One of the earliest guides for pastors, the Book of Titus, tells a church leader to address drinking problems in the church, to instruct people “not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine” (Titus 2:3). The need hasn’t changed much. The National Institutes of Health estimate that 17.6 million people—about one in every 12…
Ten Thoughts for the Mother’s Day Sermon
Motherhood is one of the most fundamental human roles, given by God and knit into our DNA. Hallmark’s calendar doesn’t dictate our preaching, but this particular holiday seems worth some attention. Some Mother’s Day Sermon tips are listed below and can be developed into whole sermons; others are just words of advice. Use this list to…
Should You Seek Life in the Ministry?
Actually, let me make my purpose clear: you should consider life in the ministry. Being an Anglican, my assumption is that you will be thoroughly vetted: various discernment committees, a whole string of approvals and mentoring from your Bishop and your Rector, seminary, psychological exams and ordination exams. The fact is, one does not ordain…
2 Reasons Why You Should Use Social Media if You’re in Student Ministry
I work with college students and so, like it or not, I have to deal with social media. Over the years, I have resisted being saturated in the world of the ghost, the gram, the book, and the bird, but my tech-savvy students keep dragging me back into virtual spaces I find nearly impossible to…
3 Ways to Make Singleness a Win for the Gospel
The Church needs to see more Christians faithfully walking out lifetime singleness for the sake of the kingdom (AKA “celibacy”). That witness helps the Church grasp the hope of the gospel and begin living into the reality of the kingdom today. No witness to this hope is more moving than that of Christ himself. Jesus…
Why Collaborative Ministry? An Australian’s Story
In the early 2000’s, about four years into my ministry as an Anglican Priest, I started to seriously doubt my leadership capacities and probably came close to slipping into depression. I had been working in a series of financially struggling parishes with small congregations. Although I’d been given pretty good formation as a “minister of…
Real-World Anglican: Training Leaders to Answer the Questions They’ll Actually Hear!
Although it’s still a very rough draft, I’m sharing the following idea (from Kevin Miller, Rector of Church of the Savior in Wheaton, IL) because we’d like your input as we develop this approach to pastoral education/formation! We’ve got a problem At least here in the States, we have many people who enter Anglicanism from…
A Story of Faithfulness from the Bayou: A Presbyterian/Anglican Church Merger
Here’s the incredible end of the story: A Presbyterian church merges with an Anglican church. When I came to Lafayette, Louisiana to talk to the leadership of Trinity Anglican Church about strategy and mission, I only knew a few details of the remarkable work that God had been doing in and for these people. I…
The Good Shepherd Economy
Churches desire to grow, as well they should. We are, after all, followers of the Great Commission. We desire for more people to come to know and proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom. However, when church leaders want to focus on growth, they often make a crucial mistake. Our focus is often on getting people…
10 Ways to Preach the Easter Sunday Sermon
Talk about pressure—the Resurrection is the biggest event in the history of the world. Individuals and families who rarely darken the doors of a church will find their way into your sanctuary on Easter. While our culture has morphed the moment into lilies, butterflies, eggs, and bunnies, people still desire to hear this story. And why not?…
Five Awkward Questions Your Church Needs to Answer (Part Four)
So far, we’ve talked about awkward questions that boil down to money. And surely, money can be an uncomfortable topic to tackle. Who should have access to the giving records? How much should we pay the pastor? Does the pastor need a retirement fund? Toss those questions out in your next board or Vestry meeting…
Five Awkward Questions Your Church Needs to Answer (Part Three)
The awkward questions are easy to ignore, but leaders can’t shy away from topics that have the potential to cripple ministry if left unaddressed. What goes unspoken can create divisions and spread distrust. If you haven’t caught up, here’s what we’ve discussed: Now, we turn to the future. For some, it’s a looming question that…
