You’ve heard it before, or perhaps, like me, you’ve said it: “Join us for a picnic after the service for food, fun, and fellowship.” It’s a catchy phrase, and “fellowship” fits nicely as the third “F,” but what do we really mean when we talk about fellowship? For many, the word has become synonymous with simply being together as Christians. I grew up in a church that had a “fellowship hall,” and that’s where you’d find the donuts before the service. But is that all fellowship is? Donuts in the fellowship hall?

Pastors face many challenges in ministry. Perhaps this is why nearly half of the pastors surveyed in 2022 stated they had seriously considered leaving the ministry over that year (Barna Group). These challenges can be even more significant in rural ministry due to a significant lack of community and resources. As I have faced personal challenges in ministry, I have found hope in reorienting myself around a more biblical understanding of my call to pastoral ministry…

In the movie, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the infamous Grinch is given the title of ‘Holiday Cheermeister’ by the townsfolk of Whoville. The Grinch was certainly an unexpected candidate, since the title was typically given to someone who embodied the Christmas spirit well. This calls into question: how does one embody the Christmas spirit? Perhaps you first think of ‘Buddy the Elf’ who famously said in Elf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” While this is a great method…

It’s easy to look down on small places. We live in a culture that for generations has believed “bigger is better.” I am certainly not immune to that sentiment. During my seminary days, I was planning and preparing to plant an urban church after graduation. Thankfully, God had different plans. I ended up taking a job at a country church in Ohio, and it turned out to be a massive blessing. Since that time, I have never left the rural context. Over the years I have learned some lessons, often through my own mistakes…

To my shame, I did not read the Narnia books until this year. Thanks to my son, we are working on our second time through the series (this time, in the correct order, publication not chronological). Now that I have, though, I hear references everywhere. I was listening to two different podcasts recently that, to transition from the introduction to the actual topic, said, “Further up and further in!” taken from The Last Battle. When my son and I read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader recently…

If you have ever purchased furniture from Ikea, you will know the joys of assembling it after arriving home. With eager anticipation, you carry the box into the living room, grab your knife, and begin to open the box. Pulling the pieces from the box and removing the plastic wrap and styrofoam, you find the instruction manual calling your name. At this point, you have the decision to make: Do I follow the instructions or use my man-knowledge and assemble the furniture based on the picture on the front of the box? If you are like me, it’s wiser to swallow your pride and start at step 1. Discipleship can feel like buying furniture from Ikea…

Some people know how to cook without recipes. My mother-in-law is one of those people. She has a feel for the right ingredients and the right amount of those ingredients to make delicious, mouth-watering, stomach-satisfying meals every single time. When it comes to discipleship, some have a feel for it, while others of us need a recipe to follow. In my previous article, I argued for pastors’ need to personally disciple those within their church. But two questions remain: whom do you disciple, and how do you disciple? In this article, we will focus on the who…

In the fall of 2023, our family moved to a very rural area for my husband to pastor a small congregation. At the time, we had two small children. We didn’t know anyone within several hours’ distance. There was a gas station and Dollar General in our town, but not much else to be noted. Since moving here, I’ve found myself saying: “Life would be so much easier if family was nearby.”, “There is so little for our family in this area.” 

As a pastor and father, I often find myself navigating questions that require clear and biblically sound answers. While some inquiries prompt a hesitant, “Let me get back to you,” others are met with well-prepared responses. Questions like “Who made you?” or “What is sin?” have clear doctrinal answers thanks to the catechism we practice in our home. This ancient method of catechesis—rooted in question-and-answer memorization—is a staple in our family worship. Although my son is only five and my daughter two…

A fundamental difference exists between normal sized churches (According to Lifeway Research, churches with less than 100 in worship are normal with over 57% of churches in North America being this size.) and large churches (Churches with greater than 100 in worship). Normal sized churches are not organizations, they are organisms. They are family. Everything in a normal sized church is based on relationships. Without healthy relationships, the normal sized church dies…

The call to ministry is a call to suffering.  When we began ministry, we started with an idealistic view that we would serve a growing congregation of people enthralled with our messages, receptive to our leadership, and loving in response.  Yet the dream soon becomes a nightmare. While it is true that most people love and appreciate our ministry, we also encounter criticism, rejection, and hardship.  Sometimes, this rejection comes from people we consider our closest friends. Ministering to broken people is…

When Jesus sent out the twelve, he instructed them with the following: “[11] And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. [12] As you enter the house, greet it. [13] And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. [14] And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. [15] Truly, I say to you…

We’ve all been there, whether it was a church service, a wedding, or a funeral. We’ve all been somewhere that the Word of God was read out loud and it was dreadful. Perhaps you were even the culprit! I know I have been. The reading was flat and monotone. It didn’t rightly reflect the tone of the original author. Apart from just being boring, why is this such a problem? When we read, we communicate something to ourselves and our hearers. Do we actually believe what we’re reading? Do we understand…

If you have spent any time serving in rural church ministry, you probably don’t need any reminding of some of the unique challenges we face. Do you struggle from a lack of resources? Are you lacking workers with which to share the load of the ministerial duties? Is there tension within your church stemming from a very diverse congregation? If so, you are not alone. As odd as it may sound, it is times like those where I have often found great comfort from church history…

Not that long ago, I was sitting in my pastor’s office, browsing his impressive library. I picked up one of his books, a thick one on church history, and commented, “I would never be able to read something like this.” At the time, I had a low view of church history…

Do you live in a rural place and feel stuck? Do you pray that God would call you to a place bigger and better than where you’re at now? Well, that was me. I was right there with you. I tried to leave twice, but in God’s providence, He kept me in a rural place. Let me explain…

In the pantheon of great cinematic heroes, Clint Eastwood rises near the top. Before he was a cop with a .44 magnum or a grumpy old man with a Gran Torino, Eastwood portrayed mysterious loners in classic westerns. He even played a gun-toting preacher once. He rode out of the wilderness as a singular and enigmatic hero. He wasn’t there to make friends. He was there to stand alone and save the day. Pastor, you're not Clint Eastwood…

One Sunday evening, as a teenager, I stood in a pew with a hymnal in my hands at small country church in PA. I had been hearing Pastor Rob preach verse by verse through the Scriptures Sunday after Sunday. After growing up in stale religion, it was like fresh rain to the soul. Suddenly the congregation sang: “Jesus what a friend for sinners, Jesus lover of my soul. Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He may Savior makes me whole!” In that moment, God regenerated my heart…

I still remember the collective gasp when I shared in one of my seminary classes that I live and minister in a town of 8,000 people. I was stunned by the amount of shock my peers displayed—8,000 is not that small! Our discussion inevitably drifted towards my plans for utilizing my degree in such a small town. To be honest, I’m uncertain about what God has in store for me in the coming years, but I am sure of one thing: God has given me the desire to strengthen the rural church…

One sleepless summer night, on the top bunk of an old camp bed, I became a Christian. The next day I became a legalist. 

Growing up, when I thought about church, I thought rules. There were rules about music, rules about friends, rules about clothing, rules about which church van to ride in, and — I was convinced — rules about the rules!

As I wrestled with the idea of trusting Christ I resisted because I didn’t want to follow Jesus if that meant submitting to endless rules…