5/13/2020
I have a fundamental belief that churches need to produce disciples who build bridges that connect different people in different places to Jesus. Perhaps it's my age speaking, but I believe more than ever that discipleship is being Jesus’ witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. We are comfortable with the Jerusalem part of being a witness if this means people who already attend our churches. But that’s only part of Jesus’ command. What about “building bridges” to ...
4/29/2020
How was your Easter? Easter was very different for me this year. It forced me to embody the Easter story in a fresh way. Like many of you, I lamented over not being able to have all of the "bells and whistles" and the usual "pomp and circumstance" during Easter Sunday worship. I watched with anticipation several of our district churches Easter services. I was blown away by the innovation and fresh approaches to Easter despite the constraints of sheltering in place and physical distancing. ...
4/15/2020
The days of the weeks have blurred together. I believe that this is day 34 of my physical distancing, and I'm trying to find a new rhythm for life and ministry. Of the many things that I've done to maintain some sense of normalcy is 100 push-ups per day, and cardio for 40 minutes while playing Xbox to pass the time quickly (LA Fitness is closed, and my trainer is unable to do virtual training). I exercise in my "make-shift" office in the basement in front of a flat-screen TV. I have to adapt to ...
4/1/2020
Have you gone stir-crazy from cabin fever yet? If it weren't for Dionne's birthday on Tuesday, March 24, and my sister-in-law Gillian's birthday today, I wouldn't know what day it is. In Conyers (Rockdale County), where I live, we are under a mandatory “shelter in place” order until April 8. On the last count, from my social distancing, since I'm one of several people with a preexisting condition, this means that I've been working from home for three weeks! Occasionally, I have to remind ...
3/17/2020
In just fourteen days, my new book Discipleship Path will hit the presses! I’m excited about this project as many of our pastors and laity helped me to create the process that I discuss in the book. Here’s a brief excerpt from the book: People are not looking for a church. People are looking for community and engagement. This news was the painful lesson I learned as a failed church planter a few years ago. It took me a long time to come to terms with my failure. After all, I sincerely...
3/4/2020
What questions are people in your community asking? I've asked several congregations in the district to consider this question as they think about its impact of making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. I wrote about how to answer this question back in July 2019. If you missed it, click here for the information. Recently, I caught up with Dr. Doug Gilreath, senior pastor of Covington First United Methodist Church, (CFUMC) and asked him how Covington First ...
2/19/2020
Prayer Do you remember the bedtime prayer, “Now He lay me down to sleep?” If you’re like me, this nightly ritual was the first prayer that you learned. And of course, at the end of the prayer, I would ask God to bless every person that I could think of, often trying my parents’ patience. After I mastered this prayer, Daddy taught me how to offer the blessing over the meal by saying, “Lord, thank you for this opportunity to eat, I pray that you bless this food to nourish our bodies. ...
2/5/2020
Leadership Pipeline Over the past few years, I have worked with churches to develop a leadership pipeline. In my work as superintendent over the district, I’ve witnessed several examples of church lay leadership. Below, I want to share two churches that have an active leadership pipeline in place. It is always a toss-up between these churches for the most lay servants to be recognized in the area. I’m grateful to the leadership of Dr. Derrick Rhodes and Rev. Robert Ward, Sr. for sharing their ...
1/22/2020
The Measure of a Person Monday, January 20, marked the 37th celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday. Had not an assassin’s bullet snuffed out his life prematurely, nearly 52 years ago, King would have celebrated his 91st birthday this year. As we remember him, many have referenced several of his famously eloquent speeches. Yet there is one of his more straightforward declarations that rings especially true: “We have an opportunity to make a better nation.” When King spoke of a...
1/1/2020
Learning to Adapt to Change New Year’s Eve will mark my first anniversary of attending LA Fitness gym for my first session with a personal trainer. My trainer caught off guard when he asked if I had plans for later that night. With a puzzled look, I responded in a rather clueless manner, “Now, why would I have plans for later tonight?” After my new trainer gave the “where have you been” stare at me, it finally occurred to me that it was December 31! And if I needed more proof of the day, the ...