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When I took the Dale Carnegie Leadership Course many years ago, they taught four questions to find a solution to a problem. 1. What is the problem? The answer should be a statement, not a question. The statement isn’t, “Why don’t people come to Bible study on Wednesday night?” It could be, “Our Wednesday night…
The first post in this blog was on January 6, 2015. I use this date as the day I started liking to write. I was approaching seventy years old and had been preaching for more than fifty years. I wrote bulletin articles each week and a weekly newspaper article when I lived in Dalton, Georgia….
When I receive a call from someone about conflict in a congregation, I know something about that church. They have a lot of gossip in that church. I’m not that smart. I believe the Bible. Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases. — Proverbs 26:20 Peter…
Corrupt Communication: Myths That Target Church Leaders, by Bill Bagents and Laura S. Bagents, Copyright © 2022 by Bill Bagents and Laura S. Bagents, Published by Heritage Christian University Press, Florence, Alabama, ISBN 978-1-7374751-4-9 I share a book on the fifth Tuesday of each quarter of the year. I highlighted “mustard seeds,” which impressed me….
A question I received: Tell me what you think about this statement: “Elders appointing an additional elder or more, without discussion with or consulting the congregation, is dictatorial and shows little if any respect for or trust in the church as a whole.” First, there should be a selection before the appointment. I used to…
Fairlane Church of Christ in Shelbyville, Tennessee, participated in its third New Shepherds Orientation Workshop from August 9 to 11. This is my first time leading three New Shepherds Orientation Workshops for the same congregation. But this was the design of this workshop. Henry Wilhoit called me in the fall of 2013. He told me,…
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, by Jordan B. Peterson, Copyright © 2018 Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, Random House Canada, Toronto; eBook ISBN 9780345816047 On the fifth Tuesday of each quarter of the year, I share a book I’ve read recently. I highlighted “mustard seeds,” which impressed me. I hope you find one…
I recently received a request from an elder for suggestions for improving elders’ meetings. Here’s my reply: Here are thoughts on good rules and an agenda for an elders’ meeting. Two main principles: When shepherds shepherd shepherds, shepherds will better shepherd the sheep. When shepherds don’t shepherd shepherds, shepherds probably won’t shepherd the sheep. When…
I noticed acrimonious exchanges on some preacher pages on Facebook last year on whether it’s a sin to mention the birth of Jesus near December 25. Some say it’s wrong to preach on the birth of Jesus on a Sunday in December. Some say it’s unwise not to because you miss an opportunity to connect…
A preacher was criticized for dressing in first-century clothes and quoting passages from the apostle Peter. Some said it was just a gimmick and shouldn’t have been done. I’m confused. Is it a gimmick at regular worship but not a gimmick at Vacation Bible School? Who made that rule? Why do we dress in costumes…