Church

One small benefit of the settling back into a ministry groove has been the opportunity to read more stuff ... books, blogs, even tweets.  One of the blogs I've been tracking is Leading Smart by Tim Stevens.  Tim is the executive pastor at Granger Community Church and blogs about church leadership.  Here is a post I read this morning -- hope you enjoy it! ********** Yesterday I wrote a post with warning signs for organizations which are in a season of fast growth. When the pace is quick, we sometimes are blind to things that could trip us up. On the other hand, when your organization has stopped growing or is in decline, there are also some traps that are easy to fall into... We forget the mission. We are frustrated by the lack of growth and so we allow the mission to be lost in charts, budgets and forecasts.…

“Spirit filled souls are ablaze for God. They love with a love that glows. They serve with a faith that kindles. They serve with a devotion that consumes. They hate sin with fierceness that burns. They rejoice with a joy that radiates. Love is perfected in the fire of God.” Samuel Chadwick

What compels a normal man to get up at 5:30, shower, and go to a Bible study with other men?  I've recently joined a Friday morning group that meets at 6 AM every Friday.  For those of you who don't know what 6 AM looks like ... it's still dark and you drive with your headlights on.  But thank goodness Starbucks had the foresight to open at 5:30! This particular men's group is walking through Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.  At 6 AM, that's no easy task.  Lewis plumbs the deep waters like few other authors can.  And we talk about our experience, blend it with scripture, ask questions, and listen.  And drink more coffee. I go because it's important to have other men in your life that are pursuing the same outcome: a closer walk with Jesus.  The Bible says "iron sharpens iron" and it's true (Proverbs 27:17).  I…

I don't know if I've ever blogged about a sandwich before.  But this one was too good to let pass.  I ate lunch today at The Corner Bakery here in Highlands Ranch and ordered a Poblano Fresco on Poblano Cheese Bread.  Wow!  Here's what came on it: Roasted red peppers, avocado, white cheddar cheese, crisp jicama slaw, lettuce, and spicy chipotle lime mayo.  I added roast beef and it pushed it over top.  The mixture of flavors and textures was outstanding. It made me think of how we (pastors/worship leaders) often present God -- do we provide a mixture of flavors and textures?  The crisp jicama (pronounced "Hicama") slaw by itself would not have had the same effect as it did when mixed with the roasted red peppers. Our worship and teaching needs to have a mix of sights and sounds, ups and downs, high energy and solitude.  Not every…

Ed Stetzer has an excellent blog interview with Steve Addison about his book, "Movements that Changed the World."  He talks about common characteristics.  Here is a sample: The last characteristic is adaptive methods. The best illustration of an adaptive method I can think of is the game of soccer. Soccer is the world's game played by hundreds of millions and watched by billions. Why? I think it's because you can drop a ball at the feet of a three year old and she can start playing. It may take a lifetime of practice to master the game, but only an instant to begin enjoying it. Try doing that with American or Australian football. Adaptive methods are simple, flexible and transferable. That's one reason why Jesus taught by telling stories. A good story, like the prodigal son, can be told by anyone to anyone, even across the boundaries of culture and…