The February 2023 revival at Asbury University aroused anew a hunger for God in the hearts of many Christians. It began when students lingered to pray after a regularly scheduled chapel service. The weeks-long eruption of continuous, student-led prayer and … Continue reading A Praying Church | Book Review
“The average pastor’s job is harder than average,” Lyle Schaller once quipped. That’s especially true of the majority of American pastors who lead their churches alone. They face a variety of unique challenges that make their jobs especially difficult. How … Continue reading Overcoming Solo-Pastor Challenges | Influence Podcast
“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets,” observed Paul Batalden. He was talking about healthcare systems, but others have applied his observation to organizations generally. If he’s right, churches need to ask why their systems are … Continue reading Review of ‘Bully Pulpit’ by Michael J. Kruger
Turning Points is a one-volume history of Christianity written for laypeople and students. It tells the Church’s story by describing “decisive moments in the history of Christianity” when the doctrine, character, and institutions of Christianity took a new direction. (The … Continue reading Turning Points, 4th Ed. | Book Recommendation
“American society has a knowledge crisis, and the American church is no exception,” writes Bonnie Kristian in Untrustworthy. Her book details the origin, consequences, and resolution of the crisis. Its message is timely. What is the crisis? “It ain’t what … Continue reading Untrustworthy | Book Review
“Ordinary people are the primary way God has worked in and through the world over the centuries,” writes Katelyn Beaty. “More and more, though, it seems that a lot of us aren’t content to be ordinary Christians.” Instead, we want … Continue reading How Celebrity Hurts the Church | Influence Podcast
“Ever been in a season of life that seemed to lack forward momentum?” asks Jeffery Portmann “You’re doing everything you can to experience growth, maybe even repeating what’s worked before. But then there’s a moment … where what you expected, … Continue reading Slow-Motion Growth in a Fast-Paced World | Influence Podcast
On January 6, 2002, reporters for the The Boston Globe began publishing a series of stories about clergy sexual abuse of minors in the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Their revelations went on to garner a Pulitzer Prize and shine a … Continue reading What Churches Should Learn from Religious Scandals | Influence Podcast
Leading change is one of a pastor’s most important jobs. The changes pastors lead are spiritual, moral, and missional in nature. In other words, they help people come to Christ (spiritual), become like Christ (moral), and go out as witnesses … Continue reading Leading Congregational Change Collaboratively | Influence Podcast
How can pastors lead healthy, productive, and long-lasting change in their congregations? Mike Clarensau answers that question in Subject to Change. An ordained Assemblies of God minister, church consultant, and author, his advice comes from decades of ministry in local-church … Continue reading Subject to Change | Book Review
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