One stunning building in Manchester, England, is now a climbing center. In Bristol, one is now a circus school, with trapezes hanging from the rafters. Others are now grocery stores, car dealerships, libraries and pubs. All over England, many... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
At the North American Mission Board (NAMB), our mission is to help Southern Baptists push back lostness in North America. Our primary strategy for doing that is called Send North America, and that strategy includes two primary goals. First,... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
In my early years of ministry I was involved in several church planting efforts. I had embraced the axiom, “It is easier to give birth than to raise the dead.” I still believe in church planting and am a passionate proponent of starting new... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
The word “declining” can have different connotations as it relates to churches. It can mean declining influence in the community, or decline in effective preaching, or decline in evangelistic impact. Most of the time, though not all of the... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Do you remember the conversation between Peter and our Lord after his resurrection from the dead? When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes,... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
In Part 1, I discussed two of the five categories that I think of when answering young ministers about how to balance their family and ministry. This part discusses the rest of those five principles that, while not hard and fast rules, have... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Over the last several weeks I have been pulled aside by several young pastors asking me for advice. They want to know how to balance the demands of ministry and the demands of their family. These are younger guys in their 20s and 30s and they... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
A couple of years ago, an individual who thought he might be called to pastoral ministry informed me (Jones), “I love to teach, and I want to preach – but I can’t stand people.” He went on to describe his dream position: to provide a polished... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Rightly understood, marriage is all about permanence. In a world of transitory experiences, events, and commitments, marriage is intransigent. It simply is what it is — a permanent commitment made by a man and a woman who commit themselves to... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
Editors note: Read also Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3 of this series. Read the Bible When I was 13 years old, my mother gave me a photocopy of a hand-written guide for reading the Bible through in a year. Thus began the most important part... [ ... ][ abbreviated | read original blog ]
