Today is the first day of August. So far, I am on track in terms of my thesis schedule. I thought I would give you all an update. I am working with a team developing a process for decision-making at First Baptist Church Muncie. We have developed the process and will put it to use [...]

Last night, I met once again with my MSG (Ministry Support Group). We are in the middle of developing a decision-making process. We hope to have it ready for testing by August 1. The more we work toward this, the more complicated it seems. There are so many dynamics that must be considered. One of [...]

We are heading into a sermon series on 1 Corinthians. As I prepare for these sermons, I am struck by the clash of the gospel with culture. In 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:16, Paul describes the gospel as “foolishness” to those in his culture. The Greek word for foolish is mōria; we derive the word moron from [...]

Developing a process of discerning for church leaders is a daunting task. Frank Rogers, in Practicing Our Faith: A Way of Life for a Searching People (edited by Dorothy Bass) describes the difficulty. Unfortunately, there is no method that guarantees that the ways of the Spirit will be discerned in any given situation. The Holy [...]

This week, I am preaching on Luke 24. Jesus finds the disciples in a state of confusion after he rises from the dead. No doubt, they are afraid, yet joyous; they believe, yet they doubt. John Stott puts it this way. His coming found them believing and unbelieving, startled and joyful and afraid all at [...]

We are moving along with our work on developing a process of discernment. However, the deeper I get in this process, the more complicated it seems. I am sure that we cannot pin this topic down to a commodified process. In the same way, agreeing on a system of practices seems helpful. This week, I [...]

I have been deep in Charles Cosgrove and Dennis Hatfield’s book Church Conflict: The Hidden Systems Behind the Fights the past two days. The work is extremely insightful. They state their purpose in the first chapter. Our thesis is that behind the official systems of local church (its offices, boards, committees, etc.) there is another [...]

My doctoral thesis is underway. The Ministry Support Group is formed and is working on various tasks. My reading list is narrowing while the first chapter is swelling. I have not talked specifically about this project on this blog; my hope is to begin writing about my progress on this blog. My thesis is addressing [...]

I recently read Jim Van Yperen’s book, Making Peace: A Guide to Overcoming Church Conflict. This is a premier work for church leaders. A notable feature is Van Yperen’s view of conflict. He sees it as an opportunity for God to work. Resolving conflict is not about making people happy. It is an opportunity for [...]