While I was a missionary serving in Hong Kong, a Chinese pastor told an insightful parable that illustrated a powerful truth. An old man who was almost blind, was walking down a road when a strange thing happened – his nose and his eyes had a conversation. The nose was very critical of the eyes,… Continue reading REDISCOVERING LAY MINISTRY – 2
Tag: Ministry
REDISCOVERING LAY MINISTRY – 1
Tom Landry, the legendary coach of the Dallas Cowboys and a committed Christian, once compared the church to the crowd at a football game. He said there were 22 exhausted people on the field in need of rest, while 80,000 people sat in the stands needing some exercise. He claimed that in the church, a… Continue reading REDISCOVERING LAY MINISTRY – 1
Seven Things I’ve Learned About Ministry
I am at the age now when I’m old enough to have experienced a lot, but still young enough to profit from what I’ve learned. There were many things I didn’t know when I started out in ministry. Some things I knew in my head but hadn’t experienced. If I had really known these things,… Continue reading Seven Things I’ve Learned About Ministry
PHILIP THE DEACON – 2: Let Your Ministry Grow
Gary was a brand new Christian when I became the pastor of a church in Montreal, Canada. He was a university graduate and was doing very well in his company. Gary and I connected and we became good friends. We both liked sailing and enjoyed playing racquetball together. Eventually, I was the one who suggested… Continue reading PHILIP THE DEACON – 2: Let Your Ministry Grow
RESILIENCE: Bouncing Back From The Bottom
When I was a teenager, I remember listening to a famous boxing match on the radio. On December 10, 1958, Yvon Durelle, from New Brunswick, Canada fought Archie Moore for the Light Heavy Weight Championship of the world. Moore was famous; Durelle was an unknown. Moore was the world champion; Durelle was a nobody. Moore… Continue reading RESILIENCE: Bouncing Back From The Bottom
THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT
“He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. “ (2 Corinthians 3:6). A few years ago, a missionary friend of mine was driving down a rural road. Everything was going well as he approached a… Continue reading THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT
UNDERSTANDING CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRY
When Ruth & I went to East Africa as missionaries 35 years ago, we were expressly told during our field orientation that we were not to hold hands in public, not even on our mission station. Men were allowed to hold hands in public, but for any man and woman to show affection in public… Continue reading UNDERSTANDING CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRY
HANDLING CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRY
Jesus’ command is for his followers to take the gospel to people of all cultures. How do we do it successfully? To begin with, there can be no ethnocentricy in Christian ministry. Ethnocentricy is the mindset that my culture is better than anyone else’s culture. Remember, the only culture that is pleasing to God is kingdom-culture.… Continue reading HANDLING CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRY