The following articles have been selected because they are informative, instructive, entertaining, or simply interesting. Articles appearing in Your Friday Five do not represent an endorsement.
Advice for Interim Pastors, By David L. Allen
I have had the joy of serving as an interim pastor in fourteen churches. Each church is different, but each has certain common needs during the interim period.
Whether a pastor has left the church on good terms or on good grounds or not, the transition time between pastors can be difficult and stressful for churches. The length of the transition period varies as well. Interims can be a short as a few months to as long as two or three years. I’m currently coming up on my second year as an interim.
55 percent of Americans believe in biblical inerrancy, study finds, By Diana Chandler
PHILADELPHIA (BP) – More than half of Americans believe the Bible is “without error,” the American Bible Society (ABS) said Tuesday (May 11) in its 2021 State of the Bible report.
What Is the Difference between Preaching and Teaching?, By Lexham Press
Is there a difference between preaching and teaching?
This question is one of many that Professor and Preacher Jonathan T. Pennington addresses in his new book, Small Preaching: 25 Little Things You Can Do Now to Become a Better Preacher.
Five Common Themes in Churches with High Pastor Turnover, By Tom S. Rainer
This reality is becoming increasingly common. More churches are losing pastors after only a brief tenure. Even more troubling, many of these same churches are seeing these patterns repeat themselves with each consecutive pastor.
Pastors, Fight Against Fear of Man by Fighting for the Fear of the Lord, By Dave Cook
When I began pastoral ministry, I didn’t realize it would be my job to disappoint people. I had to tell a young man he wasn’t ready for ministry. I had to counsel a couple that they shouldn’t get married. I had to inform the church that Sunday’s text means exactly what they don’t want it to mean. Pastoral ministry is full of no-win decisions. Because of this, ministry is a miserable place for a pastor who needs everyone’s approval.
If we knew that before 2020, we know it even more now.