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8/31/2010
173. Come and See
What’s the primary portal by which people enter into the life of a congregation, and thereby take their first steps toward life in Christ?
I heard a consultant describe how the answer to this question has changed over the years. From the 1910’s to 1950’s, Sunday School was
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8/25/2010
172. The Essentials
I remember asking a group of clergy a question adapted from a Stephen Covey book from years ago: “What is the one activity that you know if you did superbly well and consistently would have the most significant positive results for your church and ministry?”
The answers were wide-r
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7/28/2010
Video - Five Practices of Fruitful Living
Here is a trailer for the newly-released Five Practices of Fruitful Living. Enjoy!
You can order a copy of the book here.
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7/26/2010
171. Changing Lives or Changing Affiliations?
Recently I heard Gil Rendle say, “I was not trained to change people’s lives, but to change their membership affiliations.” With these words, Gil, who serves as a church leadership consultant with Texas Methodist Foundation, captures how our understanding of the purpose of the chur
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7/14/2010
170. Fishing
I’m writing this during a two-week study leave along the South Texas coast. This is where I’ve come the last few years for brief periods to work on my books. Each day I spend several hours writing, interspersed with periods of walking, running, reading, swimming, and sleeping. Occasional
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7/6/2010
169. Growing Deeper
Methodism began as a way of life rather than as a denominational system. John Wesley’s passion was leading people to follow Jesus, and his genius was developing patterns and support systems to help people walk with Christ. Wesley believed we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in our own spiritual
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6/21/2010
168. It Takes What It Takes
I recently listened to a podcast interview with a Catholic priest whose ministry focuses on young people involved in urban gangs. Many of the tools he uses derive from the recovery movement, including wisdom gleaned from Alcoholics Anonymous. He used a maxim that I’ve heard before to describe
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6/14/2010
167. Reflecting on God’s Call
Our theme for the Missouri Annual Conference a couple weeks ago was Growing Deeper: Deepening the Spiritual Life for Leadership in the Church. Because the call to ministry represents a spiritual milestone of extraordinary significance for pastors and provides one of the most unifying and motivating
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6/3/2010
166. Five Practices of Fruitful Living
I’m pleased to announce that Abingdon Press has released my newest book, Five Practices of Fruitful Living. It is available now from Cokesbury at a wonderfully reduced price as well as from Amazon and from a wide array of on-line and storefront Christian booksellers.
From the time I wrote Fi
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6/1/2010
165. Transforming Existing Congregations
Early last year I was asked to write a chapter for a book, The Future of the United Methodist Church—Seven Vision Pathways, to emphasize the importance of Transforming Existing Congregations. I shared some brief stories about congregations in Missouri and about some of our strategies and appro
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5/27/2010
164. Conferring Together
John Wesley’s Journal describes the first Conference of Methodists this way:
“In June, 1744, I desired my brother and a few other clergymen to meet me in London, to consider how we should proceed to save our own souls and those that heard us. After some time, I invited lay preachers tha
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5/24/2010
163. The Stack of Blogs
I’ve taken an unintentional sabbatical from the blog writing, and I apologize for that. My new book, Five Practices of Fruitful Living, has just been released and is now available from Cokesbury and Amazon, and in anticipation of this release we’ve been working to redesign and revamp the
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4/13/2010
162. Whatcha’ Reading?
As a Bishop, I often feel that nearly every element of my life is mapped out. Sometimes my calendar fills with appointments, engagements, presentations, and travel for months and years in advance. Even the everyday decisions and recurring crises are patterned and predictable to the point that much o
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4/9/2010
161. Reflections on Easter Services
Palm Sunday I enjoyed the privilege of preaching to a full house at Shiloh UMC. It was a beautiful day, bright and sunny, and the warm receptivity and great singing deepened my anticipation of Holy Week and Easter.
Since I began serving as Bishop, our family has adopted the tradition of selecting a
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3/30/2010
160. Life
“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) I’ve often considered this one of Jesus’ most important teachings, and I’ve spent years trying to understand it. What does Jesus mean by life? Obviously, life for Jesus means more than physical life,
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