Christmas and Stress
[From my diary] Tomorrow is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The next day is Christmas Eve. Then, of course, comes Christmas Day. This wonderful time of the year we celebrate God becoming human like us–to save us. With the added intensity of the next few days, your pastor is probably struggling with his or her…
Leadership Matters And So Does Your Sabbatical
A certain type of self-understanding is essential for the parish pastor who wants to be a great leader. I appreciate Anthony B. Robinson’s insights into the importance of the pastor’s self-understanding for leadership in the parish in Robinson’s article, “Leadership That Matters.” Robinson draws his insights from James MacGregor Burns (Leadership, 1978), Edwin H. Friedman…
Getting Ready For Home Exchange — Closets, Drawers & Cabinets
Our next home exchange is scheduled for August 2012. We are doing a home exchange with a pastor and his family from England, as part of our 3-month ministry sabbatical. As I looked over our home exchange agreement, I saw one line in the agreement that was exciting and a blessing: “Sufficient closets, drawers and…