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7/6/2010
169. Growing Deeper
Methodism began as a way of life rather than as a denominational system. John Wesley’s passion was leading people to follow Jesus, and his genius was developing patterns and support systems to help people walk with Christ. Wesley believed we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in our own spiritual
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4/9/2010
161. Reflections on Easter Services
Palm Sunday I enjoyed the privilege of preaching to a full house at Shiloh UMC. It was a beautiful day, bright and sunny, and the warm receptivity and great singing deepened my anticipation of Holy Week and Easter.
Since I began serving as Bishop, our family has adopted the tradition of selecting a
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12/7/2009
150. The Progress Bar
Every time I download a photo, upload a file, or scan my computer for viruses, I find myself mesmerized by the progress bar. The progress bar is the horizontal meter graph that moves from 0% to 100% as the computer processes a task to completion. With a small file on a fast computer, the progress ba
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10/20/2008
94. Mystery Visitors
A few of our churches in Missouri are taking an interesting step in their search for excellence in hospitality. They’ve contracted to receive in-depth evaluations through an extensive program of engagement with mystery visitors, using methods similar to retail’s “Secret
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1/25/2008
35. What's Your System for Reaching People?
Recently a clergy friend loaned me a CD of a talk by Andy Stanley about ministry systems. I haven’t read much of Stanley’s work, but I appreciated some of the stories he told. For instance, he described “the system” in his family for getting the garbage taken out. Each Wednes
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