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Interim Ministry Workshop, Tuesday-Thursday March 14–16, 2023, Heritage Christian University, Florence, Alabama I’ve had some elderships ask for my coaching before they fired their preacher. Here are some suggestions.
What would Jesus Do? A good guess of what Jesus would do is what Jesus did. One of many things Jesus did well was to prepare His followers for the disappointment of His death. At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus started telling them about the end of his earthly life. From that time Jesus began to show…
In 1976, when I started compiling a list of topics to discuss with elders in evaluating a move, I wanted to get all the right answers. I thought if we agreed on everything, we’d work well together. Read: Questions to Discuss with Elders When Considering Working with a Congregation I found two problems with this…
One of the challenging times in the life of a church or a preacher is during the search. Go to www.betweenpreachers.com/the-search/ Questions for Churches How will we do it? Should we advertise? How many should we consider before making a selection? Why did our favorite candidate turn us down? What should we ask when we check…
Sunday I told the men at Pacific it’s time to select a search team to start looking for the next preacher. Here are qualities I listed for people who will do the initial search: Realizes he may not know how to do it but believes God will give wisdom to one who’s willing to learn…
It’s time to select more elders or deacons. We need more teachers. I see people who have all the qualities to serve well. When I approach some of them, they reply, “I don’t want to,” or to make it sound more scriptural they say, “I don’t have the desire.” Why do people I think need…
Have you seen this? An eldership had been middle-of-the-road or conservative for many years. Then there’s a complete switch. They move to the other side of the continuum. How could that be? Here’s something I observed in a church less than 1,000 miles from where I’m writing this post, and it happened less than 100…
In the late nineteen eighties, I told Gail, “I’d like to move one more time and do it easier.” Fresh out of school, I didn’t know what I was doing when I went to my first work and I didn’t know what I was doing when I moved eighteen months later. The second church fired…
Front Row, Left to Right: Marilyn Whitson, Melissa Cooper, Ginger Spurlin, Jerrie Barber, Jeanne Simpson, Linda Hammond, Elizabeth Guinn, Elizabeth Michael, Rachel Harrub, Becky EllisBack Row, Left to Right: John Cooper, Jere Spurlin, Gail Barber, Alan Watkins, Tim Simpson, Keith Hammond, Robert Guinn, Cody Michael, Will Harrub, Jeff Ellis The New Shepherds Orientation Workshop was…
It’s time to appoint elders or deacons. We read the instructions of Paul to Timothy and Titus in the Bible: 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1. All say this person must be “the husband of one wife.” But what if his first wife died and he remarried? Does he have one wife or two wives? What if…