Category: Ministry
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Women Pastors Changed My Life
“Could you even imagine working for a woman pastor?” This question was once directed at me by a male Senior Pastor as he relayed his stance on women serving in ministry positions. I will never forget the look of pure amazement that must have been on my face as I…
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Why No American Flags in Worship on Sundays?
Why no American flags on Sundays in churches? This question always seems to rise to the forefront on weekends like this one. The answer is quite simple: because Sundays are about worshipping Jesus, not America or any other entity. On the ‘high’ American holidays we can give thanks for our…
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Christians, Give Yourself Permission to Mourn This Easter
Easter Sunday is generally a day of light for Christian churches. We sing songs of joy, exclaim that “he is risen” and celebrate the risen Jesus that brings us all together. Often, Easter Sunday is one of the highest attended Sundays. Many churches find their pews/chairs full of congregants ––…
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I Don’t Know What I’m Doing | Pastoral Reflections on COVID-19
Just over three months ago I became head Pastor of a church, my first pastorate. The first few months went very well as I got to know the people in our congregation, became adjusted to crafting weekly sermons, and began to adjust to the rhythms of the congregation. Things were…
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Find Your Community: A Call to Ministers to Not Walk Alone
Ministry can be a lonely place. For those who carry the title ‘minister,’ this reality is not a surprise. When you spend your day-to-day work pouring much of what you have into other people, there is often little left over for your own existence. I have served as minister for…
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Engaging the “Other” Young Adults in Our Congregations
What if, in our journey to reach college-aged young adults, we’re missing the “other” young adults that are already in our midst– and who are ready to lead? Over the last 8 years, I have worked with college-aged young adults both in the church and on campus. Over that…
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The Pilgrimage from Graduate Sunday: 7 Ideas for Congregations to Stay Connected
Yesterday, in many churches across the nation, high school seniors donned their cap and gown and “crossed the stage” of our sanctuaries. The service framed by their achievement, the sermon charged their future, and the gifts celebrated that they’d made it to the end of one great journey, and to…
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At the Intersection of Death and Love | Reflections on Ash Wednesday
Today is an odd day. On the one hand, today is Ash Wednesday: a day we focus on the finality of death, the realization that our lives are short and headed toward an end. But, juxtaposed against that, is that today is also Valentine’s Day: a day we celebrate the…
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Campus Ministry During the Summer
“What DO you do when students are gone for summer break?” It’s a question that every Campus Minister is inevitably asked at some point or another. It’s true that a Campus Minister’s schedule changes as students pack up their dorm rooms, load up their cars, and drive off to other…
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The Open Doors of Ash Wednesday
The doors are open. It’s not odd for this to be true because it is, after all, an unusually warm day for March 1. I approach and enter them with wonder: at their openness, and at what is to come inside. We gather in the pews, preparing ourselves for the…