If you have been in ministry any length of time, you may have heard the phrase “missions begins at home”. That is exactly what we are doing here at MinistryPlace.net with the new Missions Monday series. Our first look is at local outreach. What are you doing locally to reach […]
May 2017 Newsletter
My latest newsletter is out. You can read it Here. Please take a moment and pray for the ministry. Thank you.
Five Ways to Welcome New Church Staff to Your Community… A How-to guide.
If you live in a community of any size, there is a decent probability that one of the churches will have hired new or replacement staff members. Uprooting and moving a family two miles or two thousand miles is a big deal. How can the believers in your local community […]
Sermons
In response to request from some ministry friends, I am going back and publishing audio and PDF notes from messages I’ve given at rural churches in Illinois and Indiana. Pulpit supply has been a sizable part of my ministry lately. I have been able to serve Pastors and churches in […]
Remembering Columbine… Never Again.
On April 20, 1999. Things changed. Not everyone that day knew just exactly how wide ranging those changes would be, but there was a huge cultural shift. The school shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado was one of stories that helped to form our current 24 hour news cycle. […]
The 600th post…
In 2007 and early 2008, I had a crazy idea to start a ministry blog. I never imagined it would lead me through two different churches, seeing the addition of two more children to my family, through writing a book, and speaking and traveling all over the country as part […]
4 Things to Look for at #SYMC2016
This weekend is the “reboot” of Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago. Whether this is your first time here or you are an “old pro”, There are four things you should look for this weekend. Look for Jesus – Conferences are often disorienting. It’s easy to lose your way in […]
MinistryPlace.Net on the Road: Simply Youth Ministry Conference
This weekend, thousands of youth workers will descend on Chicago. Pray that youth workers will be refreshed, retooled, and recentered on Jesus and serving teenagers. I will be helping with a Rural Ministry Connect Group, and serving on a couple peer panels on evangelism and family ministry. Youth workers will […]
MinistryPlace.Net on the Road: Ohio Mennonite Youth Workers Retreat
This weekend, I am teaching at the Ohio Mennonite Conference Youth worker retreat in Kidron, Ohio. I’ll be doing a two part session of The Rural Youth Ministry Lab. Pray for those in attendance that traveled from all over the state for this weekend. Pray for refreshing worship and ideas […]
The Purpose of Youth Ministry…
Yesterday, I attended my mom’s church in Southern Illinois. The Pastor gave a message based on John 4, the woman at the well. One of the statements that the pastor made summed up the passage well, but also encapsulated what we should be modeling as youth workers: “Jesus knew everything […]
Don’t fall for the 1-8XX Number Scam
On Chicago’s WLS-AM this morning (The nice thing about living in the Midwest is that strong AM signals travel a long way over flat farmland…) Illinois Attorney General about the 1-8XX Number scams and how to protect yourself. I am reposting the interview, as it has some great information. Well […]
What does a Rural Ministry Specialist do?
In my work with National Network of Youth Ministries, I get asked this question a lot. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share about my work with NNYM at Nyesville Full Gospel Church. The presentation gives a great overview of the work I do in Illinois, Indiana […]