Category: Church Leadership
What if You Were Preston’s Teacher?
His Sunday school teacher just might have driven him to crime. When seven-year-old Preston Scarbrough woke up early one Sunday morning in July 2009, he just didn’t want to go to church. He slipped out of the house while his family slept, got in the car...
The Theology of Coloring
I learned how to teach Sunday school from the women who taught me as a child. We’d go to class, sing a few songs, repeat a memory verse, listen to a Bible story with a moralistic application and then get out the big box of broken,...
Vacation Bible School: Do’s and Don’ts
Months of planning precede it. A line item in the church’s budget often funds it. Most churches hosting it see these few days every year as a prime opportunity to evangelize children. For some, it’s the most tiring event of the year. Of course, I’m talking...
Vacation Bible School and the Doctrine of Hell
Vacation Bible School (VBS) was nearly upon us, and the children’s ministry workers had gathered for a final preparatory meeting. Anticipation filled the room as we eagerly awaited the opportunity to minister to the precious little souls that the Lord would send our way. Thankfully, we...
The Pastor Search Process: Do You Know How to Pick a Pastor?
In many churches, the process of finding a pastor first involves securing a large number of resumes and sifting through each man’s credentials. Once a few have been selected, the “search committee” checks references, makes necessary phone calls, conducts interviews, and eventually recommends a candidate to...
Scoffer, Slacker, Seeker, or Saint? – A Spiritual Census for Teens
Every ten years in America a survey called a census is taken to determine the current number of U.S. residents. Other information is also obtained and used to paint an up-to-date economic, political, and religious portrait of our society. What if a census were taken in...
If You Want to be a Leader
It is in the heart of many of us to lead. There is something inside of us that longs to help people move forward. If our motivations are right and this is not just for selfish gain or human recognition, it is usually a desire that...
I Wish You Hadn’t Said That! : Guidelines for Speaking Correctly in Small Groups
I know you’ve been there. It’s prayer request time in your small group meeting and someone says something that makes you squirm. “I think we should all be praying for Jane. She’s been on my heart lately. She told me confidentially . . . “ “We...
How to Use Your Pastors for All They’re Worth
Do you take advantage of your pastors? Pastors (also called “elders” in Scripture) are assigned the role of leading the local church, and they are invested by God with the authority commensurate with this responsibility. History has taught us that following a leader can be frighteningly...
How to Become a Christian: A Letter to Teenagers in Good Churches
To teenagers in good churches, I want to tell you how to become a Christian. Like you, I grew up in churches. Not just churches, but good churches. There was real Bible study, real community, real thoughtfulness. I also grew up in a Christian family. Not...
