The People Problem in Gospel Work

Paul and Barnabas’s split over Mark reminds us that even devoted believers can clash, but God can still use the fallout for greater mission impact. Later, Paul’s restored relationship with Mark shows how grace, growth, and unity can heal what once was broken.

How to Handle Team Frustration

No matter how strong your team is, conflict will eventually surface, and how you handle it will define your effectiveness together. Whether the issue is someone being wrong, weird, or weak, responding with grace and biblical wisdom is key to restoring unity.

Essentials to Join a Ministry Team

Understanding that the task is immense and that the warfare is unavoidable, you must consider how to put yourself in the best situation possible. Your ministry setting will have enough challenges that you don’t need to accept known unnecessary ones.

There’s Not a Perfect Team

We won’t advance the frontiers of mission by enabling soft Christians who are skittish at the hint of conflict. While you need to be in a good ministry setting, you will not find a perfect team.

Reactions in Relationships

Ministry teams are wonderful blessings if you know how to work well with others. The potential conflicts go both ways, and you must consider who you are to determine who you need to be around.

Why You’re Not Helping People

Every person you encounter today is going through multiple situations, positive or negative, of which you are probably unaware. In light of the knowledge of such ignorance, we must evaluate where someone is before we attempt to help them get where they need to be.

Why Is Ministry So Stressful?

When you undertake the work of any ministry, opposition will rise due to the nature of what you seek to accomplish. Oftentimes, the stress originates from interpersonal drama.

Ministry Service: From Obligations to Opportunities

1 Corinthians 12:4-7 – While guilt or pressure can be successful motivators to get us to serve, we ought to minister to others in line with our giftings and passions. In those meaningful positions, those obligations turn into opportunities.

Help for the Homeless that Actually Helps

When we often encounter people who are homeless, our reaction is typically to look away so that we don’t feel the pressure to do anything about it. As followers of Jesus, we must be like Him and embrace those in need rather than ignoring them.

Loving Others to Love God

Our love for others validates our love for God. It reveals our genuine spiritual condition. You can express your devotion to God through the songs you sing, the prayers you pray, and the verses you promote, but if you can’t love God’s children, He questions your ability to love Him. 

Kid’s Ministry Considerations

Churches must consider how to best structure environments so kids can learn to follow Jesus better. Consider how you structure your content and context as you minister to them.

The Atrocity of Selfish Christianity

If you listen to the way many Christians talk today, we sound so different from the way Jesus expected us to live and serve others. Instead of making it about Him and others, we make it all about becoming as comfortable as possible.

6 Tips for Preschool Ministry

A preschool’s ministry in a church is more than glorified babysitting. Consider these tips as you intentionally invest in the youngest people in your church family.

Family Ministry Considerations

We organize our next-generation ministries under one umbrella because we do not want to silo individual efforts away from others. While some of our approaches vary due to the ages, the overall strategy is the same and unified.

“You Be You” Is Horrible Advice

We live in a world that encourages you to be you; the phrase implies that you should just live however you want. In all honesty, I can’t think of a more dangerous set of instructions to incorporate as you try to succeed at what God has called you to do.

Ministry

Jesus’ ministry only lasted three years, but the effect of it has completely changed history. In studying the critical components of his ministry, we can better ascertain the purpose for which he came. 

If You’ve Got Good Leaders in Your Church

While no human leader is perfect, we should consider ourselves blessed to have godly leaders charting our path. If a minister is following Christ, it shouldn’t be a struggle to follow the one at the front of the pack heading in a Godward direction.

My 2023 in 23 Photos

It is difficult to summarize all that happens in life, family, ministry, and church within a year, but I wanted to try. Looking back helps me see God’s faithful hand all along the way.

Top Posts of 2023

Out of 260 posts, these 10 connected the most in 2023. I pray they can encourage you as well.

Pursuing Alignment

In the midst of many opportunities for spiritual growth, we can lack a needed sense of alignment. What if we are guilty of widespread efforts that only provide shallow understanding? Focus might be the component we’ve been missing.

Ministry Matters (Entrust Conference 2024)

We are excited to host our second annual Entrust Conference, “Ministry Matters: Learning to Help One Another.” In ministering to one another, we meet others’ needs and encourage personal growth.

Intentional Encouragement

While we all need to be encouraged, we all don’t need to be encouraged in the same way. Depending upon how we are wired and what is happening, we need something different from those around us.

Dressed in His Righteousness Alone

Exodus 28:1-29:46 – God provided precise instructions regarding His expectations of the priests’ covering and consecration. As a kingdom of priests, our hope is being clothed in the righteousness of a perfect sacrifice.

Family Ministry Rules & Responses

How should church leaders and ministry volunteers interact with misbehaving children and questioning parents? You’re not helping anyone if you don’t address the issues, but there are wiser ways to do so.

4 Things God Has Called You to Be

We often have dreams of what we can accomplish and deal with what others pressure us to become, but what about God’s desires? Here are four things God has called you to be.

The Real Heroes of Student Camp

The real heroes of a student camp aren’t the people on the stage but the chaperones driving the church vans. Here are some tangible ways to continue making an impact once you get home.

5 Critical Values for a Church Staff

Your church’s health is not only significantly influenced by the maturity of its staff, but its effectiveness is primarily determined by the values that motivate them. Here are five values that can help ground your staff on biblical ministry as a church.

My 2022 in 22 Pictures

How do you summarize a year in the life of an individual, family, and calling? I went through the archives and decided that the best way to do it was by sharing 22 pictures that best summarize what God did around me in 2022.

When We All Know Our Roles

Nehemiah 11:1-36 – The people of God organized their efforts and installed leaders in critical areas. When we all know our roles, we are better if we serve according to our giftedness and others’ requirements.

Why Pastors Should Post

Pastors can approach social media platforms as available pulpits by which to point others to Jesus. If they are growing personally, they should look for opportunities to share what they are learning.

When Everyone Is Accounted For

Nehemiah 7:1-73 – As the workers prepared to settle into the land, Nehemiah assembled them to ensure all were covered. When everyone is accounted for among the people of God, we can rest knowing that we all have others watching out for us.

When We Work Together

Nehemiah 3:1-32 – As the work on the wall began, Nehemiah organized the people into specific groups to accomplish the greater task. When we work together as the people of God, we can marvel at the progress He intentionally makes among us.