Live long and prosper
The Church World
Depravity–Do you too know it well?
Nov 19th
Let me start this post by warning you–I’m sure this will be much longer than a typical blog post. I would like to flesh out a series of thoughts I’ve had recently. I would appreciate anyone’s feedback to what you read. These thoughts have originated because of two separate events in my life recently. One…
Thanks, Marko
Nov 14th
I would like to be the first (even though I may not be the first) to say “Congrats, Marko!” on your recent firing/release from President of Youth Specialties by their parent company, Zondervan. While many others are offering their condolences, I can’t help but want to throw a party for the latest person in ministry…
New Worship Song Tops All Charts!
Oct 27th
News has been made once again with the newest release from the Anathema/Killsong worship company. Their latest release has worship leaders all around the country jumping with joy. Why? “For so many worship songs, there’s just this disconnect with the audience. They don’t get into it–they can’t relate to the words. It’s like a foreign…
What Doesn’t Impress Me About Your Thriving Church
Oct 24th
The hundreds or thousands of people who’ve decided to pick your church to attend. How smooth your worship services are executed. The modern facilities you’ve developed. The focus of God bettering your life that your church baits its congregants with week after week. You’ve got programs for every age group (Infant Bible Quiz) and every…
Churches Who Duel, part 2
Oct 14th
If you’re going to be a church who duels the world, you actually need to be a church who duels the church world. Because all too often, churches reflect the values of society rather than standing out as a light to society. As a youth pastor, I have found that much of youth ministry out…
Churches Who Duel
Oct 3rd
Some churches out there aren’t willing to engage or confront the world/culture. Others take up the challenge. Those who refuse to do so are becoming increasingly irrelevant. For those who take up the challenge, I offer a metaphor. Imagine going into a duel…would you want to have a weapon (sword, gun, whatever) that is superior…
I find it hard to worship when…
Sep 29th
1. Everything is so loud that you can’t hear yourself or any of the congregation singing, even if they are. Makes it feel like a concert, not a congregational worship time. We really aren’t adding anything. 2. The music is all clappy-happy. We often seem to gloss over the fact that we are singing to…
Testimony Time!
Sep 13th
At the beginning of youth, I always ask students to compete for the most amazing story of the week that happened to them. The winner receives an “Infuse” (Gatorade knockoff) drink, because our youth ministry is named “iNFUSE!” Tonight, one of the students shared that she became a Christian this week on Thursday night because…
How to do church
Sep 11th
My church spends a lot of time trying to figure this out. We’ve tried this and that, and all of it sounds good. Yet, I am convinced that processes, formulas, whatever you want to call them really aren’t as near as important as the church being who it is supposed to be. We focus quite…
