They call him the little green-eyed monster. The Bible calls it envy. I call it part of my spiritual journey. I know that I’m experiencing ministerial jealousy when… Instead of Rejoicing, I Find Fault All I can remember thinking when I entered the Children’s Ministry complex of NewSpring Church in Wichita was, “what I wouldn’t give to have a tenth of this space for our children’s … Continue reading Ministerial Jealousy
As humans, we have the proclivity to speak authoritatively on subjects in which we know very little. “I seriously don’t think Donald Trump will make it past the primaries.” – J. Teis, June 16, 2015. “Disney purchased Star Wars? They’ll probably destroy it!” – J. Teis, October 30, 2012. “I can say with certainty, that this whole Facebook thing is a fad.” – J. Teis, … Continue reading Mental Illness and the Christian Church
In November I found myself in Alabama. I wasn’t there for a football game or family reunion. I had traveled thousands of miles to attend a one-day event for ministry leaders called Idea Day. Idea Day is a day to share ideas for pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and all ministry leaders. We came to share and receive ideas; and this is precisely what we accomplished. But … Continue reading Pastors Need Pastors
5. Casting Vision for the Future I Peter 5:2 (Pastors should be) taking the oversight thereof. Each local church is unique. Although we all have the same message (the Gospel) and mission (advance it), we will not all have the same methods for doing so. Therefore, God gives the church a pastor. A Pastor is to develop a deep sense of what the church is to … Continue reading The Idea Talks – Episode 11 – 5 Priorities of the Lead Pastor
“Within three years we’ll be out of here and building a new church building!” We had just started our new church in Southwest Las Vegas and someone asked how long I planned on keeping the church in this temporary storefront location. I couldn’t imagine that we would need to be there for longer than three years. I remember this specifically because Clark County only gave … Continue reading Don’t Give Up
We’ve now hosted Idea Days in Connecticut, Cincinnati, and Las Vegas. Now we are headed to the deep-south for an Idea Day like no other. Idea Day is a day to share ideas. Ministry leaders from across the region come together for round-table discussions on evangelism, discipleship, worship, and ministry. Ideas flow and concepts flourish in this environment which allows for open dialogue and ministerial … Continue reading A Day to Share Ideas
Notes In this episode, Josh Teis talks with Tony Liuzzo about how to refresh an established church. Tony pastors a thriving church in Columbus, Ohio. When he took over as the lead pastor the church had declined to an average of 400 people. Now the church averages 750 people on a weekly basis. Quotes from the episode: “In order for God to get you … Continue reading Episode 06 – Refreshing An Established Church
(**Perhaps the most difficult aspect of pastoral ministry is watching people leave the church you pastor. Though people leave a church for a variety of reasons it always comes down to the same thing: The Great Shepherd is moving His sheep. After several recent conversations with friends who are experiencing this difficulty, I felt led to share what I’ve been learning over the past few … Continue reading When God Moves Them Away
