Why Your Pastor Is Busy
Does it ever seem like your pastor or team of pastors is busy? I mean, what do they do all day anyway? Don’t they just read the Bible, pray, and send out an email or two? In this post, I point to the complexities of the pastoral role through the many hats they wear and what that means for pastors and their people.
Church Ministry is Important, But Not Everything. There’s a Difference
I have an obsessive personality. While this trait helps me to do things with passion and focus, there’s a downside: I can quickly lose perspective and treat one thing as everything. But it’s important for church leaders and pastors to put church ministry in perspective: Church ministry is significant, but it should not be the singular thing.
Why Your Anxiety Needs to Be Managed Before You Lead Others
Spiritual leaders carry a burden. We walk in a constant tension between the peace of God and a godly burden. But how this burden is managed can make all the difference for our people and our own leadership capacity.
My Stress, My Smartphone, and My Soul - Learnings From Being Phoneless For a Few Days
According to a 2017 research study, those who always check their smartphones reported higher levels of stress compared to those who spent less time interacting with their devices. In this post, I share about being phoneless for a few days and the things I was reminded of.
Here’s How To Know If the Church You Attend is Missional
How can I know if my church is missional? The answer lies not by looking at your church’s vision or mission statement (no matter how beautifully crafted). It’s also not by pointing to your church’s outreach events (though they can be helpful). I believe there is a more surprising and sure indicator for whether your church is missional.
Why Pain (Inflicted by Another Leader in Ministry) Can Be a Gift for a Church Leader
One of the greatest pains in ministry is the pain inflicted by our partners and teammates in ministry. You’ve heard the stories. What good could come of it? In this post, I highlight an invaluable embedded gift under the crucible of this kind of leadership pain.
What’s the Difference Between the Small Church Pastor and the Large Church Pastor? (The Answer May Surprise You)
Is the pastor of a larger church more gifted or godlier than the small church pastor? Is the small church pastor more humble and theologically sound than the pastor of a large church? What is the exact difference between the two? In this post, I explore the key difference.
What Are the Differences Between the Seasoned & the Unseasoned Pastor?
What are the differences between seasoned and unseasoned pastors? In this blog, I make 5 observations about seasoned bosses and influencers I’ve had the privilege of interacting with and learning from. I also share practical ways younger pastors can learn from seasoned pastors.
To All My Former College Students
In this post, I share an open letter to the many college students I was privileged to shepherd over the last 7.5 years of college ministry. This is a letter of thanks, gratitude, and a reminder to think about God’s grace.
What I’ll Miss About College Ministry
One of my mentors once told me to stay in college ministry for as long as possible. I took his advice to heart and I’m glad I did so. The last 7.5 years of college ministry were some of the most rewarding times of ministry in a local church context. In this post, I share 7 things I’ll miss about college ministry.
Why We Moved to a New City During a Pandemic (After Having Our 4th Child) - Believing in the Role of Proximity to the Local Church
It wasn’t a haphazard or emotional decision. My wife and I had known it was a possibility for over a year, had multiple key discussions along the way, and had prayed through it for months. But in September of 2020, less than 4 months after having our 4th child, we packed our bags and moved to a new city. This post is about the growing conviction that drove that decision.
Workflow Rhythms for Pastors to Consider for the Health of their Church, Family, and their Souls
As pastors engage in the daily grind to be faithful to their people, they can fall into the trap where the very effort to manage one’s duties can result in a pastor being managed by them which can be to the detriment of their church, family, and their own souls. In this post, I explore a workflow rhythm for sustainable health and holistic life integration.
Why I Believe How A Pastor Transitions May Be a Microcosm of One’s Ministry Tenure
I’ve often heard the quote, “It’s not how you start, but how you finish.” But what if what happens in the middle serves as indicators for how one starts and finishes. In this post, I explore why I believe the manner and way in which a pastor transitions serves as a microcosm of how one operated during one’s ministry tenure.
The Emerging Pastor (or “Christian Influencer”) Who Makes Me Nervous
It can be a beautiful sight when a pastor’s influence (or a Christian’s social media account) takes off. It can be a great benefit to those under their influence and a testament to the power of God. At the same time, I feel a bit nervous when I see a combination of key factors playing out in the life of the leader or influencer. This post examines those factors.
4 Ways A majority culture Church Can Be More Sensitive Towards Its Non-majority culture Members
A diverse church is a beautiful picture of the gospel. But most diverse churches have a majority and a minority culture. In this post, I lay out 4 ways the majority culture of a church can be more sensitive towards its minority members and leaders:
The One Thing Pastors In Their 20’s Should Consider Focusing On (After Character)
Character is king. Nothing matters more than character. But after character, what should pastors in their 20s focus on? In this blog, I make the case that developing one’s skillsets and competencies through rigorous and strenuous work is the next best investment.
20 Things That Became More Clear in 2020
Exactly a year ago, some were saying 2020 would be “the year of 2020 vision.” With the end of 2020 almost here, it’s clear we got much more than what we bargained for. In this final post of 2020, I share 20 things that became more clear this year.
The Elusiveness of the Asian American Faith Expression
Black Christians have the gospel choir and a responsive preaching experience, but what are the distinctive markers for Asian Americans? Is there Asian American worship? Asian American preaching? Is there an Asian American faith expression? And why is it so difficult to answer these questions?
What Does It Mean for a Church to Love Its Neighbor Right Now (During a pandemic)?
I’ve come across comments from certain church leaders saying things along the lines of, “The church should do [fill in the blank] as an act of love for neighbor.” While I appreciate the prophetic posture of these comments, I can’t help but feel that it’s reducing the complexity of our current context and the church’s response to see through an unhelpful tunnel vision. This post seeks to broaden the conversation so that we see it more holistically,
Learnings from Church Planting in a Pandemic
I’m currently a witness to two things happening simultaneously: The development of a baby boy and the development of a baby church on the other. 2020 has been a crazy year so it only makes sense for these two births and subsequent development to happen in the same year. In Part 1 of 2, I share some of the learnings I’ve gleaned from church planting.