As I struggle with this at times, I found How to Control Perfectionism at wikiHow to be instructive and convicting. Thanks to terrystorch.com for a link to this fascinating project – 6 billion Others. Ben Arment at History in the Making has a great, short post about church size and the real purpose for hard […]
In the United States we celebrate Independence Day today. What is the true freedom that we celebrate? Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves […]
Mad Church Disease has been burning up the blogosphere, at least the little section that I read. (See links below) This is a site focused on the phenomena of burnout for those that are in ministry. The site includes a survey for those in ministry, spouses of those in ministry, and volunteers in ministry. It […]
In addition to reading blogs, I listen to several podcasts to learn about ministry and hear from others about what is happening in the life of the church. What is a podcast you might ask – find more information here. Here are some to which I currently subscribe (These links will take you to the […]
Do some Christians want to be “hated”?, at Vintage Faith got me thinking about my own way of living out the gospel. My hope is to live in such a way that my story dissolves into and becomes an integral part of God’s story. I found a comparison of two restaurants to be surprisingly applicable […]
at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection and I hope that you are not indispensable at your place of employment. My wife, Nicole, brought this idea up to me and I think that she is right on. The true leadership of a congregation should be in the gathered people and not in any single […]
I believe that both new and existing congregations should be held accountable for their life together. There should be disciplinary action of some kind for the congregation in response to this accountability. I believe that this process would be a catalyst for the United Methodist Church moving closer into alignment with God’s dream for the […]
A recent article from the United Methodist news service, United Methodist plan emphasizes new church starts, got my attention as I am interested in new church starts and the possibility of being a pastor at a new congregation. I find hope in the denomination putting what seems to be a concerted and continued effort in […]
Along with the importance of portable traditions, another thing that I learned at the marriage retreat facilitated by the Soderquist Center was that many of the issues, problems and experiences that I have as a pastor are not clergy issues, they are leadership issues. Sometimes I find myself naming my role as a pastor as […]
I often spend time imagining the United Methodist Church in Kansas – what might be possible in the future, praying for renewal, and seeking to be an active part in a spiritual revival in the state. A picture of hope that I have seen recently is this: This graphic is in the middle of the […]
Along with having a fantastic time at the Greystone Estate, we did learn several things at the marriage retreat that I believe will continue to improve our marriage. One of these things was the importance of portable traditions. Whether intentionally or unintentionally most people build traditions around particular times of year or celebrations – Christmas, […]
How can we faithfully use the latest techno-cultural developments to help make disciples of Jesus Christ? Matt addresses this question and raises others at the post – Wesley 2.0. What do I do with shoes that I no longer wear? Cool People Care provide the answer at A Box of Shoeboxes. She Really Knows the […]
Rev. Andrew Conard 