If you serve in the ministry, people are watching you and your family. If you don’t want to be watched, then ministry is not the place to be. That said, we are commanded to be ensamples (or examples—a pattern to follow) to the flock (1 Peter 5:3.) As spiritual leaders we’re supposed to be saying, [...]
I’ll never forget the first time I heard the word “blog.” It sounded like my friend burped. And the concept sounded about as stupid. That was years ago, and—well, it is self-evident that the concept caught on, not only for me but for millions of others. We live in a day when everybody and their [...]
My friend and childhood pastor, Dick Hester recently sent me this challenge, and I wanted to share it here. I’m not nearly the encourager that I wish I was, or that I strive to be—but by the end of my life, I hope it can be said that I was an encourager. Pastor Hester is [...]
This is part two of a series on an effective staff member. You can read the first article here. The big question we’re answering is simply this: What qualities make an effective staff member? What characteristics produce winning teams? If God has placed you “in the middle” of the organization chart somewhere—welcome! Many of us [...]
I love the way God shows up in ways we least expect. This morning is another McDonald’s morning. As my system is coming out of chemo effects, the stomach was asking for pancakes and my heart longed for some quiet time with the Lord. (Funny thing is, before cancer I was no fan of pancakes.) [...]
Have you ever wondered who you are ministering to well, and who you are missing? Whether it’s a class, a group, or a church family, it’s easy to minister to many but miss some—especially those who are quiet. Some years ago, as our youth group grew larger, we became burdened about who we might be [...]
This August 6-13, 2011, our ministry is hosting another Alaska Cruise departing from Seattle. Time is winding down to register and space is limited for our group. I wanted to share with you some reasons this cruise may be worth considering. 1. If you are a pastor or group leader, there is a great incentive [...]
Honestly, I like the word relevant, but I also have a problem with it. It is subjective. When someone I know, who believes like I do and shares my philosophy of ministry says, “I want my ministry to be relevant”—I know what they mean and I agree. They mean, without compromising truth or God’s Word, [...]
Lately, especially while battling cancer, I’ve been greatly encouraged by devotionals from Oswald Chambers “My Utmost for His Highest.” Nearly every day the Lord has blessed my life by something profound from this man’s heart. So in this post, I’m shot-gunning a collection of quotes that have been significant to me and why. I hope [...]
Correction on the November Spiritual Leadership Podcast—the one I previously wrote about was actually October’s lesson. November’s lesson is about Balancing Pastoral Priorities and was taught originally at Spiritual Leadership Conference 2010. This lesson investigates the roles and responsibilities of the Pastor and breaks down some practical and biblical input on how to balance those [...]
Growing the Church in Biblical Stewardship was October’s Spiritual Leadership Podcast! You can listen to it above or subscribe to the Spiritual Leadership Podcast through iTunes. This month’s lesson is a great resource on how to lead the church to growth in the basics of biblical stewardship. There are a lot of unhealthy leadership techniques [...]
What a great privilege and delight it is to be a part of Striving Together Publications! I thank the Lord for a great team of co-laborers who work with excellence to produce biblical resources for local church ministry and for personal spiritual growth! We are happy to introduce to you two new books that we [...]
One of the reasons I began this blog is to share helpful resources, book reviews, and ministry ideas. Many people are presently using Striving Together Publications, but not everybody is aware of what Striving Together and our ministry is offering at no cost. Our goal is to charge only for the things we must. Anything [...]
Please forgive another health update. This is my easiest way to communicate with people who have questions and to make sure everybody understands what’s going on in our lives. Last Friday afternoon I received my official diagnosis—Hodgkins Lymphoma. Until that phone call, I was preparing for the real possibility of an early passing, while simultaneously [...]
God gave us a GREAT weekend—one of the greatest of my life! Here’s the story. A few months ago, the Lord intersected Pastor Chappell’s path with NBA basketball player Michael Redd (shooting guard for Milwaukee Bucks, NBA Allstar, and Olympic gold medalist.) It was a “chance” meeting at an airport. Michael was sitting reading his [...]
