I do not remember exactly what I was saying on Saturday when the picture above was taken, but I was clearly animated! (Please no caption contests!) In any event, I had a great time speaking at the Anglican Diocese of the South Mission Matters 2019 Conference and Synod this past weekend. I spoke with numerous…
David Roseberry is the founder of LeaderWorks and the LeaderWorks Trust, equipping churches and clergy for faithful and effective ministry. He writes regularly on Substack at The Anglican, where he reflects on faith, leadership, and the Anglican tradition.
David is the author of several books for Anglican pastors and leaders, including The Rector, the Vestry, and the Bishop.
What Are We Missing? Ministry and Moral Failure
I know of a very talented ordained priest and colleague of mine who left his ministry; he was removed from the ordained ministry altogether. His bishop removed him. There was something he did to which he confessed, and he is no longer a priest. I do not know the details. I don’t need to know….
Rectors, Can You Land These Planes?
I live on the flight path for DFW. The planes are a few miles above my home as they make their final approach and landing. Sometimes, at dusk, on a cool fall evening, when the mist is gone and the fading sunset is just right, I can see up to seven planes at once. The…
Paying the Pastor: How to Figure Out Compensation for Clergy
As the Evergreen Project continues to create, collect, and curate the best resources for a thriving church, the issue of clergy compensation is unavoidable. About a year ago, I wrote an article about this topic as part of a series on Awkward Church Questions. That means it is time to look at this issue again…
Pledge Cards, pt. 2: Additional Factors to Consider
As the Evergreen Project continues to create, collect, and curate the best resources for a thriving church, the issue of pledge cards comes quickly to the front of the line. Recently, we addressed the base level question of whether congregations should use an annual pledge card system as a best practice for regular giving. We…
Pledge Cards: To Have or To Hold
This post is part of an ongoing conversation about generosity and stewardship in conjunction with The Evergreen Project’s fall campaign, “The Joy of Giving Up.” As the Evergreen Project continues to create, collect, and curate the best resources for a thriving church, the issue of pledge cards comes quickly to the front of the line….
Don’t Ignore These Important Trends in Church Giving and Attendance
Recently, I presented a webinar on general trends in attendance and generosity across the United States and Canada for clergy and vestry / lay leadership. The webinar was part of the ongoing training related to the The Evergreen Project and our Fall Program – The Joy of Giving Up. Rooted in a vision of flourishing…
How to Become a Generous Church
“Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you” (Deuteronomy 16:17). The Joy of Giving Up will introduce one single idea to the people of your church. It is not my original idea. I have not heard it from anyone that I have ever met…
Money Well Spent: Why Your Church Should Consider the Joy of Giving Up
The first sermon I ever heard on stewardship was called “The Sermon on the Amount”. It was classic. And bad! It was spoken by a young layperson who had been commissioned by the Sr. Warden to “say a few words.” It was mercifully short. It was truly apologetic, in the bad sense of the word….
What They are Saying about Pentecost
“Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit’s power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power.” – J. Hudson Taylor “It is the…
Should You Preach a Father’s Day Sermon on Father’s Day?
We all know that Mother’s Day has a special place in American culture. I wrote about whether a pastor should preach a “Mother’s Day message,” and it was a popular post. I will address the same subject about Father’s Day…but I do not expect to generate a similar amount of interest! But it is as…
All Should, Some Must, Few Do: A Letter to ACNA Rectors
The Evergreen Project is a fresh approach to addressing one of the most difficult questions in ministry: How can pastors talk about stewardship, generosity, and money with the people they are trying to serve and lead? The subject fills pastors with dread and congregations with skepticism. Isn’t the priest supposed to feed the sheep, not…
