Pastoring
Pastors and All. The. Drama. Or, Why Pastoral Care Must Be Communal
I wrote a bit yesterday about how I have discovered that I don’t love the church just because I was a pastor. That said, the last few months of not being a pastor, has brought some areas of great relief. Let’s be honest, pastoring is not easy and I’m actively trying to pay attention to how I can support…
Read MoreWhen God Gives You a Push
“Sometimes God calls you into new things, sometimes God pushes you into new things..” This was my dad’s response to me as I shared with him some of the questions I was asking related to my vocational and occupational life. It became clear that this was one of those instances where God was pushing, and…
Read MorePreaching in Community
I think the following is a fair statement: One of the most individual things done in churches these days is preaching. To be kind, this seems unfortunate. While I do not generally think that sermons should be a free-for-all, I also do not think that sermons should be the result of one person sitting quietly…
Read MoreWhy We Have Pastors at The Well
Two weeks ago we ordained two new pastors at The Well: Scott Jones and Matthew Warren. I couldn’t be more proud to serve the church with these two guys. I also am so excited to be part of a pastoral team again. As we began the ordination I wrote up a short intro to “why…
Read MoreJohn Howard Yoder on the Church Discipline Process
Over the years at we have had our fair share of conflict at The Well. I cannot say that we have always handled this conflict perfectly. At the same time I would like to think that we are getting better at it. It is probably safe to say that when churches do conflict and confrontation…
Read MorePlanning Sabbaticals
Some context: this past summer I took a three month sabbatical from The Well. It is hard to believe that I have been a pastor there for eleven years as of this past October. In the Spring of 2011 I went to my elder team and asked them for a sabbatical for that summer. But…
Read MoreTwo Super-Easy Steps to Preaching a Holistic Gospel
We all think we are preaching a holistic gospel. In all my years of interacting with pastors, teachers and leaders I have never met anyone who got into a pulpit on a regular basis and said “I think I am going to preach a one-sided gospel.” In reality, none of us are preaching a fully holistic gospel,…
Read More10 Suggestions / Thoughts on Bi-Vocational Ministry
I’ve been bi-vocational in some way or another for about 9 years. Here is some random advice/thoughts to those who are beginning or in the midst of the bi-vocational approach to ministry: Try and find a second job that feeds your gifting and passions in some way. I actually really enjoy web design. It taps…
Read MoreIn the Name of Jesus: From Relevance to Prayer
Last week I spend a few days here on the blog working out the leadership culture we are trying to create at The Well. Now, admittedly I am a big leadership book junkie. I love exploring the sociology of leadership and community. But, as much as I love that stuff I realize there is a…
Read MoreBi-Vocational Pastors
As a pastor who has spent the last nine years living a bi-vocational life (sometimes tri-vocational), I appreciated all the discussion on David Fitch’s blog post back in November. I posted the rhythm I have been living for the last nine months back in November also. Things have changed a tad for me since I…
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