Did you know that most amputees experience phantom limb sensation? Pain, itching or tingling in a part of their bodies that is no longer attached? Why, as a Christian, do I still feel guilt & shame over things done by or to me that I know God has forgiven & cleansed me of? These are … Continue reading The Past, Phantom Shame, & the Right to Condemn
Author: plstepp
Vienna and Budapest (and Zagreb)
Beth's brothers & sisters flew in to Zagreb last week. Since Saturday, we've been traveling to the major historical capital cities along the Danube. So since Zagreb, we've been to Budapest & Vienna (with Prague still to come.) This is our second trip to Budapest, but our first doesn't really count; we were there for … Continue reading Vienna and Budapest (and Zagreb)
What Small Churches Need (Ministry in Small Churches pt 6)
What do small churches need, and how does their size affect the meeting of these needs? Like large churches, small churches need a mix of gifts in leadership. I think the APEST formulation captures this mix most clearly: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, Teacher. Many leaders--maybe even most--are competent, even excellent, in more than one area. … Continue reading What Small Churches Need (Ministry in Small Churches pt 6)
Monument to a Failed Revolution
This is a monument in the Castle district in Budapest, commemorating the failed war of independence, 1848-49. Notice the broken cannon & its similarly broken carrion. The revolution failed; the angel came to offer comfort.
Wisdom from Godin
What's your most intractable problem?
About the Character of Ministry (Ministering in Small Churches pt 5)
These are remarks I planned to give at the Consultation on Theological Education in Osijek last April, but was not able to give because of time. They fit the current theme, Ministry in Small Churches, so I am posting them here. Like the leaders in business and politics, church and ministry leaders in our region … Continue reading About the Character of Ministry (Ministering in Small Churches pt 5)
Why Does It Matter? (Ministry in Small Churches pt 4)
Why should we care about the needs of (and quality of ministry in) small churches? Well, as noted earlier, half of the Christians in the USA attend churches with AWA (average weekly attendance) of less than 100. But that's just the USA. Around the world, including in Croatia (where I serve), virtually all evangelical churches … Continue reading Why Does It Matter? (Ministry in Small Churches pt 4)
A “New” Approach to Ministry in Small Churches (Ministry in Small Churches pt 3)
So: what will successful small church ministry look like in coming decades? (This is a sketch; elaboration in the coming days.) Move away from full-time pastors with Bible / ministry / seminary degrees, to bivocational part-timers, educated for & earning salaries in professions outside the church. (Stetzer's "marketplace ministers") Move away from CEO leadership to … Continue reading A “New” Approach to Ministry in Small Churches (Ministry in Small Churches pt 3)
Why Should We Care about Small Churches? (Ministry in Small Churches pt 2)
The megachurches get all the headlines, and the world outside Christianity generally equates evangelicalism with megachurches. To them, evangelical Christianity IS Joel Osteen or James MacDonald, Robert Jeffries, etc. This is not only the world outside Christianity. I have spent my life, and my career as a pastor, in the independent Christian Churches and Churches … Continue reading Why Should We Care about Small Churches? (Ministry in Small Churches pt 2)
Circleslide 