Hopefully making theology simpler to understand! (2 Corinthians 1:12)

Our little congregation is blessed with a few elders who all preach (giving our Pastor Scott a Sunday off each month.) Our church tends to get guest music leaders!

I happen to be the guest preacher for a couple other smaller churches every so often, one of which we sent one of our elders to when their pastor of 35 years retired and they needed someone.

I don’t think many people realize the unique stress guest preaching can cause. The speaker can offer a one-off message (possibly even one preached before somewhere else), but the faithful preacher wants to know the hearers were blessed, that spiritual growth was offered, and that the home pastor is honored.

I was the fourth guest for our old elder after he took over that little country church. Apparently, the first three made that congregation very hesitant to have new people come in! They were either arrogant know-it-alls and/or spiritually abusive. Praise God I have been asked back seven more times already! (They even offered to have me step in to replace our guy when he needs to move on, especially as they hope to bring on a full-time pastor. He is currently paid as a missionary by our congregation.)

Of course, we also have to think about the hearers when a guest preaches. So let us pray for the guest, the congregation, and the pastor while he is gone!

Daniel

This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Pray for your church’s future guest speakers. Last few years it seems its been harder to find guest speakers for my local church. There’s many reasons for that.  I think many fellow alumni from the Seminary went to are also also busier […]

This Sunday at Church: Pray for your church’s future guest speakers

This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Repenting of sins from the previous year. I think the Christian life means constantly repenting of our sins.  The battle against sin isn’t easy! When we think back of our last year we should think about our weakness and also go […]

This Sunday at Church: Repenting of sins from the previous year

This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Give a book on the Incarnation or the Birth of Christ. This idea isn’t just only during Christmas time.  It should be something we can do even other time of the year especially since the truth of God becoming man in the […]

This Sunday at Church: Give a book on the Incarnation or the Birth of Christ

I started my walk in a church that had two vans: one for kids who came from poorer and/or working parent homes and one for elderly.

Our current church, we don’t have vans or specific ministries, but there are a few people who get picked up for services by a few others. My wife and I often help, too, especially with getting one woman to prayer services on Wednesday nights. (She likes being able to grab a slice of pizza and some water from the youth dinner, too!)

I tell our families who pick up these folks regularly “Thank you,” because my wife and I have done it at so many churches, and we are too involved (kept busy?) at this church to be available most of the time.

Daniel

This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Express Gratitude for those who pick up the elderly to Church. Our church use to have a ministry where the church van would pick up members from the elderly homes to church.  I think those who do such a ministry should get […]

This Sunday at Church: Express Gratitude for those who pick up the elderly to Church

I am “not allowed” to take on more responsibilities at church because of all I already do. Yet, I have had to step in with every ministry at some point. People get sick, things stop working, life happens. And we currently are in a position of weekly set-up and tear-down.

These have helped me personally know things can happen, that I should not take for granted the flow of each church service and event.

Let us always be ready to jump in and help where needed.

Daniel

This Sunday at Church I want to encourage you to do the following: Not taking things at Church for granted. I think we can easily assume things will always be the same at church.  We can easily assume others will always be the ones that set things up for our church to be the way […]

This Sunday at Church: Not taking things at Church for granted