I need a pastor. Being a pastor myself, I wasn’t one to admit that I did. My reluctance probably stemmed from my pride of self-sufficiency and invincibility. Being a mature Christ-follower—and a pastor at that—meant that I should be able to handle anything that comes my way all on my own, no matter how bad it gets, right? Isn’t that …
I remember the first morning I woke up after I had moved to Syracuse, NY. My family had spent the previous year discerning the Spirit’s voice with friends, family and our faith community. My wife and I had served in full-time vocational ministry for 15 years, and we were sensing a growing call to start a new faith community in …
Here in upstate NY we have this beautiful region for climbing called “The Gunks”. The Gunks come to mind when considering discipleship. They are one of America’s premier climbing areas. It’s just minutes from New Paltz, a funky college town, and 85 miles from New York City. Climbing here is characterized by huge rock roofs that shoot over the trails, …
It’s that time of the year when we all resolve to be better people, look after ourselves more, or just plain commit to doing things we have not previously had time to do. Most of us know that the resolutions we make will not be kept. By Valentine’s Day, we will have forgotten, discarded, or just plain ignored them. To …
Last week, I wrote an article entitled “What is Good Spiritual Leadership?” In it we looked at the connections between leadership and intimacy with God, as well as leadership and the discovery of the authentic self. I have continued to be fascinated by this topic of spiritual leadership. This has led me to write about a few more aspects I …
As we develop our leadership teams and plan our programs, one question should continually be at the forefront of our thoughts: What is good spiritual leadership? Most of us aspire to be leaders, to be noticed, to feel successful. We want to know that what we do makes a difference in God’s world. I wonder, however, if in striving towards …
Every ministry has its mavericks. The maverick is the rebel within the system who thinks and acts radically different from everyone else but still doesn’t leave. In ranching terms, the maverick is the unbranded calf that regularly separates from the herd and doesn’t easily return to the fold but also doesn’t run off for good. Meeting Mavericks When we meet …