Sermon: At Home with God
On Sunday, August 26, 2018, I had the honor of offering the Sunday Morning Worship Service for reenactors and others at the Red Apple Farm in Philipston, Massac...
Tag: Ministry
Sermon: The Grateful Society
This sermon is part of a series based on the book Grateful, The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks by Diana Butler Bass. In my “From the Pastor” ...
Reflection: Church as a Place of Healing
One of the tasks of my ministry as an interim minister is to assist the congregation in taking a look at themselves and all of their ministries. It is not an e...
The world needs properly trained clergy
Certain professions, doctors, lawyers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, auto mechanics require a certain level of education and competence. One would not con...
Predictions of the Future Church
As a follow-up to my last post, I am reaching back to a post from February of 2015 written by pastor and blogger Carey Nieuwhof. I mentioned in previous posts t...
Thom Rainer’s Major Trends for 2017
The church of the 21st century is going to require pastors to acquire a new set of tools. The church, and by that I mean all churches, has never been very good...
Why People are Leaving the Church
One of the responsibilities of anyone in pastoral leadership is to be able to answer the question of why people are leaving your church. I know this will ruffl...
Is the Church Dying?
“The church is not dying, it is merely relocating to the streets” – Rev. Traci Blackmon The question of whether or not the church is dying is ...
Church Trends in 2016
Church leaders need to be in tune to trends that will shape the future of society and eventually shape the future of the church. I know the argument that the c...
Pastors and Historical Research
I will admit it; I love social media, and I think it is an excellent tool for evangelism and understanding. However, one of the biggest problems with social me...