Several weeks ago Dave Miller published a post that presented a retrospective of his life. (Undergoing major surgery does give one a different perspective.) I understood Dave’s post to communicate that he wished he had achieved better balance in his life. Certainly, we all want to balance our lives and ministries, but that often proves to be a great challenge. How can we balance our lives? I can still remember my years as a Master of Divinity student at Southwestern Seminary (1972-75). In our homiletics class, the professor said we should spend at least 20 hours study on each … [Read more...] about Finding Balance in Ministry
Find Fresh Sermon Illustrations
I feel somewhat chagrined about submitting a post on sermon illustrations. How can the mundane task of sermon preparation compare with the exciting furors involving the latest convention news? Still, even the most exciting drama on television stops for commercial breaks. When I was a pastor, I estimated that I preached 46 Sundays each year. Our church also had Sunday and Wednesday evening services. So, that made for a significant preaching/teaching load in a given year, not to mention preaching year after year. When I studied at Southwestern Seminary my preaching professor, Dr. Al Fasol, … [Read more...] about Find Fresh Sermon Illustrations
The Role of an Interim Pastor
In my ministry, I’ve had the privilege of serving as an interim pastor at ten churches. Those churches varied from 75 in attendance to 750. Some of the churches were in good shape, while others were in great turmoil. An interim pastor serves as the regular preacher at a church between the tenures of two pastors. My friend, Dr. Bill Whitaker once said to me, “You are really the interim preacher, not the interim pastor.” At some churches that was true; about all I did was preach regularly. However, at some churches I did counseling, consulting with committees, and some visiting in the community … [Read more...] about The Role of an Interim Pastor
Have You “Cleaned” Your Membership Rolls?
As ships pass through the water, they accumulate barnacles. The barnacles can grow to the point that they impede the ship’s speed considerably. Then, the ship must go to a dry dock, where the barnacles are scraped off. Church rolls are like that—they tend to accumulate inactive members who impede the church’s progress. Periodically, churches need to remove barnacle members from their church roll (list of members). William Thornton and I are old enough to remember the time when most churches had two membership rolls: resident members and non-resident members. Today, some churches call these … [Read more...] about Have You “Cleaned” Your Membership Rolls?
How to Pray for Missionaries (Mark Terry)
The sad news I received yesterday (Ed note: this post came a few days ago) inspired this post. Here is an excerpt from a letter from David Platt to the IMB missionaries, staff and trustees, sent on Wednesday, March 14: “It is with a heavy heart that I share this news. This morning (Wednesday, March 14), in the Democratic Republic of Congo, four colleagues in Africa were involved in an automobile accident: Randy and Kathy Arnett and Jeff and Barbara Singerman, along with a national driver named Jean Louis. Kathy Arnett was pronounced dead at the scene, and Randy Arnett was pronounced … [Read more...] about How to Pray for Missionaries (Mark Terry)
My Approach to Missions Strategy
Dave Miller asked me to write this post. Full disclosure: I served as a missionary with the IMB for twenty-four years in Southeast Asia. I received a Ph.D. in missions from Southwestern Seminary. I’ve taught missions at Southwestern Seminary, Southern Baptist Seminary, and lately at Mid-America Baptist Seminary. For many years I’ve offered both a masters course and a Ph.D. seminar on missions strategy. At the end of the course, I share my convictions about missions strategy with my students. These are not all original with me. Dr. Cal Guy, my mentor, and professor at SWBTS taught me many of … [Read more...] about My Approach to Missions Strategy
What Do You Want in the New President of the International Mission Board
Last week I went to the IMB’s International Learning Center to meet with other seminary missions professors and IMB staff members. We do this every year during the spring semester. Of course, the main topic of conversation was the search for a new president for the IMB. The chairman of the IMB trustees has selected 15 trustees to serve on the search committee, and the committee has begun its work. I realize that 15 seems like a large search committee, but the trustees’ by-laws specify that number. The staff informed the professors that the committee would contact us to ask for our … [Read more...] about What Do You Want in the New President of the International Mission Board
Basic Church Documents
When I teach church planting, I always talk to the students about basic church documents. A new church needs some basic documents that provide it with a good, solid foundation. Older churches need these foundational documents, also. Ok, what are they? All churches need a statement of faith, a church covenant, and a constitution and by-laws. Why so? Statement of Faith Churches should be certain of their beliefs, and they should be able to point prospective members to a statement of faith. A statement of faith will guide the preachers and teachers in the church as to what … [Read more...] about Basic Church Documents
A Tribute to Billy Graham
Yesterday we learned that Billy Graham had passed away at age ninety-nine. He was one of us, a Southern Baptist. He was ordained by a Southern Baptist church in Florida in 1939, and he was a member at First Baptist Church of Dallas. When I heard of his passing, immediately, I thought of Genesis 25:8, which says of Abraham: “Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years…” (NKJV). Truly, Billy Graham died at a “good old age,” and his years were full of fruitful service to the Lord. In this post I’ll not repeat the biographies you can find on any news … [Read more...] about A Tribute to Billy Graham
An Appeal for Honesty in References
I’m appealing to all our readers to be honest and forthright in the references we provide. What prompts this appeal? An unforgettable experience does. Some years ago our church called a new youth pastor. He applied for the position at our church, and he supplied several references from the church he was serving. After he arrived, everything went fine for several months; however, after he made a trip to scout out a summer mission project, our church’s financial secretary raised some questions about his spending. A CPA served on our church’s Finance Committee, and he performed an audit on the … [Read more...] about An Appeal for Honesty in References