Hmmmmm … interesting post by Chris Brauns (currently guest posting over at TakeYourVitaminZ): Do All Leaders in the Local Church Need to Be Gifted Administrators/Organizers? The answer may surprise you. It did, me. But upon further reflection, especially thinking through the various church conflicts I’ve either been involved with or assisted with, I have to say, “Yes. That’s right.” (How many church splits can trace their initial trajectory to a miscommunication / someone dropping the ball and really hurting someone by letting them down / leaders who scare their sheep by not keeping them informed, etc.)   Plus, this highlights yet another wonderful practical reason for learning to enjoy—and benefit…

Challies.com introduced me this morning to a great new blog that I’m looking forward to reading regularly: Practical Shepherding This article alone was worth my time popping over this morning: How Do You Care for a Wife Hurt by Her Husband’s P*ornography Struggle? (I use the * to try to avoid unpleasant SPAM comments from searchers for that word.) I was most challenged by his last point (encouraging her to pursue her husband) because, although I have not had this exact struggle in my own marriage (thank God), I surely have had other struggles. Really, really hard struggles. Struggles that have tempted me to pull BACK from Fred, rather than…

I’m not a huge fan of the “fruit” analogy, but the substance of this post by Deepak Reju over at IX Marks is worth reading: Picking Fruit Off a Tree In it, he talks about investing in future church leaders—rather than allowing your day to be filled with the “urgent” and the “crises” of church life. Specifically: “One of the ideas I’ve learned on our staff is to be strategic about the men I disciple and invest in. One of our staff pastors has often talked about being deliberate in investing in low-hanging fruit—men who show a lot of potential, who demonstrate a teachable heart and desire to grow, and…

This new resource from Tim Keller sure sounds like a great way to invest $32 and your time, too. (Maybe a good fit for our women’s study this summer? Hmmmmm …) Gospel  in Life (An an intensive eight session course on the gospel and how it is lived out in all of life—first in your heart, then in your community, and then out into the world.)  

Another great read from Pastor Anyabwile: The Redundancy of Radical Discipleship  

Thanks to IX Marks for the links, here are some posts from a pastor on the “bleatings from the sheep” that you should not miss: 1. I Did Not Pray for Six Months After Your Sermon on Prayer 2. People are Slow to Change   3. My People Were Living Under a Burden of Being Disappointing to Me 4. People are Weak — And Some of Us Are Pitifully Weak  

TakeYourVitaminZ thanked Tim Chester for this (great!) Marcus Honeysett article (’tis hard to accurately thank everyone re: links to links to links in blogland, isn’t it? but I do try …) A Hole in the Fuel Tank? Ten Reasons Why Churches Stall I encourage you to read the entire article (it isn’t long). And to tempt you, here are just a few summary points from Mr. Chester to consider as to why churches stall: 1. The church forgets who we are and what we are for … mission quickly becomes just one among many activities rather than the defining vision of who we are as a community. 2. The majority…

Life Together just posted a link to a fantastic article on churches as communities of convenience vs. communities of grace. A quick glance at the four-line chart is SO worth the 15 second read. But be forewarned–it is so profound that you may be thinking about it a LOT as you go throughout your day. I sure am. Gratefully,  Tara B.  

Have you been following the discussion threads over at IX Marks on Jay Adam’s “When Counseling, Don’t …” list? I REALLY appreciate their ADDITIONS and their first NUANCE too. I’m looking forward to reading more nuances when they (hopefully) post them in the future. Hope you enjoy a blessed Tuesday!   Yours, Tara B.  

Is your church currently searching for a pastor? Or has your church EVER searched for a pastor? Or MIGHT your church search for a pastor in the future? If so, then you should read this article by Pastor Anyabwile: Want Ads, Witch Trials, and Pastor Searches One line of it really struck me: “… few committees seem to really carefully search …” I think it stuck out because of an interesting conversation I had last week … It was with a pastor who was calling because his state’s denominational women’s conference was considering inviting me to serve, but first he (and his committee that oversees the conference) needed to ask…