Stand in Their Shoes
Where you stand determines what you see! This was the challenge given at the recent Church Summit I attended hosted by McCrindle Research and NCLS (National Church Life Survey). Both these organizations have done extensive research on church life and culture in Australia, and by listening to them one has lots to learn. This chal...
I love using crock-pots! These slow-cookers are ingenious. In the morning you pile it full of whatever you want to have for dinner at night. And slowly but surely after many hours the dinner is ready to be enjoyed. The food is always delicious, tender, and full of flavour. But that is not all. Throughout the enti...
Vision never really becomes a reality until there is alignment. And the key to alignment is the hub. I know that from the number of motorcycle rebuilds I have done. We all know about the importance of the rubber tyres. When the rubber hits the road we are moving along. And the rim to which the rubber is attached keep...
Sometimes in life you just got to do a rethink! I did a rethink when I was studied for the ordained ministry. My course of training was headed toward a study steeped in biblical exegesis. My goal was set! I wanted to know the Bible inside and out so I could teach people in the churches I would serve. It was a great ...
I was pleased to read recently that a retired colleague and his wife have just finished three months of ministry in a ‘vacant’ church in New Zealand. From all reports they enjoyed their time in Kiwi-land and their ministry there was a blessing. Opportunities for ongoing ministry are there not only for those of us who are ordained pastors. When my f...
Many people try to climb the ladder of success. But what about the ladder of prayer? This is a model of praying that I learned from Alvin Vander Griend in his book Love to Pray. As churches we are committed to PRAY that there will be such an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that people will manifest a godly life! In my...
Success is more than a suburb in Western Australia. It is something that everybody wants to achieve! People measure success in terms of accomplishing specific results. It might be wealth, prestige, happiness, or power. When I think of the pastors I coach and the churches I partner with, I want them to be successful. But how do you measu...
I have a rule when using an axe: never chop a piece of wood on a rock. My grandson Jack knows this rule. And now he knows why. He admitted to me after a recent camping trip that he did something he knew he should not do. He used grandpa's small axe to chop some kindling wood. And he did it on a rock. The sharp...
