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Qoheleth: Preacher, Teacher, Gatherer
Qoheleth (ko-HEHL-ehth) may seem like a strange name for a blog. It’s actually the name of a book in the Bible (you may know it as Ecclesiastes). The book is named after its protagonist. Often, it is...
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The Guts and Glory of being an Elder
One of the greatest joys in my 26 years of ministry at Central Peninsula Church has been working side by side with our team of elders. Together we have over 100 years of experience serving as elders....
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Standing the Strain
In my last blog post, I promised I’d share more about why I believe shared elder leadership is the right way to lead a church. The most obvious reason is that I believe it is biblical. For now, I won’t...
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Guidelines for Sexual Purity Among Staff
At the church I serve in, we’ve carved out some basic guidelines for our staff to encourage purity and to avoid even the appearance of evil. While we want to avoid legalism, we came up with the...
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How Faith Grows
I’ve been reading a book by Andy Stanley called Deep and Wide. The sub-title is Creating churches unchurched people love to attend. I don’t agree with everything in the book, but it’s a good book that...
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The Cost of Non-Discipleship
Several years ago I compiled a devotional book from Ray Stedman’s writings called The Power of His Presence. I’m delighted that these devotions are now being sent out to over 7,000 people each day on...
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Family Business or Body of Christ?
The word “nepotism” originated in the Middle Ages, when some Catholic popes and bishops, who had taken vows of chastity and therefore usually had no children of their own, gave their nephews (sometimes...
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An Elder’s Authority
In 1979 I traveled with Ray Stedman to Brazil. Ray was in his prime. I was just a young man, very wet behind the ears, as they say. I saw Ray in action. I saw a man who exercised pastoral authority in...
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An Elder’s Authority
ELDERS LOSE AUTHORITY WHEN THEY SEEK POWER AND CONTROL Authority is not power and control. Power and control may work over the short term but will eventually fail. Power is the use of gift, position,...
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Mentoring Young Pastors
men·tor ˈmenˌtôr,-tər/ an experienced and trusted adviser. “he was her friend and mentor until his death” synonyms: advisor, guide, guru, counselor, consultant Many people are talking about mentoring...
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