I am the lead pastor at People's United Methodist Church in the Wisconsin Conference of The United Methodist Church, husband of my beautiful wife, Barbara, dad to my fantastic son, Josh and his wife Caroline, step-dad to my phenomenal son, Greg, his wife Hannah and our fabulous/glorious/perfect granddaughter Evie, author of seventeen books on spirituality, stewardship, congregational development, research, and spiritual gifts discovery, and an advocate for a more loving, inclusive church for the 21st century and beyond.
I am not known for keeping my mouth shut. I often say things in public settings that get me in trouble (see Minding Our Own Business). But, you know what? I don’t think letting people know we are Christian should be such a big, hairy deal. I said something in […]
Loving books, God and the church impels me to look at local church libraries whenever I visit a new place. Were we to view church libraries as a “witness” to a church’s learning and beliefs, we would generally be misled. Church libraries are odd little repositories for an eclectic and […]
I spoke with a pastor recently who told me his congregation sold a gift of land, not because they needed the money, but because they were afraid they might have to move. The parcel of land was larger, centrally located to new developments in the fastest growing area in the […]
No one sets out to offer vacuous, insipid, superficial, or self-absorbed worship. Pastors and lay leaders both dedicate themselves to creating meaningful, spiritual and authentic worship experiences. Yet, at a gathering of 21-29 year olds who have “given up on church” that took place in 2007 , these were the top […]
Flipping through TV channels, I paused on a sincere, yet bizarre religious show where in a matter of moments I heard that the devil is working on perverting our children, that there is absolutely no scientific evidence in support of evolution, that all homosexuals are atheists out to destroy the […]
Someone I went to seminary with passed away recently, and I found it interesting that colleagues and members of his churches fondly and appreciatively noted that “he was so dedicated. He must have worked 80 hours a week, at least!” Many people made mention of his Herculean work style, often […]
“My people won’t let me take a day off,” confessed a colleague. “What do you mean “won’t let you?” I asked. “I mean that they call me and they hunt me down. They will not leave me alone.” “Well, what are you doing about it? How are you defining and […]
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not […]
I got a nice email from a pastor in Australia that set me to thinking. He writes: I found your blog by accident and started reading it regularly, but for a time I thought you were having me on. I thought it was a joke site, because of the outrageous […]
What responsibility does the individual have for her or his own spiritual growth and development? At least 70% of people leaving The United Methodist Church give “spiritual needs not met” as one of the reasons for their departure. (Based on 429 “exit” interviews, 2002-2003) But what do they mean when […]
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