Church ministry is going more online than ever before due to the Covid-19 season. Ministries are live-streaming services, digitizing small group meetings, and planning remotely through platforms such as Google Hangouts and Zoom.  But another useful ministry tool is Facebook Live (FBL). I’m not an expert, but I personally love FBL due to its personal nature and engagement capabilities as a platform (why I love Instagram Live as well). During the next 7 weeks (at least), I’ll be doing a weekly teaching series through … [Read more...]

While sitting in my house in shutdown mode (#safetyfirst) and watching the rain fall from the sky, I (like so many) am trying to grasp how to be a Christ-follower in this unique season we’re in. There are so many messages swarming around the social media world that it can easily add to anxiety and fear. I don’t know about you, but it feels like we are in a storm with an uncertain ending that we can’t see. But, hold on, folks, God is near! Immanuel, God with us, is here. He’s walking beside us through the storm. Because this all … [Read more...]

We want to live as catalyzed disciples making disciples (who then make disciples). As we seek to build relationships, share the gospel, and see people come to a saving faith in Christ, new believers are made. But then, we ask: now what? Finding the next step after someone receives salvation can seem harder than it should be. We know we want to plug them into a church, but we also know growth takes intentionality. Sometimes, we are the ones providing this intentionality through mentoring a new, younger believer. How should … [Read more...]

With the news of churches having to close their doors on Sundays and suspend all large group gatherings for the unforeseen future, it is vital to leverage these circumstances for the Kingdom. This is an opportunity for advancement of the Kingdom in us personally, among us corporately, and in our communities where we live. The early Church was scattered for different reasons than us today, but we can learn from them what to focus on in these moments. Here are some practical things the “scattered church” can do while they are not … [Read more...]

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). It’s been talked about as if it is the greatest pandemic in history. And it’s been shrugged off as nothing more than a minimally present virus that will be no concern in a couple months. No matter your understanding of the COVID-19 narrative, there’s no doubt that people in your ministry are asking questions of what you will do when this dreaded virus hits your campus, church, or community. Here are four things to keep in mind as you navigate the circumstances surrounding COVID-19. 1. Protect … [Read more...]

In his book The Road Ahead, Bill Gates wrote, “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.” Of course, Gates was writing primarily about technological advancement, of which he has plenty of knowledge. But, he was also writing in a more general sense. As a humanitarian and philanthropist, Gates has also born witness, both good and bad, of the monumental change for either that can happen over a sustained … [Read more...]

Have you ever been that person who asks the question that everyone in the room wants to ask, and the whole group silences to hear the answer...but it is ignored and redirected? We’ve all been that guy or girl, and in fact, even the disciples were that guy! One of my favorite examples of this is in Acts 1:6-8, where Jesus gives them a new world view. "So when they had come together, they asked Him, 'Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?'" (v. 6). The Jewish people were preoccupied with the physical kingdom of … [Read more...]

You’ve planned. You’ve prayed. You’ve promoted the event. You’ve recruited the help. You’ve invited your target group. You’ve set up the room to perfectly set the mood of the event. You’ve done everything you could have possibly done to make this a successful event that will honor the Lord. And nothing happens. Have you been there? Oh, I have. Many times. And, I feel like I am in that season more often than others. Quickly, let me define what I mean by nothing. There is a difference between gathering a crowd of people to … [Read more...]

Jacob knew all about God. He must have. He must have heard stories about this God and His covenant from his grandpa Abraham and his father Isaac. Maybe his daddy had told him about the day when grandpa took him up the mountain with a knife and wood but no sacrifice; how he strapped him down; how the tears filled his eyes and then how he heard the voice from on high. He knew about God. But, on the other hand, he was a classic avoider of conflict. He was much more prone to manipulation than he was to hashing things out. When the … [Read more...]