Retro preaching for hi-tech pastors: why and how I used a flannelgraph
I’m a techno geek … I stood in line for 5 hours to get the latest iPhone, I use a MacBookPro, I use an iPad on stage when I preach, I twitter, and I write a blog. Yet, sometimes technology gets in the way. I once tried a retro version of communication. It worked. Our
How Church Leaders can Mobilize their Churches for Community Ministry
It’s exciting to see many churches embracing community and missional ministry more than ever. When I grew up, I can’t remember being challenged to go out into my community to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the poor and under-resourced. Perhaps that’s why it took me so long to personally ‘get it.’ The
My Review of the student devotional: Crash Course by Daniel Darling
Although my kids are well beyond the teen years, I wish I could have given them this devotional when they were kids. Daniel Darling, a friend of mind, provided me a complementary copy of his new book called, Crash Course, forming a faith foundation for life. Although written for the teen in mind, I was
Why Pastors are Sometimes Like Turtles
Recently Leadership Network asked 40 pastors (including the likes of Wayne Cordeiro and Elmer Towns) to explain in 6 minutes what they wish they had done differently in ministry. They held an online conference called SAGE. As one of the speakers, I spoke on why I wish I was less like a turtle. You can read
What Does Jesus Smell Like?
Do you ever think about the fragrance of Christ? What is it, what does it mean. And really, what DOES He smell like? I once read one of those tear-jerker email forwards about a baby girl who was born severely premature and was not expected to live. Due to her immature little immune system, her
How an iPad Improved my Devotional Life
I’m a busy pastor and am committed to developing my walk with Jesus through several spiritual disciplines. One discipline I practice is a daily time with God when I read Scripture, pray, and journal. Before I owned an iPad, my quiet time looked like this. read my bible (the paper version), often reading several different
Strip-Club Ministry: My Daughter’s Story
This is my married daughter’s story about her ministry to women involved in strip clubs. She and her husband recently moved to California, yet this ministry she started continues to thrive. The drive to Kentucky was beautiful, punctuated with fields of yellowed wildflowers and the emerald green of the lush Southern foliage. We rolled into
Church Planning: The Etch-a-Sketch System I Learned in Nicaragua
When I was a kid, one of my favorite toys was an Etch A Sketch. If you’ve never played with one, it works like this. You turn the two white knobs in different directions to create a line drawing like the one in the picture. That was cool enough for us kids like me who
How Pastors Can Benefit from an iPad, Part 1
I’m a pastor and I bought an iPad 10 days ago (16 Gig wi-fi version, the cheapest). If you are a pastor, could an iPad help you become more effective? Maybe. Maybe not. Although I’m only a little over a week into owning mine, this phrase captures my experience,”It has exceeded all my expectations.” What
Nicaragua blog post 3: etcha-sketch planning
5/5, Wednesday. (this post is delayed by 5 days because I just returned and could post via wi-fi) On Tuesday we traveled about 3 hours north from Managua to the mountains. We’re staying at an idyllic coffee plantation that almost seems out of place. It’s almost feels like a tropical paradise. When we arrived we
