The Reformed Advisor

Tag: ministry

A Baltimore Victory! And a Victory for Religious Freedom Too

Posted on October 19, 2016 in Life, Sexuality, Theology by

It’s almost too absurd to consider. And yet, it’s a reality in our upside down social landscape. Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and the City Council sought to force pro-life pregnancy centers to advocate abortion. Mayor Blake an the City Council apparently are so committed to abortion in Baltimore that they are willing to force people fundamentally opposed to it to not only support it, but to help advertise it.

A recent article reports:

Here’s Why More Than 700 Pastors Left Ministry – And What We Can Do to Help

Posted on January 27, 2016 in Uncategorized by

I spend a lot of time during my job talking about “market volatility.” It’s something people know exists, don’t quite understand, and have a lot of questions about. So I spend time explaining it, calming fears, and answering questions. As I thought about “market volatility” I was struck by a couple of articles that made me realize the pastorate is one of the most volatile markets in existence.

When we think of volatile markets we think of ups and downs, gains and losses. If you’re an investor you think of your account value and what the market does to your investment. When the market goes down you incur a loss that can take some time to recuperate. When the market goes up you see a gain that you want to protect. It’s easy to see how the pastorate is very much like the market in its volatility; ups and downs, gains and losses.

But while historically the market has always had periods of volatility – and that doesn’t look to end anytime soon – the pastorate doesn’t have to continue as a place of volatility.

A recent article at The Blaze shared the results of a study conducted by LifeWay Research. The study centered on the main reasons pastors quit the pastorate before retirement age. The study boiled the answers of 734 former senior pastors down to five main reasons:

Pastor Appreciation Month! Do We Really Need It?

Posted on October 17, 2014 in Theology by

You may not have known that October is “Pastor Appreciation Month,” but that’s only because it wasn’t in the church bulletin or on the website. Even if it was announced from the pulpit last week in the service I am guessing you forgot by the time you walked out the door. Hey, no biggie.

All joking aside, this month is an opportunity to show your pastor that you truly appreciate him, his ministry, and his family. We have days to show our appreciation to teachers, public workers, and administrative professionals so I heartily endorse a month to show our spiritual shepherds that we appreciate their life of ministry.

You might be wondering why we need such a day.

How to Utilize Social Media Wisely as a Christian Leader

Posted on August 6, 2014 in Theology by

Just this Sunday my pastor urged caution to people using social media. He reminded us all that words said on social media, like words said in person, are permanent. On the heels of that cautionary reminder I read an article by Thom Rainer entitled “Seven Warnings for Church Leaders Who Use Social Media.”

Rainer is an expert in church growth and health with Lifeway, an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. Rainer has spent several decades learning about what helps a church grow, and what causes churches to die. He is the first to say that utilizing social media is a must for any pastor and church in our culture. Rainer readily admits that the lack of social media use, even the fear of it, contributes to the closing of churches each and every day.

So Rainer is not against social media by any stretch of the imagination. But he is wise in his counsel on how to properly use social media. Rainer writes:

What is the Role of Youth Ministry in the Church?

Posted on April 13, 2014 in Family by

You may not have realized it, but there is a vibrant debate concerning youth ministry. On the one end, some people believe there is a greater need for youth ministry to stop the growing secularization of our kids. On the other side of the debate, there are families abandoning the youth ministry seeing it as intrusive and problematic.

Acknowledging that there can be some benefit to having a ministry to a particular group within the church (Acts 6:1, Titus 2:3-4), the challenge to us is to consider the role of youth ministry in our churches.

From my perspective, there is a need for youth ministry to:

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