Next time you are feeling overwhelmed by the leadership role and responsibility that God has given you in the church, and next time you aren’t sure about what it is that God has called you to do in that role, it might be helpful to remember this simple image. In and amongst the many complexities of leadership lies the simplicity of a picture of those who were faithful enough to stand firm in the middle of a river.

Stand in the Jordan, and enjoy watching the tumultuous work of God.

Four unbelievably easy things I do to maintain pastoral connectivity and availability even - and especially - in the midst of very busy, and very large, ministry environments. I am painfully aware that these sound small, obvious, and perhaps even pitiable, and that none of them would be necessary in a smaller church (a blog topic for another day) but they have all been really effective tools that have helped me and the people I serve as we seek to walk this life of Jesus following AMONG one another.

I am an introvert with a call on my life to surround myself with people. Here are some things I have learned about how to do that well.

It is very difficult for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom. Very. But, it is possible with God.

We need good shepherds to do the hard and slow work of pressing some camels toward some very small openings, and we need to trust God to make them fit. That’s our only hope.