In the 1992 vice presidential debate, James Stockdale opened his remarks by asking, “Who am I? Why am I here?” The audience laughed, but his questions were (and are) serious. They concern identity and mission, respectively. This new year, many pastors are … Continue reading The Flourishing Pastor | Book Review
It is often said that ministry is a marathon, not a sprint. I appreciate the point of the metaphor, which is that pastors need a sustainable pace of service. Even so, I wonder whether the comparison is too fast. The past 21 months of ministry haven’t felt … Continue reading Plod On | Influence Magazine
According to church growth expert Thom Rainer, “The median tenure of a pastor at a church is around four years. Simply stated, over one-half of pastors leave a church before their fourth anniversary.” The question is not whether church staff … Continue reading Effective Church Staff Transitions | Influence Podcast
“Every teenager is a walking bundle of questions,” write Kara Powell and Brad Griffin in their new book. “Almost every question young people are asking ultimately finds its genesis in these 3 big questions: Who am I? Where do I … Continue reading How to Talk to Teens About Life’s Big Questions | Influence Podcast
It all started with a pair of sneakers. One Sunday morning in March 2019, Ben Kirby missed church and decided to watch worship videos to assuage his guilty feelings. In one of the videos, he noticed that the worship leader … Continue reading PreachersNSneakers | Book Review
“The U.S. Assemblies of God has a mandate, a problem, and a need,” writes John Zick in the newest issue of Influencemagazine. The mandate is to evangelize the world. The problem is that youth are underrepresented among AG ministers. And … Continue reading How to Help Youth Discern the Call to Ministry | Influence Podcast
Using worldly means to accomplish heavenly ends is a persistent temptation for pastors. Today, it takes the form of corporate business models. In Paul’s day, especially at Corinth, it was professional rhetoric models that emphasized “wisdom” and “power.” Church members … Continue reading Power in Weakness | Book Review
Sam Chand argues that “tension is both inevitable and, at least in many cases, desirable in life and leadership.” If his argument seems counterintuitive to you, Harnessing the Power of Tension is a must read. Rather than avoiding tension, Chand … Continue reading Harnessing the Power of Tension | Book Review
This podcast begins with a paradox: On the one hand, the Assemblies of God recognizes the credentialed ministry of women at whatever level God has called and empowered them. On the other hand, AG women often face barriers to ministry … Continue reading Moving the Ministry of Women from Theology to Practice | Influence Podcast
“With the massive disruptions we’re facing as a result of the COVID-19 crisis of 2020 and beyond, the problems could not be more disruptive or obvious,” writes Karl Vaters. “From the lockdowns, to the unspeakable pain of the illness and … Continue reading After COVID, What? | Influence Podcast
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