Category: Stewardship of Church
-
Let Me Please Breakdown
I remember the first time a pastor colleague told me that he had a breakdown, requiring hospitalization and therapy. It was 35 years ago. He blew my mind. He was successful—the pastor of a large church. He was very matter of fact about the incident. It was Sunday morning. He was, at home, getting ready…
-
The Great Commission and Home Exchanges
At a church I served as pastor, we had a guest pastor program called Pastors2Go. One of our guest pastors—on a clergy sabbatical from her job as Chaplain at the University of Leeds England—was leading a Bible study. Both she and her husband shared the importance of going and doing for Christian discipleship. They shared…
-
Pulpit Exchanges
I just read a very exciting—and a very disheartening—article in a church newsletter. Two pastors in Montana did a pulpit exchange for one Sunday. The article refers to this as an “opportunity” for two pastors and two congregations to “link up” as those sharing life in the same community—and in Christ. News of two churches…
-
Help Your Pastor “To Remember the Sabbath”
As a Lutheran, I grew up memorizing Luther’s Small Catechism, including Luther’s explanation to the commandment “to remember the Sabbath.” We are to fear and love God, so that we do not despite preaching or God’s word, but instead keep that word holy and gladly hear and learn it. (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 1160) “The…
-
Every Christian A Missionary
Reality is not always my friend. I know what I want to do, but I can’t always do it. At the end of our seminary years, my husband and I felt the call to consider mission work. We attended a few informational meetings–and then backed out. At the time, our children were 6 months, 18…
-
It’s Time To Get Out Of Town
You know the definition of “insanity,” right? Doing things the same old way and expecting different results. Sometimes we defend our insanity by insisting that we are victims. Now, that is perhaps the worst kind of “insane rut” we can live. In fact, some would say this way of living barely qualifies as “existence,” much…
-
The Sabbath In Sabbatical
“Remember the Sabbath (day) to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) Most people probably think of “the Sabbath” as one day of the week—”the Sabbath day.” But the biblical idea of a “Sabbath” in not limited to just a day. A ministry sabbatical is a pastor and a congregation keeping God’s commandment. Clergy (who often have…
-
Ministry Sabbaticals 101
At Christian Home Exchange, we believe that the world will be a better place once pastors and all Christians take seriously the word, “Go,” as in “Go, therefore …” (Matthew 28:19). Many refer to the world these days as the Global Village, but it seems to me that most of us are just sitting around…
-
Cheer Up Church – Creativity and Home Exchange
Charlie Peacock sings, “Cheer up, Church, you’re worse off than you think.” Many churches are feeling a money crunch, due to the economy. Take our congregation, for example. There is no way our church could afford to provide a clergy sabbatical–apart from taking a creative approach to our life and our ministry together. In fact,…
-
Best Job In The World – Being A Pastor
Parish ministry is still the best job in the world. But who believes this anymore? And why should they? Attitudes about the church have changed so much that it was inevitable that young people look askance at the idea of a career as clergy-person. Over the years, we have talked with so many clergy who…