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Category Archives: Mark’s Blog
The Best Basis for Hope
Christian hope is not built on “hoping” something good will happen in the future. The power of our hope is its foundation on what God has done in the past and is doing right now. In my meditation this morning, … Continue reading
Posted in Bible and Theology, Mark's Blog, My Personal Journey
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Summarizing The Strategically Small Church
I just finished The Strategically Small Church. I hope I get the opportunity to work through this book with a local congregation sometime. O’Brien says the title refers to a change of attitude from “we’re just a small church” to … Continue reading
Posted in Mark's Blog, Mark's Currently Reading, Pastoral Ministry
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Another Startling Economic Reality
Brandon J. O’Brien quotes Tom Sine who estimates that those born in the 1930s spent 30% of one income on a mortgage; those born in the 1980’s need 50% of two incomes to support buying a house. I remember that … Continue reading
Posted in Mark's Blog, My Personal Journey
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Is the church for the rich?
I read in my favorite blog that the richest American’s now earn almost a quarter of American income, making us worse in economic distribution than the Banana Republics of Central America. This distresses me for two reasons: #1, I’m not … Continue reading
Posted in Bible and Theology, Mark's Blog
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Still Looking . . . Still Believing . . . Now Trembling
Someone asked me today about my job search. I don’t have any realistic expectations of landing a ministry job before the first of the year. That realization this week re-focused my job search and surfaced my first real trepidation. The … Continue reading
Posted in Mark's Blog, My Personal Journey
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Deciding on Programs #2
I found a dynamite quote in The Strategically Small Church in my reading this afternoon. O’Brien quotes Jim Belcher, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church as saying, “synergy between the people’s heart and the pastor’s heart” produces church activity that changes … Continue reading
Posted in Mark's Blog, Pastoral Ministry
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Deciding on Programs, #1
Everyone who pastors a church smaller than 500 people owes it to themselves to read Brandon O’Brien’s The Strategically Small Church. He believe in church growth — just that healthy churches plant other churches, rather than continuously growing larger. In … Continue reading
Posted in Mark's Blog, Pastoral Ministry
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When all else fails . . .
Hey, I just finished Andy Stanley’s book! And apart from the quibbles (see earlier posts), I loved it. I especially loved the last chapter where he answered the question all preachers face: what do I do when it’s almost time … Continue reading
Posted in Mark's Blog, My Personal Journey, Pastoral Ministry
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I got nervous
I’m torn between really liking Andy Stanley’s Communicating for a Change and being frightened by some of his assertions. “Presentation trumps information (page 146)” makes me nervous. I’ve taught novice preachers to remember several sermons that were all presentation and … Continue reading
Posted in Mark's Blog, Pastoral Ministry
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Small Churches; Contemporary Sermons
Yesterday I started reading Brandon J O’Brien’s The Strategically Small Church. I had commented on a blog post about it, and one of my commenters suggested I actually read the book. It’s a short book that gets right to the … Continue reading
Posted in Mark's Blog, Mark's Currently Reading
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