In my last post I talked about conflict. Conflict’s best friend is change. And change should be posted on the sign outside every church in transition. Unfortunately, most churches bury conflict, avoid change and try to move through transition hastily, assuming the current trajectory is the ‘best’ one or the ‘right’ one. The reason can…
Church conflict. It’s something every pastor and congregational leader experiences and should know how to handle. Unfortunately, most church authorities avoid or ignore it. During leadership transitions conflict surfaces. Sometimes it’s subtle; other times it’s explosive. It can happen in an all-of-a-sudden explosion; or it can ooze out slowly after years of bubbling beneath the…
A pastoral transition, no matter how smooth, leaves a huge communication gap. That gap needs a bridge. Increased communication functions as a bridge for a church in transition. So, make sure your church is building bridges across the gap with regular updates during the transition. Roger Nicholson paints a clear picture of the need for open…
A couple of weeks ago I talked about Christ-centred differentiation in a sermon. It’s a hard but crucial concept to understand. In fact, it’s one of the most important concepts I’ve ever learned. And no one does a better job of describing it than Edwin Friedman. Here’s how he defines it: Differentiation means the capacity…
After months of waiting and wondering I received a letter today. While I was preparing my application (back in the fall) I found reading successful PhD applicants’ Statements of Intent very helpful. Here’s what I wrote to the TST Admissions Committee: TST Statement of Intent – Jason Mills If my denominational colleges are any indication of…
One of the most important seasons in the life of a church takes place during pastoral transition. Roger Nicholson’s helpful book, Temporary Shepherds: A Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry provides and excellent overview of the important tasks congregations should implement on their way from pastoral departure to calling a new leader. Here’s a summary of…
Yesterday I preached on 1 Timothy 2. If you’re not familiar with this portion of Paul’s writings, there’s a part there that calls women to not speak or have authority over their male counterparts (1 Tim. 2:12). It’s bad teaching to interpret this text literally. Here’s part of the story that’s often untold: 1. Instability…
An egalitarian perspective on 1 Timothy 2:12.
Last week I listened to a CBC Ideas episode called The Truth about “Post-Truth”. As I listened, I thought about church. The host was interviewing Jason Stanley, Professor of Philosophy at Yale University. The whole 54:00 is worth hearing but in case you don’t have time, here’s what grabbed my attention: (Around 22:50) “A liberal democratic society…
When I’m functioning at my best I trust my gut. That means having a sense about something that others might not understand. It’s helpful when I’m in places where I have to make choices. By far, the most difficult context of gut-wrenching and gut-testing, is in the wilderness. I’ve spent my fair share of time…