One of the most well-known and respected distilleries in the United States is Buffalo Trace. While their bourbon may not be for everyone, their motto has always caught my attention: “Honor Tradition. Embrace Change.” Simple. Powerful. Deeply relevant to the Church today. Honor Tradition The Christian faith is built on Read more…
Recently, I led a mental health sermon series for a church I am working with. As a part of that, we had a panel discussion with my family about mental health, being in the church and the challenges of the pastoral family. We wanted to post it here in case Read more…
We live in a culture of consumption. From fast food to streaming services, we are constantly surrounded by messages telling us to seek what is easy, instant, and tailored exactly to our preferences. While this might be convenient for daily life, this consumer-driven mindset becomes deeply problematic when it finds Read more…
In this episode, Marcus Carlson sits down with Joe Oliver to dive deep into the theme of leader health, especially with a focus on advice for new church leaders. Their discussion covers: Though shorter in length, the episode is rich with wisdom and practical takeaways, making it well worth listening for anyone invested in sustainable Read more…
In this episode, Dr. Marcus J. Carlson engages Tim Ewell in a thoughtful conversation about the intertwined realities of church health and leader health, with particular focus on supporting congregations during times of transition. Key themes likely include: As with other episodes in the series, this one offers bite‑sized wisdom and spiritual encouragement for Read more…
In this episode, Marcus Carlson and Nate Whittaker explore the seventh habit from Habits of Healthy Churches: “Healthy churches are not territorial.” They discuss what it means for congregations to overcome territorial behavior and engage collaboratively in God’s mission. Rather than viewing other churches or ministries as competitors, healthy congregations choose cooperation, shared Read more…
One of the sayings I heard often growing up—but never quite understood—was, “You are what you eat.” Honestly, it still doesn’t make a lot of sense. If it were literally true, I should have turned into bacon a long time ago! But the older I get, the more I realize Read more…
In Episode 27 of Habits of Healthy Churches, host Dr. Marcus J. Carlson is joined by Dawn Spies to explore Habit 5: Healthy churches value process. In their conversation, Spies emphasizes that a strong and intentional process is not about creating red tape or unnecessary complexity—it’s about building clarity, consistency, and sustainability Read more…
In Episode 25 of the Voices in the Wilderness podcast, titled “Habits of Healthy Churches – Habit 3,” Dr. Marcus J. Carlson engages in a conversation with guest Jeremy Cook about the importance of healthy decision-making processes within church communities. The episode emphasizes that healthy churches make decisions in a Read more…
In Episode 26 of the Voices in the Wilderness podcast, titled “Habits of Healthy Churches – Habit 4,” host Dr. Marcus J. Carlson is joined by guest Jonathan Haseley to discuss the fourth habit of healthy churches: focusing more on those outside the church than those inside.media.rss.com+2RSS.com+2YouTube+2 Key Takeaways:Outward Focus: Read more…
