Did you know that all kids grow up with an understanding that love has conditions? The love they receive is often directly related to what they do (or don’t do), what they say (or don’t say), or what they believe (or don’t believe). The simple fact of that matter is, that while we as Christ…
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At the end of a calendar year it’s easy to forget important church administrative tasks because, well, they only happen once a year. Here is a quick list of the most common items* that every church will need to ensure are handled as they move into 2021. W2s. All church employees, including pastors, should receive a W2. Because…
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I’m big on goals (more about that here) and I bet you are, too. After a year like we just had, one might be tempted to throw up hands and not bother to make goals 2021. Sure, 2020 was not what any of us predicted, but many people accomplished more than we expected to. And we…
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January is a great time to take a fresh look at things. Often in our church buildings, we forget to look around with the eyes of a visitor. After a year like 2020, my guess is that your building could use a fresh set of eyes. Let me encourage you to take a few minutes…
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One of the critical areas of self-leadership is leading your own personal growth. For some of us, the time between Christmas and New Year’s is a time of reflection as we prepare to start the new year. In October, I challenged you to discern 2021 goals for your church, this month I’m asking you to focus…
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Don’t you love the story of the birth of Jesus? For me it’s like a favorite blanket I get out every Christmas to wrap myself in. It’s familiar, it’s traditional, and it’s one of my favorite stories. If you’re like me, you’ve most likely heard it so often you could recite Luke 2 without even…
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Several years ago DreamWorks released a movie titled Rise of the Guardians. It’s a decent movie in which some traditional fictional characters – the guardians of children – battle against a sinister villain who eventually… well, I won’t spoil it. But that is only the secondary plot. The primary plot of the story is the acceptance of a new…
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Recently I was re-reading Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi. Since high school days I have always enjoyed this three page powerhouse of a letter. The Spirit of God never fails to use some part of this letter to challenge, encourage, convict or motivate my soul when I read it. God’s Word truly is…
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Some of you may recall that about this time last year we sent a video out introducing you to the Alliance’s Strategic Giving Opportunities Guide. This collection of Alliance missions projects reads much like a World Vision charitable gift catalog and provides a great way for people to match their personal passions with concrete projects…
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I’ve been talking to many pastors and individual families recently who are dealing with quarantine and new shutdowns and restrictions. It seems especially hard as we look ahead to the Advent season. Perhaps, like me, you’re grieving the sense of normalcy that typically comes with the traditions of the Christmas season. It’s hard to imagine…
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