Anglican, Baptist, Congregationalist, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian--whatever their denomination--small, rural churches can play an important role in the life of their communities. We should not underestimate the importance of that role
Comfort for the Ghosted Pastor
When people ghost someone, they cease to treat them as human being. They simply disappear without a word of explanation. It has become an increasingly common phenomena in the United States today. For a Christian, however, ghosting is not an acceptable way to treat anyone. It does not embody the love that Christians are expected to show others, much less their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Lessons about Love from a Dying Friend
This article is a thoughtful reminder that eternal life--knowing Jesus Christ and the Father who sent him--begin in this life.
When Your Pastor Doesn’t Expect Enough Out of You
A hands-off pastor can leave an inexperienced music director twisting in the wind, particular when the music director does not have the knowledge to plan music for liturgical worship. I served as a pastor surrogate for a musical director that I had recruited while chairing my church's worship committee. Our pastor dumped all the worship planning on her, offering her only a few guidelines. The church would benefit from our seven year collaboration. My liturgical knowledge, liturgical judgment, and familiarity with new musical resources complimented her musical judgment and music leadership skills.The church's music was high on the list of the things which first time visitors and newcomers found attractive about the church.
Five Steps to Making the Best Decision
Making decisions can be tough. Rick Warren offers five steps that we can follow in making major life decisions.
‘Tsunami of Sickness’: Dioceses Call for Masks, Vaccinations amid COVID-19 Surges
Whatever we may think of the Episcopal Church, we can learn from the response of its dioceses and local churches to the latest surge of COVID-19 infections. In the long run I suspect that communities are going to remember more favorably churches that took steps to protect the community than they will churches that did not take these steps and dismissed the need for them.
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