The Continuum of Excellence, Part 2

In my blog post in September, I gave some thoughts about using a continuum of excellence as a guide to help us improve our ministries and some biblical rationale on why it was important. I want to provide thoughts about some pitfalls of taking this to the extreme and conclude with . . . → Read More: The Continuum of Excellence, Part 2

In Defense of Modern Worship Style

A headline from a recent article proclaims “There is a reason every hit worship song sounds the same.” The article goes on to quote a study in which the authors say, “if you have ever felt like most worship music sounds the same, it may be because the worship music you . . . → Read More: In Defense of Modern Worship Style

St. Patrick

Having Irish roots, my family always celebrated St. Patrick’s day. Wearing green to represent our Irish heritage (as well as avoiding getting pinched) was always the order of the day. Special shamrock cookies usually were served to celebrate. Even though the holiday bears his name, I would venture to say that . . . → Read More: St. Patrick

Multigenerational Worship

Years ago, someone was likely tired of kids being restless in church. They likely thought “we can solve this problem by pulling out the children and having their own worship service.” If you want to spend 5 minutes getting a chuckle, check . . . → Read More: Multigenerational Worship

Choirs are Alive and Well

Over the last 10 or more years, we have seen a decline in churches using choirs in worship. Headlines, such as this one: “Many Church Choirs are Dying. Here’s Why,” appeared to confirm the trend. I think there are many reasons for that trend, but the good news is I think . . . → Read More: Choirs are Alive and Well

Sabbath

How Do You Honor the Sabbath When You Work for a Church?

The fourth commandment in the 10 commandments is to honor the Sabbath. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God, and the remaining six commands deal with our relationships to others. The commandments that precede it talk . . . → Read More: Sabbath

Unlikely Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and is a week from today. It is always a season that I enjoy, with fall being my favorite time of year. It is highly anticipated as we look forward to being with family and celebrating the faithfulness of God. Our worship program is in charge of . . . → Read More: Unlikely Thanksgiving

Girls vs. Guys

So I get a lot of questions about the next topic. One of the popular descriptors about worship songs today is “it’s a guy song” or “it’s a girl song.” Typically what is meant by the comment is that a girl (or guy) sang the song on the original recording. I . . . → Read More: Girls vs. Guys

Reformation, Part 2

I love the comments about what needs to be reformed about worship and church life today. Several commented that reformation must start with the individual. This was true with Martin Luther, and it is true today. God is in the business of reforming, and we should ourselves be working to be . . . → Read More: Reformation, Part 2

Reformation

This year is a big year, as it marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of the Reformation, generally marked by the nailing of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” on the Wittenburg Castle door. The purpose for the theses were to raise questions about what was happening in the Catholic church. The . . . → Read More: Reformation