A Pastor’s View
My friend Warren is a trustworthy and faithful friend. He is a guest preacher at our church, a personal confidant and a wise advisor. He is also an experienced minister and missionary, having served for decades in different settings. A few years ago, he launched a mission sending agency focused on exposing teenagers and young […]
Summer unofficially started yesterday. The new season is off to a less than auspicious start. It’s been noted in the last several days that we are grappling with two viruses, one new, the other very old. The covid-19 pandemic that arrived in the United States in January is new. It has disrupted our lives, our […]
Steve Smith is Director of Hope Works Counseling Center in Plano, Texas. He has served in several churches during his ministry, including the First Baptist Church of Euless, Texas and Prestonwood Baptist Church in North Dallas. In addition to overseeing the counseling center with more than ten counselors on staff, Steve is pastor of Hebron […]
After a time of intense ministry, Jesus commanded his disciples to come apart and be with him away from the crowds and pressures of ministry (Mark 6:30-32). Someone once wisely said, “If we don’t come apart to be with Jesus regularly, we will surely come apart in other ways.” Let’s focus a bit more on […]
We titled this resource, “A Pastor’s View” with the understanding that local church pastors are key to Christ’s kingdom mission. Pastors are “front-liners” and “first responders” in their own right. The work of pastors is unique. We serve as priests and prophets (Ephesians 4:11-12). Our work is multifaceted and at times confusing. A younger pastor […]
The newest buzz word in church leadership is “pivot.” In a recent Dallas Morning News article concerning the collective attempts to slow the Covid-19 virus, Dr. Philip Huang, Dallas County Health Director, said, “This is what we’re all trying to address and keep death down as much as we can.” Keeping “death down” is a profound goal in […]
This is an unusual Easter, to say the least. The only one perhaps stranger than this one was the first one! From a distance of two thousand years, we try to imagine ourselves in the events of this week: Cheering Jesus as he came into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Watching him engage with both those […]
Dr. Denison and I are collaborating for this clear purpose: to edify pastors and church leaders so they can serve the church and world well. Edify means to “build up, to make stronger, or healthier.” When I started out in ministry, my pastor and mentor, the late Paul Powell, once told me, “Church ministry is a […]