The Case Oakwood Covenant hadn't grown for more than ten years. The church didn't have any specific crises or money problems, but a few leaders realized the church was adrift; people who seemed eager to do something often left the church for another. There had been no new ministry initiatives in years. Oakwood Covenant had also a congregational form of government, so new ministry emphases required ...

Topics:	Change, Core values, Direction, Discouragement, Mistakes, Planning, Transitions, Vision
Filters:	Church board, Discipleship, Elder, Management, Pastor, Pastoral care, Shepherd, Stewardship
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	John 15:1-8
Date Added:	July 31, 2007

Oakwood Covenant hadn't grown for more than ten years. The church didn't have any specific crises or money problems, but a few leaders realized the church was adrift; people who seemed eager to do something often left the church for another. There had been no new ministry initiatives in years. Oakwood Covenant had also a congregational form of government, so new ministry emphases required ...

Topics:	Goals, Master plan, Mission statement, Objectives, Planning, Strategy, Vision
Filters:	Church board, Church staff, Elder, Pastor, Pastoral care
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	John 15:1-8
Date Added:	July 31, 2007

Yesterday, I stood in front of a ministry team and asked: "What tends to emerge in the life of a person who neglects his or her soul? What symptoms creep in?"

I explained that no one ever sets out to trash the condition of his soul, and particularly not those of us in vocational ministry. Yet we often find ourselves in a spiritual death spiral—facing ever increasing ministry loads yielding ever ...

Topics:	Accountability, Health, Prayer, Soul, Spiritual disciplines
Filters:	Discipleship, Pastor, Pastoral care, Small group leader, Spiritual director
Purpose:	Discipleship
References:	Psalm 131:2, John 15:5
Date Added:	August 08, 2007