By Brian Foreman “If you should ask me about the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is humility. Not that there are no other precepts to give, but if humility does not precede all that we do, our efforts are fruitless” (St. … Continue reading
By Brian Foreman In Kenyatta Gilbert’s The Journey and Promise of African American Preaching (Creative Pastoral Care and Counseling), 2011, three pillars of preaching styles are described – prophetic, priestly and sage. A likely challenge for many clergy and congregations is their comfort level with one particular style. One of preaching’s great challenges is that … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed It seems like every issue in our culture is contentious these days, and it’s not much different in the church. Ideas and practices that once seemed like foregone conclusions are now up for debate. That unsettledness is not totally a bad thing. It means that we are learning and discerning, then applying … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed Thirty years ago, author and radio talk show host Gary Chapman published his first book on the five love languages. While the initial volume was geared toward helping romantic partners deepen their understanding of one another, Chapman has expanded the use of his love languages to parent-child relationships, friendships and even to … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed For a long time there has been commonly-held wisdom about church size dynamics and the role of the pastor at each church size: The family size church has fewer than 50 people, with most of them related to one another. This congregation experiences little numerical growth because it is difficult for visitors … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed Over the course of their vocational lives, many pastors find themselves charged with leading a church staff. This is not only true for senior pastors, but associate pastors can also function in the same way within their more specialized ministry areas. The supervisory role is challenging. Most pastors enter ministry expecting to … Continue reading
By Laura Stephens-Reed In A Path to Belonging: Overcoming Clergy Loneliness, leadership specialists Mary Kay DuChene and Mark Sundby raise the red flag that loneliness among clergy, a stress response to not having adequate levels of social connection, is epidemic. This was true before the pandemic, but our need to distance ourselves physically during the … Continue reading
By Kristy Bay Reverend Co’Relous Bryant first felt the call to the Gospel ministry at 12-years-old. He grew up immersed in an independent Fundamentalist Southern Baptist church in northern Florida. While he felt called to pastor, his idea of a minister was different from the pastoral figures in his childhood faith. “My favorite image of … Continue reading
By Rev. Laura-Stephens Reed When your pastor leaves your church, it is normal find yourself dealing with confusion and anxiety. Among the many questions you might ask is, “Who will lead our congregation while we look for a long-term leader?” It can feel personally and collectively de-stabilizing not to have a steady presence in the … Continue reading
By Rev. Laura Stephens-Reed Back in the 1990s, when I was a teenager, youth ministry was relatively straightforward. My peers and I met for junior high and high school Sunday school and then attended worship. We came back on Sunday evenings for a less formal worship service and youth group (which often involved outings such … Continue reading