Several years ago, somebody somewhere decided that October should be designated “Pastor Appreciation Month.” While rarely complaining out loud for fear of offending well-intentioned church members, many pastors would just as soon pass on this kind of appreciation. First, there is the difficulty with October—a...
This is an important question for congregations to ask, and it can be framed in several different ways: …. as a question about the congregation’s ultimate purpose or aim. … as a question about the nature of assembling as community of faith and what that means. … as...
Doubt is a familiar visitor for both ministers and congregational leaders. We doubt our faith. Even more, we doubt ourselves, as leaders, worrying that our faith is not strong enough, that we do not understand enough, that we are not expert enough to fulfill our...
From its birth, our community of faith (The Well at Springfield) decided to make acquiring a permanent meeting space optional. We wanted to avoid the financial burden facing so many churches. As time has gone on though, we are discovering some unexpected gifts of sharing...
In his 1974 essay “Vocation as Grace,” Baptist minister and writer Will D. Campbell (1924-2013) recounted a conversation he had once had with a high-wire performer for a traveling circus: I asked him why he chose that particular way of making a living. The first few...
"The Space Always Wins" Guest Reflection By: Glenn Stallsmith “The space always wins.” That paraphrased summary of the conclusion was arrived by James F. White, a liturgical scholar who taught for many years at Notre Dame. White meant that no matter what theology or vision might be...
Space has an important relationship to faith, but “space” does not automatically equal “church building.” I have served six congregations over 30+ years in ministry. Each was an established church which had moved into its current building as early as 1892 or as recently as...
In a recent interview, Bruce Springsteen—45 years a rock icon, with those four-hour live concerts and last year’s sold out Broadway show—was asked about his family life. Springsteen admitted that for years the idea of a home filled him “with distrust and a bucketload of grief.” He credits...
“At this church no borders divide. No walls exclude.” So reads the website of First United Methodist Church of Los Angeles. The words are apt because the church meets in a parking lot. Started in 1853 as the first Protestant church in the city, First...