What Do Contentment, Identity, and Joy Have in Common? Three Great New Resources
So, pleased to see three great new resources released this year by my wife, Melissa. And they cover the topics of contentment, identity, and joy.
First, Ligonier ministries just released a new 8-part video series with Melissa on contentment which would be fantastic for Bible studies, women’s groups, or Sunday School classes.
Here’s the summary from Ligonier
Many Christians struggle with comparison, covetousness, and complaining. But the Apostle Paul was content in plenty and in want. What was Paul’s secret, and how do we cultivate contentment in our lives? In Contentment, Melissa Kruger considers what it really means to be content: to place our trust in our good and sovereign … Continue reading...
How to Run a Good Meeting–And Why it Matters More than You Think
What’s the most important skill you need to be successful in ministry? Knowing how to run a good meeting.
Ok, that’s not really true. Many other things matter more (a lot more!). But, running a good meeting still matters. And more than you think.
Even those who’ve only been in ministry a short time know that meetings dominate your weekly schedule. Sometimes, it seems that half your week is spent in some sort of meeting. During meals. Over coffee. In a conference room. With the elders. With ministry leaders. With support staff.
And here’s the other reality we all know. Meetings vary widely in their effectiveness. Some meetings produce real … Continue reading...
Is It a Waste of Time for Seminary Students (and Pastors) to Learn the Biblical Languages?
It’s that time of year again.
A few weeks ago, a new crop of seminary students began the grueling month-long experience of Summer Greek. And, like all seminary students before them, they will begin to ask the question of why studying these ancient languages even matters. After all, a few years after graduation all will be forgotten. In the midst of a busy pastoral life, who could possibly maintain proficiency in the languages?
As a result of these questions, some students decide (very early on) that the biblical languages are just something to be endured. They are like a hazing ritual at a college fraternity. No one likes it, but … Continue reading...
Moving Beyond One-Dimensional Sermon Applications
Let’s just get it out there. Preaching is hard.
In the midst of all the disputes over preaching, this fact remains undisputed. Yes, preaching is wonderful and exhilarating. But, it is also exhausting, frustrating, and difficult. Whether a person has preached one time, or a hundred times, they know this.
Why is that? What makes preaching so hard?
I would suggest that it has to do with the nature of preaching. Preaching is not just delivering a message, passing along facts, or making a point (though it does include these things). At its core, preaching is something that calls for a response in the listener.
Put differently, members of the … Continue reading...
Where Are They Now? RTS Charlotte Alumnus Crawford Stevener
One of the most exciting programs over the last few years at RTS Charlotte is the Center for Campus Ministry (CCM). The CCM is designed to equip our students for the challenges that are unique to campus ministry–and there are many. The college campus is one of the most critical battle grounds in our world today, and we are pleased to play a role in sending well-trained men and women to labor there.
The CCM involves a specialized degree emphasis in campus ministry, as well as the CCM Fellowship (a community of folks headed to campus ministry), CCM events and lunches, and more. You can read more about it here… Continue reading...