318 results found
Dear Pastor . . . You Have Wonderfully Unique Opportunities to Counsel
Pastoral counseling is unlike any other form of counseling because of the many unusual opportunities a pastor has to engage lives. Here are seven unique facets of the pastoral life that open doors.
A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Using Creeds and Confessions in Your Church
Not long ago a friend asked what I’d say if I had thirty seconds with someone in an elevator and had to explain why I think Christian Confessions are so important. As you can see, I know what I’d say.
Podcast: A Better Way to Talk about the “Call to Ministry” (Bobby Jamieson)
Bobby Jamieson talks about his own path to church leadership, what role seminary played, and as well as what advice he'd give to those aspiring to be pastors.
How Spurgeon Avoided the Calling Calamity
Spurgeon understood the critical importance of helping men evaluate whether they were genuinely called to pastoral ministry.
The antidote to hypocrisy is humility. What good deeds do you do that are seen by few or none? When did you last volunteer for a menial task?
Shouldn’t God’s Power Fast Track Me to Big Things?
There is to be no Christian guru. We must reject this constantly and carefully. Leaders are to serve in humility.
Growing a Disability-Effective Church
How can churches become equipped to be disability effective? By living transparently with weakness and allowing these weaknesses to issue forth in fruitful labor in Christ’s church.
3 Ways Youth Leaders Can Help Parents
Many youth pastors are young, but they still have valuable insights on teenagers that can be of great help to parents.
How Pastors Can Benefit from Studying Archaeology
When we understand what's going on culturally in the Bible, we're more able to understand the world that much better.
Pastor: Expound, Apply, Repeat
You are hired as a minister in your church to be a preacher—not just to expound the Word, but to apply it.
6 Joys and Perils of Full Time Ministry
Josh Moody shares with us 6 joys and perils of full time ministry.
Podcast: What Pastors Can Learn from Richard Baxter (Tim Cooper)
Tim Cooper discusses the importance of Richard Baxter, a Puritan responsible for many key (if not misunderstood or difficult to read) treatises on church doctrine and the role of ministry.
Dear Pastor . . . in a Lonely World, Cultivating Community Is Worth It
Of all the many things we do, cultivating spiritual community in a lonely world ranks among the most difficult, time-consuming, and personally demanding efforts.
Raising Kids as a Pastor's Wife
Children are truly a gift—a reward from the Lord himself, and parenting is such a glorious privilege, but it's not easy.
Help! I Don’t Know How to Reestablish a Healthy Church after COVID
Not meeting together has meant missing out on the countless interactions that establish and enable the very practical supports which overflow from our spiritual unity in Christ.
When Ministry Becomes a Mistress (by Dave Kraft)
Ministry idolatry is becoming increasingly widespread, reaching epidemic proportions.
Why Pastors Must Be More than Professionals
The knowledge of God that the fear of the Lord brings is not a sterile knowledge. Those who fear God come to know him in such a way that they actually become holy, faithful, loving, and merciful, like him.
7 Tips to Help Your Church Support Adoption
A congregation that embraces the priority of adoption will find all sorts of ways to help those who want to adopt.
Ministry Is Best Learned in the Trenches
Seminary education is to the church what basic training in the military is to war.
Podcast: The Blessings and Burdens of Pastoral Ministry (Jeff Robinson)
What are the joys and hardships of doing ministry for the long-haul and what does it look like to be faithful in the midst of pastoral overwhelm and exhaustion?
Why Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry Is Important
When we’re so concerned with keeping the youth entertained or promoting a moral lifestyle, we can easily forget the message of first importance.
How a Pastor Can Prioritize Family during the Holidays
For those of us in ministry, Sunday is not a day of rest. We should try to ensure that we have a Sabbath rest so the family can refresh itself.
The Biggest Detriment to Longevity in Ministry
The call to pastoral ministry is unlike anything else you're going to do in life. What's the key to staying the course?
Pastor: Your Ministry Is a Mercy
Paul’s deeply rooted understanding that his calling was a totally undeserved expression of God’s great mercy to him was itself one of the core convictions that kept him faithful to the end.
How to Foster a Gospel Culture
Gospel doctrine creates a gospel culture. The doctrine of grace creates a culture of grace.
What Should I Do if I’m the Only Elder in My Church?
If you are the only elder in your church, be encouraged that God is still working in your congregation.
Podcast: The Meaningful Work of Church Deacons (Matt Smethurst)
Matt Smethurst discusses the important role that deacons should play in the life of the local church.
Podcast: Why Your Church Needs Plural Leadership (Dave Harvey)
Dave Harvey discusses why plural leadership—a team of elders—is so crucial for the health of a local church.
If the people in our charge are to teach, admonish, and exhort each other daily, no doubt we pastors may do the same for one another
What Questions Should a Pastor Ask Himself after Preaching a Sermon?
You actually can’t tell how effective a sermon was by the response you receive.