Follow Jesus. Lead the church. Change the world.
I have heard it said that some things are better caught than taught. We teach through what we say, but our words must match our actions. We are certainly learning this principle as parents. We use words to teach Ethan how to behave, but he picks up on our actions, too. Recently, Virgin HealthMiles replaced … Read more
Today, Joleen and I announced to our churches that we are going to adopt a second child. Once again, we are adopting an infant from Korea. We are requesting a girl. We are using the same agencies, Adoption Horizons (our local agency and caseworker) and Americans for International Aid and Adoption. We’re expecting AIAA to … Read more
Awhile back, I read some posts of (young) United Methodist clergy stating why they stay in The United Methodist Church. I finally took some time to put part of our story in writing. Joleen and I became members of (and pastors in) The United Methodist Church 11 years ago. We did not grow up in … Read more
Tonight, I participated in the Clearfield observance of the National Day of Prayer. I was asked to lead in prayer for “personal revival.” I don’t normally write out my comments/prayers, but I wanted to for this event, so here it is. My Prayer for Revival There aren’t many things more dangerous to life–to spiritual life–than … Read more
I have always been interested in web design (well, at least ever since the Internet has become part of our lives). I built my first website in 2001, a website for young leaders (later discontinued). And, in my previous pastoral appointment, I built a website for the church. I didn’t build this blog/site, but I … Read more
One of the things that Joleen and I have noticed as much as anything else in the 14.5 months that Ethan has been with us is that, because he is so observant, we have to pay attention to everything — the sound of the car driving by outside, sirens, the fan that comes on in … Read more
My two biggest passions in ministry are preaching and leadership. I recently blogged the role of preaching where I reflected on my journey as a preacher. My leadership journey, like my preaching journey, also began early on in my spiritual journey. The standard question is whether leaders are born or made (i.e., nature vs. nurture). … Read more
I have now reached Level 3 (of 5) in the HealthMiles incentives program, less than 2.5 months after activating the GoZone pedometer that came with the program, offered through our conference’s health insurance plan (see my first post, Racking Up HealthMiles). When I reached Level 2, I estimated that it might take about 60 days … Read more
I realize that the Easter holiday was two weeks ago, but if we’re not careful, Easter (like Christmas) can become just another holiday that we celebrate simply because it’s on the calendar. That seems to be the case for people who attend worship gatherings mainly at Christmas and Easter. But even those of us who … Read more
I grew up in a tradition where preaching was highly valued, so much so that a call to ministry was commonly described as a “call to preach.” As I began processing God’s call on my own life, I naturally focused on preaching above everything else. Interestingly, two years into my ministry journey, during my senior … Read more