I recently asked myself, if I were starting a church again today, what would be the values that I would consider most pertinent and timely in our current cultural moment in which the nonbelieving world is asking so many hard questions about the church.
These four came to my mind rather quickly.
- Safety (literal and spiritual)
- Authenticity
- Empathy
- Generosity
Are there more? Of course. But a relationship built on trust is the ground upon which we share the message of the good news.
I wrote a whole article about this on my Patheos blog and wanted to pass it along here.
READ: 4 Values Churches Must Model in Today’s Cultural Climate
I’ve also made BIG progress in the last week on a course / coaching program I’ve been developing to help pastors and Christian leaders to move from burnout to breakthrough.
There are a ton of resources, seminars, and coaching networks that focus on “how to” issues like how to use digital marketing or how to follow up with guests, etc. (Like Jacob Schmelzer’s UpLevel Leader Church Growth Coaching.) But I see this tidal wave of pain being experienced by leaders and a huge need to step in front of it as much as possible.
Personally, I’ve walked through burnout and I’ve experienced breakthrough. I’ve also spent many years helping a lot of other pastors and leaders walking through similar things. So I want to help leaders through it! If you’re interested…
Read More About the Burnout to Breakthrough Course
And if you’re a leader who feels stuck, depleted, and exhausted and you’re not sure what to do, let’s talk. I’m reopening my pastoral coaching, or just email me. I’d love to hear your story and pray over you!
Let’s keep praying for peace and protection for innocent lives in the Middle East, and let’s keep growing from the inside out!
Brandon
This Week’s Big Sermon Idea
When the Word Has Had Its Way
A sermon outline based on 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10.
The evidence that the word of God, the message of the gospel, has had its way in the hearts of people is that people turn to God, serve God, and wait for Jesus with hope and expectancy.
Links for Leaders
- I could not agree more with Pastor Ryan Rice, Sr.’s assessment and advice that A Healthy Church Is a Messy Church.
- I mentioned on Facebook the other day that pastors lose as many vital relationships in a year as most people lose in a lifetime. My friend, Joshua Reich, expanded on that with a great post: Pastors Lose 5-7 Relationships a Year.
- Dan Reiland offers some good practical wisdom for church leaders in his piece on 7 Barriers and Builders for a Healthy Staff Culture.
The Latest from Walk Humble
Walk Humble is where I host an ongoing conversation about life, faith, and relationships among people brave enough to admit they don’t have life all figured out yet. Here’s the latest if you’re interested…
- To Reach Your Big Goals, Do the Little Daily Things
- Lectio Divina: An Ancient Prayer and Bible Reading Practice
- How Your Faith Can Make You Whole
Miss an Issue? Read The Reflectionary Archives!
Is It Time for a Website Redesign?
When I start a website redesign project – for a church, a nonprofit, leader/pastor/speaker, etc. – I get obsessed with the details. I want it to shine! And more importantly, I want it to show up in search results.
If your website feels “clunky” or disorganized, hard to navigate, hard to find using Google, or just outdated in its style, let’s talk!! This is what I do!
Visit my creative services page and use the form to let me know about your current site, what you’d like to improve, and the budget you want to work within and we’ll have a conversation!
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Photo by Nghia Le on Unsplash.