So, what did I learn from this internship? My answer here could go in a number of different directions, but I would like to conclude by highlighting just one lesson: Do not underestimate a tiny church in the hands of an omnipotent God.
20 Quotes on Mea Culpa
20 Quotes on Biblical Church Revitalization
The following 20 quotes caught my attention as I worked through Brian Croft’s Biblical Church Revitalization: Solutions for Dying & Divided Churches (Christian Focus, 2016).
20 Quotes on the Pastor's Ministry
The following 20 quotes caught my attention as I worked through Brian Croft’s The Pastor’s Ministry: Biblical Priorities for Faithful Shepherds (Zondervan, 2015).
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Part 1: Practical Considerations When Pursuing A Pastorate
Think of these as "first date" questions. If alarm bells go off when discussing these topics with a potential church, it is rather likely we are being exposed to symptoms of even greater disease beneath the surface. Remember, you are potentially entering into a covenant relationship with this church, and you deserve to know the good, the bad, and the ugly on their end, as much as they deserve to know the same on yours.
What Can My Family Handle?
The scary part of ministry is that you can be truly used by God and fail with your family.
My prayer is that this would not be your story. My prayer is that in these first five years of ministry you would establish patterns and habits that have maximum impact for the gospel – both in the church and at home.
When is a Church Revitalized? pt. 3
If you keep the definitions of church, dying churches, and revitalized churches fuzzy then you may perpetuate modern day terms without knowing where you're going or when you've reached your destination. But if you faithfully define these things biblically and theologically you can move with intentionality, clarity, and wisdom.