In an earlier post on hospitality (read it here), I discussed the importance of guest follow up, and I shared some tips and tools. I based my post on Hebrews 13:2 – “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” This is a reference …
In the Gospel of Luke 14:15-24, Jesus tells the parable of the Great Banquet. A man of great wealth prepares a great banquet, and when it’s ready, he tells his servant to alert those invited. When the servant finds the invited guests, they give several excuses as to why they cannot come to this great …
We are excited to have the Rev. Dr. Tom Bandy share monthly with us on how we can best use MissionInsite to support outreach and evangelism and the development of new faith expressions in local churches. This is his first post on how we can use MissionInsite when planning for September ministry events. Many of …
Read more “Making Good Use of PeoplePlot: Start-up Events for September”
On occasion I’m asked where my ideas for blog posts come from, and honestly they come from a variety of sources. Many are based on blogs, articles, and books I read. Some are reflections on training events or conferences I’ve attended. Several have been grounded in my own experiences as a local church pastor. A …
I love the story of Samuel because of God’s involvement in his life from the very beginning. Hannah cries out to God for a son at the altar. God hears her cries and sees her distress. Eli, the priest, confirms God’s blessing soon to come upon her, and she vows to dedicate the child to …
“One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.” As I was running this past Wednesday, I couldn’t get this phrase out of my mind. Perhaps I should explain. This past week, Lauren and I were attending the United Methodist Congregational Developers Gathering in Denver, Colorado. We will write more about this in the …
As I am writing this, we are at the beginning of what I consider the holiest time of the Christian year, conveniently called Holy Week, therefore you would think that I would post about that. I was going to do that at first, then I got “the letter,” which moved me to write about the …
On February 8th, Asbury University held its regularly scheduled chapel service, and it turned into a nonstop worship service lasting weeks attracting thousands of visitors to Wilmore, Kentucky. The chapel service was already popular. It regularly attracted visitors from all over the country wanting to experience its worship. However, after this particular service, many students …
The mission of The United Methodist Church is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” I wholeheartedly agree with this mission, and I believe disciple making is the most important undertaking with which we should be engaged. We have assumed that if a church provides consistent events, biblical information, and …
These posts usually begin as an idea that pops into my mind during my morning runs. As a practice, I don’t listen to music, books or podcasts as I run. I listen to the thoughts in my head, to the prayers I utter, and for God’s voice and direction. This week’s post has come about …