If your church is just riding out the pandemic, hoping that you can get back to normal, you are missing the opportunity of the century to reimagine the ministry of your congregation for the century ahead. The main activity of every congregation has been upended. Sunday worship, which has been the core of church life for 2000 in most places, [...]
We live in a strange world where things like pandemics and protests seem to be the new norm. Since March 2020, the world has radically changed and will continue to change in the coming days ahead. Andy Crouch, Kurt Keilhacker, and Dave Blanchard describe the effects of COVID-19 as an economic and cultural blizzard, winter, and the beginning of a [...]
Early on in the midst of this global pandemic, Ed Stetzer told us to think about the next few months like an accordion. He predicted multiple phases of expanding and contracting in terms of our ability to gather in-person. We are beginning to see this accordion effect. The U. S. News & World Report ran an article Monday morning about [...]
In the shadows cast by the early English reformers (such as Cramner and Hooker) on the one side, and the giants of Anglican theology since the 18th century on the other, sits the rich trove of Anglican theologians and devotional writers known collectively as the Caroline Divines. “Caroline” (derived from the Latin version of the name “Charles”) is the term [...]
It’s been an exhausting week. You spent much of it at the hospital, praying for a dying Christian, giving comfort to a grieving family. You missed time with your own family to be a pastor to the parish. You sat with a beloved parishioner’s children as they argued over how they wanted the funeral and burial to go. It was [...]
Leading a church through the changes required for missional living is seriously complex work. Many people, understandably, are fearful of the disruption taking place in our culture. With political and racial tensions reaching new heights in our communities, neighbors now see one another as enemies. Having any sort of conversation, let alone a faith conversation, puts people on edge. But [...]
The last few months have been incredibly disruptive. We have all been navigating a global pandemic. Now, we are navigating phases of COVID-19 recovery (and possible resurgences) alongside renewed conversations about race and justice amidst social unrest. As we move into the Summer, many congregations are regaining some sort of rhythm as they begin regathering. We have also noticed a [...]
Our COVID–19 Resource Roundup Focus This Week This week, we want to highlight several different areas. First, the national conversation is focused on race, justice, and social unrest. There is a robust conversation taking place and we are seeing different responses from church leaders. Anglican Compass published "A Letter to Fellow ACNA Clergy" and hosted a Roundtable Discussion Webinar on [...]
St. Thomas Anglican Church is a "maturing church plant" in the Anglican Diocese of the South. Like many church plants, we are completely mobile and rent the facility we use for worship on Sundays. Normally, we gather in the Day Chapel located in the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, which is managed by the University of Georgia. Over the last [...]
Expanding Our COVID-19 Resource Roundup Focus Last month it felt like many of our churches and leaders were finding their legs again. They had pivoted to various creative ministry avenues during the COVID-19 lockdowns. (Pivot and unprecedented are probably in the running for the word of the year.) Everyone was making plans for post-COVID-19 recovery and phased regathering. How would [...]
COVID–19 has created new struggles as churches struggle to go digital. Here’s how they can succeed at it. "I just don't even know where to start with all this." The tone of his voice conveyed a frustration I have grown used to hearing. The new coronavirus – and the measures put in place to contain it – have created a [...]
Whiplash! Remember COVID-19? Last week, we witnessed the tragic death of George Floyd. His murder released new waves of social conversation, violence, prayerful reflection, and a wide variety of responses within our communities. Amazingly, within a few days, the national focus on COVID-19 and COVID-19 recovery shifted. The COVID-19 crisis seems like it is 'so last week'...except that it is [...]
We need your help. We are assembling the best resources for ministry in the church relative to the COVID crisis. This is the ninth edition of the round-up. Thank you all for your support and for your readership. We want to turn our attention to how churches are dealing with the IMPACT and EFFECT of the Pandemic on the people [...]
Pentecost is, for many of us and our congregations, the Sunday (or season) in which we turn our attention to the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The reality, however, for many of the people in our pews, is that the Spirit is often conceived of as more like the Force from Star Wars than a distinct divine person. [...]
After several months of ministry in the midst of a pandemic, things are slowly beginning to shift. Some states have begun re-opening. Most states and churches are announcing and exploring phased stages of regathering. Communities are thinking about recovery and what the "next normal" will look like. By the way, there are two helpful images we have been hearing to [...]
We are two months into ministering during a pandemic. Some ACNA congregations have now regathered on Sundays for a few weeks. Others anticipate regathering over the summer or even waiting until the fall. The novelty of digital ministry has worn off, but we also see ongoing opportunities. Looking back at the past week, there were a number of ACNA webinars, [...]
Student ministry is best when it is embodied. Student ministry is the smell in the basement after you and a dozen teenagers played some active games. It’s the sound of voice cracks as unashamed 15-year-old boys sing to Jesus. It’s taking communion together at the end of a mission trip and laying hands on seniors to pray for them at [...]
Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger came highly recommended. Last year, I received a copy of the book from Archbishop Foley Beach. He had read it and found it so helpful that he sent each rector in our Diocese (ADOTS) a copy of the book. The premise of the book focuses on Christian leadership in [...]
I was glad to have our friend Ed Stetzer join us and provide some insight and clarity for the decision that many people in the church (Rectors, Bishops, and members of the Vestry) are going to have to make. The video replay is here (on The Evergreen Project Youtube Channel). It should be watched and replayed for all Vestry members [...]
Some days I sit in my armchair, wrapped in a blanket and catch myself dreaming––when we’re back… when things are normal… when… But then I do something wild and crazy like venture out of my house to get groceries, and it all comes flooding back. Normal is over. So what happens next as we move forward into some place we’ve [...]
During the stay-at-home-order, I was able to interview my wife Victoria, who is a grief counselor and who continues to provide support to clients during this crisis. Victoria Goebel, LMSW, is a Bereavement Counselor at Crossroads Hospice of Atlanta. She is a graduate of the Masters in Social Work program at the University of Georgia. What is grief? Grief is [...]
For reasons that only the Google gods know, the blog post I wrote last year on preaching a Mother’s Day sermon was a hit. However, it was written before the days of the new "abnormal," and now needs to be updated. But the question is still valid. “Should you preach a Mother’s Day sermon?” In a word, yes. This year, [...]
Are we at the beginning of the end? The end of the beginning? What is the new normal? Or, as Mark Cuban mentioned a few weeks ago, what is the 'new abnormal'? It is time for churches to come back together for worship? How? When? What is at stake? The primary conversation right now for church leaders is about the [...]
The decision about reopening churches for public worship is not an easy one. There are so many things to pray through and discuss with leaders and members. As the country begins to open up, what are the things that leaders and congregations should consider? How can we balance the desire to return to worship life as we knew it with [...]
