Blogs
To avoid spiritual abuse church leaders should do this
“The church in her leaders who wish to avoid falling into acts of spiritual abuse may want to consider the following preventative steps:”
What Is the Nature of Pastoral Authority? — A Presbyterian Perspective
“In short, the nature of pastoral authority in Presbyterianism is both informal (in dozens of areas, from preaching, to casting vision, to having a broad understanding of the issues in the church, to making lots of daily decisions), formal (as a member and moderator of the Session), and shared (as only one voice and one vote when it comes to making the most important decisions facing the courts of the church).”
Has the Church Hurt You?
“For those who find their faith mangled in a head-on collision with the church, like a totaled car on the highway, what is the way forward? In between “I guess I’ll just wait things out” and “I’m leaving for good” are five realities that frame our wounds, bring them into a better light, and help us take the next steps. ”
Reader Survey Finds Unprepared Students a Persistent Problem
For the fourth consecutive year, Faculty Focus readers identified students who come to class unprepared as their biggest day-to-day challenge. Staying with students here’s a new book that answers the question, Must All Graduates Wander Aimlessly in Their Twenties? And when it comes to apply for jobs here’s an article by a hiring manager: I Review Hundreds Of Cover Letters–Here’s What I Instantly Reject
Columns from Tabletalk Magazine, October 2016
A sample of columns in October’s Tabletalk.
What are 10 things that might help a pastor and his wife stay married and in ministry?
“Marriage is hard enough, but add ministry into the mix and you have a recipe for a potential mess. My work with pastors and their families cause me to see a lot of the messiness that exists in pastor’s homes. There’s plenty of the same mess in my own home. The combined stress of marriage in ministry is a unique situation that demands an intentionality to keep a marriage or ministry from imploding. ”
Reach Out To Women Like Me With Postpartum Depression
“Let’s discuss what postpartum depression really looks like, by sharing our experiences with the new and expectant mothers in our lives. Let’s confront the doubt and denial head on, together, so that another mom doesn’t shrug off her symptoms as “not that bad” until it’s too late for her and her family.”
3 Mistakes to Avoid When Helping the Hurting
“Here are three mistakes we tend to make when we’re genuinely trying to help the hurting, and some suggestions for how to redirect our efforts: ”
Kindle Books
Tried by Fire: The Story of Christianity’s First Thousand Years $2.99.
Tyndale: The Man Who Gave God an English Voice $0.99.
Praying Backwards: Transform Your Prayer Life by Beginning in Jesus Name by Bryan Chappel $0.99.
The Colson Way: Loving Your Neighbor and Living with Faith in a Hostile World by Owen Strachan $0.99
Videos
For the Church Conference
A series of videos from Midwestern Seminary on the pastor as theologian, as preacher, as shepherd, as family man, and as leader