There's a deeper story than the ones we tell ourselves, but that story often stays hidden. Bishop Porter Taylor once said at a clergy retreat that as leaders we really have no idea what the Holy Spirit is doing in our churches. If it's of God, then it will unfold in mystery and a bit …
the blessing of bad news
Sometimes the news isn't good. Sometimes negative trends that seem anomalous at first harden with time. When that happens, how do we learn from bad bad news without being crushed by it? Feedback loops are vital to healthy churches. Changes in things like attendance and giving have something to teach us, if we listen. But …
good stress & bad stress
Church work is hard. It should be hard, as any meaningful work is likely to to be. Writing a novel is hard. Being a parent is hard. Doing surgery is hard. Building a business is hard. But is church work is the right kind of difficult? It's stressful, but is it the wrong kind of …
the missing manual
If I could set my time machine back about twelve years when I became the pastor of a church for the first time, I'd pack the missing manual that I could have used back then. I've had wonderful mentors and teachers and colleagues and parishioners who along the way, supported me as I became priest, …
BJ's Blog 