Normal. What is normal? After all, what seems normal to some is abnormal for others. When my work takes me out of town, I try to stay with friends, family, or colleagues as often as possible. Not only is it more cost-effective, but doing this allows me to catch a glimpse into someone else’s “normal,” solidifying the fact that “normals” …
The way Christians die is the most contagious aspect of what being a Christian means. – William Frazier a Maryknoll Priest I can’t help it, I just love starting new things. I always love getting in at the ground level of something new—molding, forming, and building. I don’t know how much of that desire stems from my days in the …
The questions we ask ourselves will define our practices. Think about the questions you ask either consciously or subconsciously and they will shed light on your daily, weekly, and yearly practices. For example, we would probably all agree that the question “how do I live the most comfortably?” is a deep value of Western Culture. If this is the question …
One of the most common questions I get is “where did you find people to come help you plant a church?” “How did you find people for your team?” Today, after over 2o years of ministry and 10 years of church planting, I believe there is a systemic problem that can arise from these types of questions. Parachuting in to …
The greatest joy in my life is my wife and 4 kids. I love being a dad and husband. I am always trying to be aware of how our involvement in planting churches and pastoring is affecting our family. I have seen and heard and know too many stories of the loss of family at the alter of church leadership. …
From my first days in ministry as a pastor I remember those around me telling me consistently to enjoy the journey, that I need to slow down and enjoy the process. I have always been a high energy, determined, hard-driven, goal-oriented individual. The Disenfranchised Planter Therefore, when I entered church planting, I had all kinds of dreams, aspirations, and goals …
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about do overs. Any baseball fan knows that you often wish you could get another pitch. In golf you call it a mulligan and take a dropped ball. In a great game of Horse, you may even take a second shot. If you’re specifically a Cleveland sports fan you wish you could have a …
The other day, while driving to some meetings a couple hours away, I was thrown back to my high school days when an early Pearl Jam song came on the radio. As I listened to the once billboard-charting tune “Jeremy,” I heard the pain of a generation ringing through the intricately woven lyrics. Later, after a quick Google search, I …