Better Funerals

It looks like I will be doing my first funeral as a pastor in the very near future. I’d love to hear from some seasoned pastors about what they’ve learned from their experiences in conducting funerals? How can I most effectively minister to the family and those in attendance? Are there some do’s and don’ts I should be aware of in conducting funerals? I’d also be interested in hearing the experiences of pastors who’ve had to do “difficult” funerals. Thanks for the tips and advice.

Reaching Out With Heaven by Terry Roberts

Heaven has not had an appeal to many people simply because it seemed so “other worldly.” As I child I somehow picked up the idea that Heaven would be everyone in a big room in choir robes singing songs. What a bore! Who wants to spend eternity in a never-ending church service? …read more

Character, Calling, and Contribution (Part 3) by Jim Herring

The world is comparison crazy! People compare almost every physical quality or material possession. I wish I could tell you the church is exempt from this wicked worldly attribute but unfortunately I can’t. We compare preachers, programs, facilities, congregational size, and … read more

An “I Do” Weekend: Helping People Move From “Living Together” to Married by Paul Foslien

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” It is easy to preach against something, but it’s better to show people a way out, a way to something better. The idea for our “I Do” service came from a series I did called “Ask Anything.” The purpose … read more

To Savor the Things of God by Lisa Cooke

We have a choice to make in what we “savor;” what we delight in or take pleasure in. We can choose the things that be of God, or the things that be of men. Unconsciously we make those decisions all day long and I’ll speak for myself here, I bet I savor the things that “be of men” more often than not. It can be so automatic, so mindless, this pleasing of our flesh. …read more

Pants on Fire

I probably don’t need to explain the title since most people have heard the phrase, “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” but if that snippet was actually true, there would be a lot of people these days with serious injuries to the lower half of their bodies. …read more