In our last post What Are Spiritual Disciplines And Practices? we defined spiritual practices and stressed their impact and the importance of having a variety to draw from. In this post we will share some sources for spiritual practices as well as provide a link to 20 specific spiritual practices to consider adding to your spiritual growth regimen. It wasn’t... Continue Reading
A hard reality that is becoming increasingly prevalent is that the church has largely been preoccupied with religious ideas, doctrines, and dogma, what is wrong and what is right. And evidence points to the fact that religion centered on nothing more than biblical belief has not worked when it comes to living the teachings of Jesus. That is because when... Continue Reading
If you are like me, you have spent the better part of your ministry career living with some level of guilt about not observing Sabbath, at least in a traditional and legalistic understanding of Sabbath. Like most ministers, throughout my ministry I have worked a minimum of 5 days and more times than not 6 or even 7 days a... Continue Reading
Recently I met with a group of church educators and the topic of discussion was soul care. Soul, not in the sense of that part of us that is eternal, but rather that part of us that is our spiritual essence that longs to be in relationship with God. The group concurred that one of their biggest challenges was to... Continue Reading
Dr. Wayne Grudem, noted biblical scholar, professor, and author, shares an experience that may provide insight into what seems to be an epidemic of moral, ethical, and leadership failures of prominent Christian pastors, denominational leaders, politicians and church staff. While working on the translation for the English Standard Version of the Bible, Grudem along with dozens of scholars worked round... Continue Reading
Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the Society of Jesus, wrote a classic devotional book called “Spiritual Exercises.” In this book, he commends a specific approach to prayer that emphasizes the use of the imagination as a way of praying. Instead of reciting words to Jesus, you take a Gospel story and visualize the story in your mind’s eye including all... Continue Reading
What is a spiritual retreat day? A concise definition is “a planned day away from work to focus exclusively on your personal spiritual life – your heart, soul, and mind.” The beginning of a new year is a good time to schedule a personal spiritual retreat day. In the article 15 Ways To Make A Personal Spiritual Retreat Meaningful we... Continue Reading
The beginning of a new year is an opportunity to challenge yourself to engage in spiritual practices that are new to you. The practice below, Imaginative Meditation, is an ancient practice that today is finding a new audience. Read on and try integrating it into the spiritual practices and disciplines that you engage in on a regular basis. Ignatius of... Continue Reading
Many ministers I know wrestle with the difficulty of trying to live a life of transformation and intimacy with the God they read about in their Bibles. Most of us long for a deeper inner spiritual life yet regularly experience Dallas Willard’s observation “the greatest enemy of intimacy with God, is service for God.” Ministry by definition is depleting. Without... Continue Reading
As I stated in my last post, 5 Effects Powerful Leaders Are Blind To, cult status hierarchal religious leaders have and will abuse their power. It’s a given. It can be a by-product of their theology, personality, character, experience, or philosophy of leadership. But mostly it is a by-product of any hierarchal system, religious or otherwise. Abuses of power are... Continue Reading
It happened again last month. Another well-known church leader was accused of sexual abuse. And the story had a familiar ring. The male church leader claimed the relationship was consensual, the female that it was sexual abuse. It seems that almost daily stories emerge of high visibility movie stars, sports figures, business leaders, politicians, priests and pastors being called out... Continue Reading
I remember well my mother consistently warning me to remember “you are who you are with.” It was her way of saying that we tend to take on the same attributes as our friends, so we better choose our friends wisely. My mother knew that few adolescents have the strength of character, discipline, will or conviction to withstand peer pressure,... Continue Reading
Jim is a Church Organizational Leadership and Management Coach, Consultant and Trainer. Throughout his career Jim has demonstrated a passion for showing Pastors and Ministers how to use organizational tools for church and personal growth and health.
More About Jim“For I may be absent in body, but I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see how well ordered you are and the strength of your faith in Christ.” Colossians 2:5