Staffing a Small Church with Volunteers

Like the proverbial small school quarterback who plays in the marching band at half-time, the small church pastor has to make quick uniform (and mindset) changes throughout his week. I vividly recall the early days of my one and only pastorate, a 35-year ministry, when the church was small and we were struggling to come…

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Don’t Overthink It

Bull fighters are known for wearing red capes. Most of us assume the red flag is what irritates the bull into attacking the bill fighter. Thus, the phrase “red flag to a bull.” However, bulls are actually colorblind to red. They are irritated by the bull fighter’s movement. The same is true of pastors. It…

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Church Organizational Structure: The Case for Elders (Part 2 in series)

Imagine the headline: “Archaeologists Discover Previously Unknown New Testament Document!” The article goes on to report that the document is an authentic first-century description by the Apostles of how a church should be organized. Suddenly, we would have the definitive church organizational structure. The finding would upend Christian history and ecclesiology and have to be…

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Transitions Are His Specialty

Terry Shanahan has navigated many transitions during his career and he quickly smiles when he recounts God’s faithfulness through them all. Terry was born in Michigan and raised in Florida. He then attended college in Colorado and New Hampshire which led to a career in sales management. In mid-life, he was called to full-time ministry…

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Asking Questions Before Accepting a Call: Look Before You Leap

As I coach pastors around New England, I hear many stories about their naiveté during the interview process and what they learned the hard way, only after accepting a call. I can relate because I myself accepted a call too quickly, to the church I served briefly in retirement. I failed to ask about unhealed…

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