Popular Articles/Columns

Matthew D. Kim is no stranger to pain, either personally or as a pastor. In Preaching to People in Pain: How Suffering Can Shape Your Sermons and Connect with Your Congregation—which won CT’s 2022 Book Award for church and pastoral leadership—Kim encourages preachers not to avoid addressing pain…

This article was published in Christianity Today on April 20, 2021. View the article here. The incoming Taylor University president outlines a faith-filled, Spirit-guided approach to life’s biggest transitions. Sociologist and incoming Taylor University president D. Michael Lindsay has spent much of his career researching…

This article was published in Christianity Today on May 31, 2019. View the article here. It takes more than a pulpit to train up your people in the way they should go. The woman was patient and gracious, but clearly concerned. “Why are we showing…

At some point in ministry, most leaders will become frustrated by some part of their church’s organizational culture―also described as a church’s DNA, personality, or simply “the way we do things around here.” Frustration can arise from many issues.

I remember the first time I found “my people.” I had been invited to present several workshops at a conference for women ministry leaders. It was the first time I was exposed to a group of people just like me. Women! And not just women,…

God made extroverts and introverts. He made you the way you are. Don’t try to be someone else; it will only leave you more tired and frustrated. Stand proudly in your introversion and don’t apologize for who God has made you to be.

What do you do when you realize your church talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk? It’s an all-too-common realization, and one I’ve had myself. I agreed with all the church’s stated values, I affirmed their mission, but in reality, those written statements weren’t…

A church’s organizational culture might be described as the church’s DNA, personality, or simply “the way we do things around here.” It’s a combination of the visible symbols and the invisible values and expectations that are shared by the people within a congregation.

Too many times in my life, I have taken on more than I could handle, either because I thought I should in order to make others happy, or because I thought I could manage everything. I did not accept my limits. As a result, I…

But I continue to be aware that our family's choices about money speak loudly to our congregation. They communicate our values, our priorities, our theology. Our lifestyle is a teaching tool. The way we use money can negate what my husband preaches on Sunday, or it can…