Something I have been pondering much the past year is how we can better involve our members in service to the church. During the worst of Covid, we wanted to decrease how many people were actively ever in the building. Inevitably, a few people were taking care of a lot of things. But now we … Read more
Individual Confession & Absolution Service I had a unique experience as a pastor the other other day. A member stopped by and asked about a time for Individual Confession & Absolution. A member asking for Private Confession!? I can count on one hand how many times that has happened. Then, a few days later, another … Read more
Our congregation sings well. Exceptionally well! Members from the choir lead the effort. Others aren’t as bold, but will rally behind a stronger voice. A tide can rise, swaying even the most reluctant to join in. It’s a shame that we often leave music making to performers or Spotify. Everyone should join in making music. … Read more
I buy books for professional development. Some are theological, some are Bible Studies, and others are books to help me put more tools in my tool belt. Recently, I purchased a quick read on anxiety since anxiety is so prevalent, especially after 2020. I know I’ve felt more anxious recently, so I pulled that … Read more
The Church celebrated this past year the lowest attending Sunday of all: Christmas. It’s common to hear laments of how few church goers attend on Christmas Day, but even more so when it lands on a Sunday as it did in 2022. Social Media was full of warning posts to Christians the week before. “Christians … Read more
In August, I became the Preschool Director and an assistant in the afternoon class. It is fun doing something new. One of the benefits of working more closely with both the church and the Preschool is being able to brainstorm ways our church and Preschool can become more integrated. In September, we had … Read more
I love All Saints’ Day! It is one of my favorite Sundays and services of the year. The imagery is beautiful. All Saints’ Day brings to the forefront something we know but may not always take time to acknowledge. We are CELEBRATING with the saints of all times, places, and peoples. In our sermon on … Read more
I had the opportunity to attend a few conferences at the very end of September and the beginning of October. One of my favorites to attend is our Indiana District DCE conference. Mark Kiessling, Director of Youth Ministry in the LCMS, was our speaker. He spoke about young adults and how/why they stay, or leave … Read more
Church attendance is one of the most frustrating things to address. It’s hard not to sound legalistic: “Come to church – or else!” It’s hard not to sound like church is about numbers: “We NEED stronger attendance, We NEED more young families, We NEED more giving!” It’s hard not to sound like it’s being taken … Read more
Recently, I had the privilege of attending a Lutheran Administrator’s Conference in Florida. While I was there, I learned many things about Early Childhood Education and Administration. I also received a few books at the conference. I decided to start with a one written by Jeffrey Leininger called Callings for Life: God’s Plan, Your Purpose. … Read more