Overseed
Staffing a Small Church, Part 2: When to Move from Volunteers with Paid Staff
I know of a small New England church that received an unexpected bequest of $5 million. The giver was an elderly gentleman who had only a remote connection to the church. Apparently, the church had ministered to his family in the distant past, and he never forgot their kindness. The pastor and church leaders were…
Read MoreStaffing 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…
Read MoreDon’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…
Read MoreChurch 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…
Read MoreProtect Your Family Time During the Busy Christmas Season in Ministry
Our 35 years in pastoral ministry (all at one church, in a suburb north of Boston) spanned all our child-rearing and launching years, from the first newborn to the last wedding. Looking back, we are not plagued by regrets that we shortchanged our kids in order to serve our congregation. However, to fact-check that impression,…
Read MoreConflict in Ministry Marriage: Challenging Your Husband with Respect
Letting a fallen sinner lead is always difficult – and sometimes no easier when he’s your husband AND the pastor of your church. It’s often confusing and frustrating for us, as pastors’ wives, to know how to support our husbands when we question a decision he has made. We sometimes struggle to know who is…
Read MoreA Pastor’s Relationship with his Wife: The Make-or-Break Relationship
In the introduction to his classic work A Handbook to Marriage, Theodore Bovet states, “Today for most people the man-woman relationship [of marriage] is decisive. It can lead to the discovery of self, neighbor and God, or it can lead to hopeless entanglement and inner ruin.” Strong words, indeed, but never more true than for…
Read MoreTransitions 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…
Read MoreAsking 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…
Read MoreSpiritual Honesty Interview with Overseed President Jim Harrell
Jim talks about Church Revitalization in New England.
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