Many missionaries think they have culture shock licked before they ever leave their home. We try to intellectualize culture shock. We think, “Ok, I get it. There is going to be poverty, new food, new language and new customs. Great. Let’s move on.” The reality is culture shock is exhausting. You don’t realize how much... Continue Reading

“Having friends outside of your ministry and your church also has the byproduct of helping you see your church and work for what it really is. It may help you to see and identify dysfunction that you’re otherwise too close to recognize.”   It was a Saturday evening in November and the temperatures were starting... Continue Reading

We have found out that because of budget shortfalls, we will again not receive a cost of living raise.  This has been the case for many years (I’m not revealing how many years without a raise in hopes that other churches will think I am writing about THEIR church). Why are we to “trust God... Continue Reading

Most of all, pray for the Church to remain removed from political entanglement, to become more pure and to experience revival; that we would put no confidence in Princes, nor for help on man depend; but trust Christ Alone as King.  That the Church continue to focus on the worldwide spread of the Gospel, a message of... Continue Reading

Many Millennials are already plagued by debt, primarily credit card and student loan debt. Many of them need help to understand what Biblical stewardship looks like. They need to get financially healthy so that they can live generously. The church can help them with this.   Millennials often get a bad rap when it comes... Continue Reading

“Without diminishing other ministries and activities in churches, I want to share with you the two most common practices in healthy churches. I understand that ‘healthy’ can have a subjective nature to it. And I understand that correlation is not the same as causation.”   Churches are too busy. Church members are too busy. We... Continue Reading

We pre-judge people from different parts of the world based on their appearance, while forgetting that Jesus himself and all of our early church heroes would have likely been “randomly selected” for further inspection at an airport. All of our Bible heroes were from the Middle East and Africa.   In 1995, Alanis Morissette released... Continue Reading

“The ‘reform’ that Britain sought under Henry VIII was very different from where it would eventually lead. The sheer unexpectedness of the result of last June’s referendum in Britain left everyone reeling, because no-one really expected it – not even those who had campaigned so vigorously for it.”   The idea of the United Kingdom’s... Continue Reading

Although no two burnouts are the same, as I’ve counseled increasing numbers of Christians through burnout, I’ve noticed that most of them have one thing in common: there’s a deficit of grace. It’s not that they don’t believe in grace. Many of them are well-grounded in “the doctrines of grace.” Many of them are pastors... Continue Reading

The pastor’s ministry is a pure ministry. This one is so important in an age where the prosperity gospel has risen to such prominence. “I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have... Continue Reading