Hi from the Bozeman, Montana! The Evangelical Church Denomination is starting on Day 2 of our General Conference. Six Conferences from across the country are meeting together for the business of prayer and planning, and inspiration. It’s great to see old friends and meet new ones! Please be praying for our time together and the…
Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.
Two things are true of leadership. Leadership requires decisions and not everyone will agree with the decisions. That’s why decisions require discernment. Not all decisions have the same importance. However, the more the responsibility, the more may be rding on a decision we make. LET’S TALK One blogger I regularly read is Dave Kraft. He…
Don’t be a Know-It-All!
Know-it-alls show up everywhere, don’t they? At work, around the community, in politics, in the church, and even at home. Know-it-alls share two common characteristics: They always think they are right and always want their way. They may look and sound like leaders, but in the end, it is all about them and their goals….
Pride Month
Everyone seems on board with Pride Month. No matter where you turn, you will find concerts, commercials, parades, and parties celebrating the LGBTQ community. Officially, the month is to “recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.” NOTE: The acronym now includes an I and…
5 Mistakes More Likely to be Made by Small Churches Than Big Churches
Karl Vater is a champion of the small church. What I like about his approach is that he sees the value of our smaller churches, while at the same time, he holds us to a high standard. In other words, we may be small, but that doesn’t give us an excuse not to be all…
So, what’s in a name?
You may not know this, but I go by my second name. Yep! My full name is Arvin Randall Myers. However, my parents have called me “Randy” from the get-go. You may ask, who would call their newborn “Arvin?” Part of the reason is that my dad was trying to follow a family tradition in…
The Church Hopper vs. the Unchurched
Many of us have seen a decrease in Sunday Morning Worship attendance coming out of COVID. Some churchgoers have used these past few years to “digitally church shop” for something new and “better.” It is always tough to see people leave a church for another one. We are called to be “fishers of men” and…
Things Overheard at Midyear Retreat
Linda and I have always enjoyed “Midwinter Retreat,” which is now called our Midyear Retreat (since we meet in May). We look forward to the time away, being with fellow pastors and leaders, walking the beach, and even playing some games. Worshiping, praying, and growing together. Everything makes it a special time together. Let’s Talk…
Dating a Denomination
Many of you know there are talks with the Missionary Church about the possibility of joining them as a Denomination. For some, it may be moving too slow and for others, too fast and for others, we shouldn’t be moving at all. (A fable with a young girl and some bears comes to mind.) At…
More Questions
I love good questions. Good questions allow us to reflect rather than react. They draw out deeper observations about ourselves, others, and the situations we face. Todd Henry from The Accidental Creative writes, “I believe that the questions we ask define us. Why do I believe that? Because our questions are an indication of what…
A Revealing Question
How was Easter? When I pastored, Easter was always a highlight of the year. I like Easter because it seems more of a focused holiday. It celebrates the most important event of history, the resurrection of Jesus! Also, it was always great to see an increase in attendance. : -) . For me, it showed…
The Grace of Easter
This weekend, billions of people around the world will celebrate this one event in history—Jesus’ death and resurrection! So what is the significance of Easter? Easter shows us what God is really like. The Bible tells us that “God is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 145:8). The Apostle Peter…