July 26, 2017
silence

Silence: A Seldom Used Communication Tool

Have you ever experienced “Silence” when you asked someone a question? Might you have been uncomfortable with their silence? So what did you do? The average person waits only 2-3 seconds before rephrasing the question or answering the question themselves or just moving on.  And strange as it may sound the average person has no idea that they do this! How about you?  Confronted with silence have you too quickly re-asked the question?  Or restated the question in another way?  Or maybe asked a second or even third question hoping they would respond? Please don’t! Your silence can, in fact, […]
July 24, 2017
conflict

The Healthy Approach to Resolving Church Conflict

The Table podcast: In this episode, Dr. Darrell Bock and Eric Willis discuss a healthy approach to resolving church conflict. Listen via this link  The Table is a weekly podcast from the Hendricks Center. These podcasts treat key topics related to God, religion, Christianity, faith, work, and Culture. They show the relevance of theology to all areas of life. They will be hosted primarily by Dr. Darrell Bock, Executive Director for Cultural Engagement at the Center.  His guests bring significant experience to the topics they cover.
July 21, 2017
choices

Choices: There’s a Fork in the Road Ahead

Choices: In this article by Barry Voss, originally posted via Faith Life Ministries, he highlights the extreme importance of our day to day decisions. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12 In life we all have many choices to make. We choose where to go to college, where to work, what career to pursue, where to live, who to marry, etc. Some choices we make can have a big impact on our lives, such as those mentioned above, while some are minor and only affect our day […]
July 19, 2017
A Few Good Men, father

A Few Good Men: Before you are a pastor, you are a father

Many countries recently celebrated Father’s Day this past June 18th. Fathers from all walks of life were thanked, honored and celebrated for the important role they have in the family – that of being a Dad. The role of the father is very crucial, whether we care to admit it or not. We cannot reiterate enough how important he is to the home and to the children. This role is so crucial that many of society’s problems can be traced back to a dysfunctional family that is, almost always, perpetuated by fatherlessness. The fatherlessness problem is wrecking havoc in the […]
July 17, 2017
pastoral training

Training of Pastors: A high priority for global ministry strategy (UPDATED)

Editors Note: This article appeared originally on the Lausanne Movement website and was featured previously on Christianity Today. In this article, I consider the strategic priority of pastoral training for intentional global ministry and missions partnerships. I also propose practical considerations for both strategists and practitioners in pastoral training—whether individuals or churches, but especially for formal and institutional programs as well as non-formal organizational initiatives. Examples around the world: the need for pastoral training Recently, the National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostals informally contacted the Kampala (Uganda) Evangelical School of Theology to help with basic training for their pastors—30,000 of them. Is […]
July 17, 2017
church history

Six Lessons Christians Must Learn From Church History

“Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana (1863-1952) Church history reveals some lessons that Christians today would be wise to consider and reflect upon. The Christian Church has existed for 2,000 years, but it has changed and evolved significantly over that time. It is therefore important to look back and learn the lessons from the history of the Church that can help us chart a way forward today. A few years ago I read a wonderful book on the history of the Church written by Dr. Bruce Shelley entitled, “Church History in Plain […]
July 12, 2017

Why does biblical interpretation matter?

The Need for Biblical Interpretation I became a believer in 1970 while a freshman at the University of Illinois. The early 70’s were a time of a great spiritual harvest on the college campuses across the country, and God, in his great mercy, included me. A few months later, I began to receive postcards from Chuck, a young man who had lived with us. My mother was a high school English teacher with a huge heart. She ended up welcoming troubled high schoolers into our home….sometimes for a few days or, as in the case of Chuck, for several months. […]
July 11, 2017
delegate

3 Reasons To Delegate More

The power of delegation shared by Darren Poke. Steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, once said, “No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit.” He understood that learning how to delegate effectively is one of the keys to being a great leader. It’s not a skill that comes naturally to me and I’ve seen a lot of other leaders who struggle with it as well. But if you want to become a better leader, with more proficient people around you and a team that’s achieving brilliant results, you need to […]