Guest Viewpoints

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Viewpoint: Why Sabbaticals Matter

Pastor, you need rest. You were built to rest. God uses healthy pastors to build healthy churches. That’s why you and your church’s partnership in working through a sabbatical ministry plan may be one of the most important decisions... Continue Reading »

Bryan Cribb

Viewpoint: Forgotten Former Seminarians

“Don’t be a ‘dropout.’” As a young aspiring minister-in-training, I remember hearing this caution frequently — and annoyingly — as I packed my belongings and headed to seminary. “Many seminarians are not even in full-time ministry anymore after 10... Continue Reading »

Viewpoint: Takeaways from Pew’s Religious Landscape Survey

Christianity is not dying, as I’ve often said; nominal Christianity is. Pew Research Center released a report May 12 drawing a variety of headlines — everything from “Christianity faces sharp decline as Americans are becoming even less affiliated with... Continue Reading »

Not Since the Days of Noah …

Something is happening that you may not have noticed. If you have noticed it, you may not fully appreciate its significance. It will affect you. It will affect your church. It will affect the whole nation. What’s happening is... Continue Reading »

When Boomer Pastors Retire, What Next?

On Jan. 1, 2011, the first baby boomer turned 65. In fact, on that day, 10,000 of them turned 65. And that pace of aging will continue until 2030, when every boomer is 65 or older. The implications for... Continue Reading »

Great Mothers in Church History

Augustine of Hippo is known by Christians the world over for standing against heresy in the fifth century and laying a foundation for the Protestant Reformation a thousand years later. Lesser known is the fact that Augustine might never... Continue Reading »

Mother’s Day: Gratitude, Sacrifice & Humility

As a young mom, I thought Mother’s Day should be all about me. Surely I deserved recognition for my never-ending sacrifices as a mom and stepmom to five children, right? However, after driving away from my parents’ home not... Continue Reading »

Viewpoint: What should the church say to Bruce Jenner?

In the 1970s Bruce Jenner seemed to have it all — fame, wealth, admiration. He was an Olympic star, so popular in American culture that he was reputedly considered for the roles of both Superman and James Bond. Now,... Continue Reading »

Pastor, where do you find encouragement?

In a world where the majority of churches across the Southern Baptist Convention are plateaued or declining, where even faithful church members’ attendance is spotty, where congregations bog down in debates about things that don’t matter (like the carpet... Continue Reading »

A Senior Adult in Uganda

Please explain to me why one would want to deal with three airports — waiting, running and riding for roughly 24 hours, sleeping only briefly. Or ride an old bus with a very hard seat, cramped between luggage for... Continue Reading »

Viewpoint: The Environment — Why Be Concerned?

The environment! Global warming! Why should Christians get involved with those kinds of debates? Don’t we have more important or more interesting issues to consider? The Great Commission, for example. I’m reminded of one of my sons who, when... Continue Reading »

Viewpoint: Baseball — Routine Plays & the Sacrifice

Wayne Mitchell was not simply the head baseball coach at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Ala. He was a local baseball institution. Mitchell had attended Lee and excelled on the baseball team. In 1964, he graduated from... Continue Reading »