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One pastor had a group of people circulate a petition to get him fired. They tried to get signatures in the foyer as members walked into church for Sunday services. Another pastor experienced the creation of a Facebook page dedicated to criticizing every aspect of his preaching and leadership. In a small town, a pastor…
The post How Sensible Pastors React to Harsh Public Criticism appeared first on Church Answers.
I can’t remember how many times I was surprised by what my church members were thinking, even though I was their pastor. What I thought was the case wasn’t always so. How does that happen? 1. We assume we hear everything in the course of ministry. We know we don’t, but we act as if…
The post Seven Reasons We Preachers Don’t Always Know What Our Church is Thinking . . . and a Reason to Get a “Know Your Church Report” appeared first on Church Answers.
A philosophical tug-of-war is occurring in the work world. To what degree should people work from home, and how much time should they spend in the office? Some CEOs are mandating a permanent return to the office on all workdays. Others allow their workers to be remote, even working in other states. Many are splitting…
The post Why Work from Home Won’t Work for the Church appeared first on Church Answers.
2010, Afghanistan. Aid workers were in the midst of helping a group of remote Afghan villagers, especially mothers and their children who needed it most, with eye care and other medical needs. Suddenly gunmen appeared and lined the workers up. They shot each worker one by one, including Cheryl Beckett, age thirty-two. The only survivor…
The post No Longer My Own appeared first on Church Answers.
It happens. Even those who deeply love their local congregation sometimes go through situations and circumstances that test that love. In some cases, that love slowly erodes—almost imperceptibly. Here are some signs you might be losing your love: 1. Your enthusiasm for gathering with the congregation is waning. There was a time when you excitedly…
The post 7 Signs You May be Losing Your Love for Your Church . . . and What to Do about It appeared first on Church Answers.
You’ve been with your church for a while now. Something is now urging you to leave the church. We will not get into evaluating your reasons. Let’s just say you have made the decision, or you are close to making that decision. Let’s assume you are not moving to another location. You are leaving your…
The post Seven Considerations If You Are a Church Member Planning on Leaving Your Church appeared first on Church Answers.
The turning point for me occurred at a funeral. I was holding a four-year-old child I did not know. His mother had passed away after overdosing on a dangerous mix of fentanyl and cocaine. The family contacted our church and asked for a pastor to officiate the funeral. I’ll never forget the young boy’s words….
The post How Your Church Can Help the Overlooked Children Affected by Abuse and Neglect appeared first on Church Answers.
After almost 32 years of marriage, my wife and I adopted a rescue dog a couple weeks ago. I grew up with dogs, but Pam has never been around a dog for any length of time. Still, though, we took the plunge after hosting/fostering this dog for three weekends so he could get acclimated to…
The post A Dog, a Confession, and a Prayer Request appeared first on Church Answers.
“. . . because you’re the pastor.” Most pastors have heard the end of this sentence at some point. Perhaps you bristled at hearing it. Maybe your feelings were justified, depending on what preceded the phrase. But there’s truth in “because you’re the pastor.” The call to shepherd a church is a call to shepherd…
The post The Public Nature of Pastoring and the Inescapable Reality You Always Represent Your Church appeared first on Church Answers.
It will happen to most pastors. They will wake up one morning to texts or emails. The wording will say something like, “Pastor, you need to see what Mike Smith wrote about you on Facebook.” The pastor’s day is already messed up. Most pastors will feel the need to read the post. Many will feel…
The post Ten Suggestions for Church Members When They Read Negative Things about Their Pastors on Social Media appeared first on Church Answers.