On a beautiful fall Sunday against the backdrop of the Front Range of the Rockies, I was standing on our church grounds with a cup of coffee in my hand. Worship had ended and people were gathered in our grassy…

The most frequent mistake clergy search committees make is to focus too much on the perceived weaknesses of the previous clergyperson. If the predecessor was personable but poorly educated, the search committee scours the world for a Ph.D. and takes…

“Words, words, words . . . !” That’s what I overheard a female student sigh to no one in particular as everyone filed out of the seminary chapel service. I wish now that I had asked her exactly what she…

A pastor who sows his or her energy in community leadership often discovers that the work returns a harvest of benefits to the congregation, community, and pastor. We do not give, one would hope, so that we might get in…

When I ask people what church they go to and to tell to me in one phrase what distinguishes their church from others, I get a wide range of answers. People mention location, history, denomination, size, architecture, cultural stance, ethos,…

Listening is the primary and essential way that pastors plumb the depths of the lives of people both within the congregation and in the greater community. In pastoral ministry listening is a given; pastors are expected to be good listeners….

Few projects excite and galvanize a congregation more than a new building or a major renovation. People complain about construction delays, capital campaigns, and the general din and dust, but their blood pumps, their wallets loosen, and their enthusiasm rises….

From the beginning of my life, my home congregation loved me into the faith. As a preschooler in the nursery, I felt so very safe with “church.” A few years later, in the primary department, I remember standing at the…

The following is a simple guide to discerning God’s voice when seeking God’s call in a particular situation. It is most valuable when a church board or committee is stuck on an issue. Identify the issue to be discussed. Offer…

One afternoon while I was rifling through backed-up periodicals, the tag line for an advertisement caught my attention: “Think Differently about Ministry in Order to Minister Differently!” The ad showed three pastors. Two, photographed in black and white, were dressed…