leadership Summit via online streaming. We had a great time of learning and fellowship together. It may have been best roster of speakers ever! You can check out a highlight video (scroll down) on our website. Here are some great quotes from the event.
A Rant About Education, Ordination, and Ministry
I read that the average cost of a wedding in 2016 was over $35,000 dollars.[1] I would be all for spending that kind of money if there was a guarantee that the more you paid for a wedding, the better the marriage, but that just isn’t true. If there’s no correlation between wedding-spending and marriage-success,…
Really Caring for Others
Do you have a favorite Bible story? One of mine comes from the life of David and his care for a guy named Mephibosheth. (Who would name their baby that? And if you preach this story, you’re going to want to practice saying his name). Mephibosheth actually means “shame.” He had a tough life. When…
Taking Time Off
Some of the questions I’ve been asking our pastors during our quarterly phone calls is about their stress level. How stressed are you? Are you taking a day off ? When is your next vacation? I believe getting away is important. Right now, Linda and I are preparing to visit our youngest son and his…
Networks Work
Isolation can be suffocating for a pastor. Ministry can be lonely. That’s why we need others to help and encourage us. I like the word “networking.” To network means to be interconnected with others. I’m not talking about a formal network, rather your connection with other pastors and leaders in your local community. LET’S TALK……
Four Reasons to Attend the Global Leadership Summit
You don’t want to miss this year’s “Global Leadership Summit.” Mark the dates… August 9th and 10th. A church in your region may be hosting it, but we are also streaming it at the Conference Office in Portland. I would love to have you join me for this summit. At the end of this blog,…
What I Heard at General Convention!
Happy 4th of July! I hope you have a wonderful time with friends and family! These past few days we have been part of our General Conference in Portland, Oregon. This is a meeting that takes place every four years and gathers our leaders from all of our Conferences across the nation. We do a…
