Twenty-five years ago we entered a new millennium with a ton of hysteria! Much could be written about that time, but my thoughts in this season go to the fact that hardly anybody I knew, talked to, or heard ever said anything about 2025, the day and age in which we live now. In that day, 2025 seemed…
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If you have ever attended a Prepare to Plant training (formerly Church Planting Bootcamp), you’ve heard about creating strategies. God has given us a mission – to make disciples, and to live out that mission requires intentionality and planning. Or, to put it another way, our mission requires a strategy. Actually, it requires several strategies.…
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Recently, when on the road traveling in the district, I checked into the hotel I was staying at one night. There was a new person behind the counter, even though I’ve stayed at that hotel literally dozens of times through the years. I had my license and credit card ready when I checked in. The person…
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By the time you read this column, our national Election Day will have passed — and we still might not know who has won the Presidency and has control of the House and Senate. Pundits and prognosticators have said depending on who is ahead there could be rounds and rounds of challenges so that some election results might…
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Years ago I read a brief article that resurfaces in my mind occasionally. Recently, I was mulling over some things and I looked for this particular article and amazingly I found it in my files. It is entitled, Ten Questions To Ask To Make Sure You’re Still Growing. Every time I read it and think about it my heart…
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I love football! I don’t get to watch much anymore as I am on the road most weekends. With satellite technology, however, I do get to listen to a few games as I travel around our District on Sundays, Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. When I was a kid, college football was played only on Saturday and the NFL was…
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Recently I was visiting with one of our RMD pastors and the conversation drifted to the all too familiar “summertime slump” in Sunday attendance. As we discussed potential reasons why and possible ways to address it, he shared with me something that his church is doing to respond to this trend. It was such a…
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Never. What an interesting word. Looking this word up in various dictionaries, you’ll find definitions like: not ever, at no time not in any degree, not under any condition certainly not; by no means; in no case An interesting phrase that sometimes gets bandied about is “Never say never.” Usually when that phrase is used,…
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Recently, I was visiting with a layperson in one of our churches who I have had much interaction with over the past twelve years. He had heard we had been re-elected to a fourth four-year term and was expressing “his condolences” as he put it, haha. He went on to say, “I bet you’ll have…
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As I wrap up the busy spring ministry schedule and head into a change of pace for summer, I’m looking forward to processing some of the events, reading, and discussions that I’ve experienced over the last few months. High atop the list of things that are on my mind are the following two ideas. #1…
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