Guest Blog
When to Make Counselling Referrals
“It takes a village to raise a child.” You are part of a beautiful church amidst a larger community. I imagine your community feels blessed to have you. As a result, you may have many people come to you for support and guidance–what an honour! Continue reading
Over my twenty years as a lead pastor, I occasionally held a special “service of lament” when our congregation was facing a season of difficulty, grief, and loss… Continue reading
The Challenge of “Unexplained” Prayers
We don’t know what to pray for because we’ve been given no details…. Continue reading
What is the status of the church and what does the future look like?
What is the status of the church a few months into 2023? It is broken… Continue reading
COVID and Harmony in the Church
Over the past three years, the pandemic has impacted our churches in a variety of ways. One of the saddest has been the tension created in some churches because of different views people have had on how the church should respond to the pandemic. Continue reading
3 Minutes to Describe Preaching
I was preaching for a call. The chair of the board gave me 3 minutes to identify what I consider to be the essentials of preaching… Continue reading
Mentoring relationships may be one way in which youth cross from meaninglessness to purpose and begin to experience the fullness of life in Christ. Continue reading
“Leaders and Followers” in the Church
Whereas in the 1960s and 1970s great effort was made to dispel the myth of the clergy-laity distinction within the church, we have resurrected it in a new guise… Continue reading
The Creator God Versus the Coronavirus
A couple of months ago I was the victim of a random assault. I was innocently playing with my phone and minding my own business when… Continue reading
The Pressure of the Weekly Sermon
Why Preach? Sunday’s coming. It doesn’t matter whether you are crazy busy, worn out, discouraged, embroiled in conflict, or sermon-blocked. Sunday’s coming. Continue reading
It was Monday morning. Bright, sunny, and pleasant. As I looked forward to my week of ministry, I envisioned spending the rest of Monday carefully crafting a sermon for the upcoming Sunday. As a relative newcomer to sermon preparation Continue reading