Leadership

Often as leaders we have an unhealthy perspective that we are to fix things for others.  We can get caught in the temptation to take on this responsibility as if people and their lives are projects.  I propose that a healthy perspective shift may draw others closer to Jesus.  What if instead we Read more…

Church ministry is complex and very contextual. Every church ministry setting is uniquely different and ever changing. Yet, as we look at the nature of church ministry, there are only three types of ministry: birthing, revitalizing, and chaplaincy.  Giving Birth (birthing) This type of ministry is simple: planting new churches. Read more…

“Tis winter now; the fallen snowHas left the heav’ns all coldly clear;Through leafless boughs the sharp winds blow,And all the earth lies dead and drear. And yet God’s love is not withdrawn;His life within the keen air breathes,His beauty paints the crimson dawn,And clothes the boughs with glitt’ring wreaths. And Read more…

“Why Aren’t Our Guests Coming Back for Another Visit?”Are you wondering why so many of your worship guests don’t come back to your church?If you haven’t been the guest at someone else’s church in a while it’s easy to underestimate the weight of the experience. A lot is being processed Read more…

During our October Pastors4Pastors group zoom sessions, we took some time to talk about appreciation, given that October was Pastor Appreciation Month. We asked over 30 pastors and church and ministry staff what caused them to feel or experience appreciation in their work. Their answers were eye opening. Below are Read more…

A few weeks ago, I attended a local university’s school of music recital. It was a showcase of all of their flute students, and I attended with my daughter who plays the flute in her school band. Of course, she had vested interest in attending, as she absorbed their level Read more…

“Pastors need pastors too.”  We say this often within our ministry.  Pastors pour so much time and heart into caring for so many.  It’s a privilege at Preparing for Amazement Ministries to care for pastors the way they care for others.  Are you curious what this looks like? One facet of our ministry is Pastors4Pastors.  In these Read more…

As you know, we at Preparing for Amazement focus on the health of people and congregations. To aid you in thinking through such health, I want to take a moment and consider what it means for congregations to ask the following question focused on spiritual health: Has the spiritual life Read more…

We were working with a board of elders for a fast growing church. Like many growing churches, they were still operating like a small church even though they had become a large church. It is not an uncommon problem. The dynamics had changed dramatically because of the growth which identified Read more…