She told me that it was “a life-changing experience.”

Over the months that followed, I noticed an insignificant amount of change. No adjustments were made in her schedule. No new ventures for God were started. Church attendance and participation didn’t increase. Nothing visible changed in her life. I am not saying there wasn’t some internal course modification made, but there were very few alterations made that were noticeable to the general public.

He told me that it was “a life-changing experience.”

How could someone avoid the presence of God in their life after what he had been through? Once again, I watched with eager anticipation to see how his life would change for God. Over the following months, there were several emotional retellings of what happened. Each one with a tagline of it being “a life-changing experience.” Words were many, but the changes were few. The old routine dominated his actions, and no I noticed no real difference in him.

This story has replayed itself over and over in my ministry. I have watched people go to Church camp, a CIY retreat, a mission trip, a conference, a special program and a dozen other things with the label on them as life-changing events. On the other side, I have watched people go through divorce, death, disease, and disaster and expected them to make changes after such traumatic encounters, only to see no real difference. I wish I could say there was some guaranteed way to help people change their lives for God and for the better, but most of my stories are of failure and unfulfilled promises.

I have found that real life change usually doesn’t happen after a big dramatic experience. Life change is the result of one decision followed by a hundred smaller choices.

The first part is the trickiest. Changes for the better start at unexpected times. One day you look in the mirror, and you don’t like what you see. Your children say something that catches you off guard, and it stings your soul. You read an article, hear a sermon, or just have a conversation that convicts you. Out of these moments, you find yourself in the deep spiritual reflection that leads to a decision. There must be a flash of light across your soul that burns deeply enough for you to see your need for change.

Once you know you need to change, then there needs to be a hundred little decisions to follow. You adjust your schedule an hour differently. You bite your tongue and change your words. You give without complaining. Everything in your life is questioned to see if it aligns with your big decision.

The people I have seen make the most significant life changes rarely have “a life-changing experience.” Instead, they are people who quietly alter one action at a time year after year.

As we start a new year most resolutions will be lost no matter how many times we tell people we had a life-changing experience. Change comes through decisions, not experiences.

Last year was an excellent year for our Church. Attendance rose about 20 people each week. Numerous visitors came through our doors, especially over the last three months since going to two worship programs. Our Vacation Bible School had a near-record attendance. We saw a dozen people get baptized. A large group of people took our membership class, and we are close to 100 people making a new commitment or reaffirming an old one. There are so many positive things that happened in 2017 it is hard to list them all.

After a year like that, it is easy to feel content. Things are going well, people are growing, and the bills are being paid so let’s slow down and take it easy. Let’s take some time to make some improvements on what we currently have before moving forward. Can’t we just enjoy the moment and stop moving forward?

The simple answer is no. We are not going to stop moving forward with the message of the gospel. We are not going to stop reaching out. We are not going to stop growing.

This year will bring exciting new activities.
This year we will sing new songs.
This year I will speak on new topics.
This year we will make changes around the Church of all types.
This year I am planning on teaching new classes at new times.
This year I am praying for many more guests.
This year I am asking everyone to pray for at least 20 more baptisms.
This year we will try new things. Some will succeed, and some will fail.
This year the Church will move forward in new and exciting ways.

One of the biggest temptation a Church faces is living complacently because of the successes of the past. Sometimes we think to ourselves, “Last year was good, now we can slow down and relax.”

Jesus tells a series of parables in Luke chapter 15. One is about a lost sheep and the shepherd searches everywhere until he finds it. One is a woman who lost a coin, and she cleans her house frantically looking for that one coin. The final story is of a father, and he loses one of his two sons, and he longingly looks down the road until he comes home. A preacher friend of mine summarized these stories with one penetrating line. He says, “No matter how big a group of believers are, they should always be looking for one more.”

At the Church I lead, this year we are not going to coast on our past successes. We are going to push forward with the message of the gospel always trying to reach one more.

It will take effort, and at times it will be uncomfortable. It will lead to awkward conversations and frustrating failures. It will also enable us to celebrate one year from now all the good things God did in our Church in 2018.

My blog feed has been full of articles over the past few days that all have a similar ring to them. There is post after post of “Things to do to make this your best year ever.” They list the best books to read this year, the best practices to start and the changes you need to make to have an incredible 2018. If I took all of their advice, I would have an entire page of activities for me to add to my life in the coming months.

The difficulty I see with these bits of wisdom is they all require me to do more, and my schedule is already packed. I suffer from the stress of trying to do just a few of the numerous good things that have been suggested to me each year. I feel this sense of failure because I cannot accomplish my to-do list from last year let alone add anything more.

So here is my advice for 2018: DO LESS.

Yes, you heard me right. What would happen if you actively tried to do less in 2018? Would your stress level drop? Would your sense of guilt decrease? Would you feel less disappointed in yourself? I know I would.

Honestly, you don’t need to be involved in any more activities. Your child doesn’t need to sign up for any new programs or groups. Your family does not need another item on its agenda. If you are like most people I know, you need to do far less than you are doing right now.

Quitting stuff might actually be more difficult than adding something new to your life. Some people will be disappointed in you, possibly even your children. Some people will judge you as lazy or not socially conscious. You might also feel guilty for having to say no for a while.

How would 2018 be different if you focused your attention on doing a few things well? What would happen if you devoted more time to your spiritual walk? What if you dedicated yourself to quality time with your family? What if you said no to everything that distracts you from what is really important in your life?

For me, as I stand on the second day of this new year I have some dreams of things I want to accomplish and ideas about how to redirect my life in the days ahead. With that said, I am not adding anything new. I am just focusing on doing some of my current things better. I am also going to refuse to do anything that distracts me from being the person God created me to be.

I hope your new year is full of joy, and your calendar is not overloaded with more activities meant to make you appear as a better person, but are slowing destroying you. May this be the year of less.

Every year holds both highs and lows that will move our lives in new directions.

2017 started for me with a new low. Dad’s health began failing at Christmas, and he passed on January 8th. It was a difficult start and sent my whole year into a spinning emotional roller coaster. Still, the rest of the year went well. My second son finished his sports career and graduated high school. It was the bittersweet journey of a boy into manhood. Two boys are now in college, one is a junior in high school, and my baby is now a freshman. Personally, my life is transitioning to pursuing new horizons that lie beyond school and sports.

Professionally, things at Church have gone well this past year. We had the biggest attendance on Easter and Christmas of any Church I have ever led. We hosted a very well attended VBS over the summer. Twelve people were baptized this year, and numerous people took the membership class. We transitioned to two worship programs on Sunday morning, and dozens of people visited the Church in the past three months since it started. It was a year full of decisions, changes, growth and new connections. God has blessed my ministry and the Church I lead in several ways, and I am excited about what the future holds for all of us.

What did 2017 hold for you? Now is an excellent time to reflect on both your achievements and disappointments. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to do a review of the past year before moving on to the next.

This is also a great time to dream about 2018. We stand on the edge of the unknown. It will be exciting and scary at times. There is unlimited potential lying ahead of us over the next 365 days.

I am dreaming about the future and setting goals. It was suggested to me to set five personal goals and five professional goals before January 1. I want to be a better spouse, parent, and pastor. I am planning exact ways to make that happen.

Here are my three suggestions for everyone heading into the new year. First, set five goals for yourself. Second, pray regularly about how these things can develop in your life. Finally, create a plan of action. For example, I want to strengthen my marriage this next year. I am asking God to give me ideas and opportunities to make it happen. Currently, I plan to have a date night every other week with my wife. On the opposite weeks, I want to have an at home night with time together and possibly a movie.

Sure, God will throw things at you this next year that you never planned, and things can change at a moment’s notice. For now, I am moving in faith in the directions of my dreams. I know God is in charge and with his help 2018 will be another great year for myself and his kingdom.

I pray this next year will be full of joy and spiritual growth. I will see you next year.

Here are the most highly viewed posts I wrote in 2017 according to WordPress. I hope these are still helpful or insightful to you. Thanks for reading and looking forward to a great 2018.

1. True Confessions from a Pastor

2. That Time My Parents Changed Churches

3. When Life Goes Beyond Explanation

4. Wanting Attention from the Church

5. Holding Tight to Faith

*Bonus – Finding Your Own Way to Spiritual Growth

This past weekend was filled with three Christmas programs at our Church. We had one Saturday night with children specials, one Sunday morning and one Sunday afternoon. Overall it was a powerful weekend for our Church. Even with a bit of snow on Sunday morning that kept some senior citizens at home, after we eliminated the number of people who attended multiple programs, we had 315 unique visitors to our programs. This number ties the record we set for Easter weekend. It was indeed a blessing to see so many people attend the worship programs. Our final program on Sunday afternoon was over 50% first-time guests. It was a beautiful weekend in every way.

When I finally got home on Sunday night, my mind started racing through all the events of the weekend. The one thought I could not escape was that none of this would have been possible without volunteers. We had dozens and dozens of people who sacrificed their time to make this weekend happen. The lives that were touched this weekend for Jesus were the result of people willing to put aside their own time for the sake of the gospel.

Think about it this way. We had people give up their time to organize and practice with the children. We had people decorate all over the Church, especially the auditorium. We had people bake and cook to feed the children and provide snacks for the adults. We had people video the program and make a special video to show at the other programs. We had people run sound and PowerPoint at three programs. We have people work the nursery and watch other peoples’ children. We had people clear the stage for Friday and then reset it for Sunday. We had musicians and singers who practiced and practiced making every program special. We had several men willing to pass the communion and offering trays. I am sure I am missing someone, but you get the picture. For the kingdom of God to advance here on earth it requires far more than one person called a pastor.

My heart is full of thanksgiving for all the people who willingly sacrificed their time because of their faith in Jesus. This past weekend was a wonderful time of worship and reflection, and it was made possible by you, the servant of the Lord. May God bless all of you who sacrificed your time, the world is a better place because of you.

Christmas is officially here. There are several opportunities to worship here and at other places this weekend.

Here is our list of programs at the Church I serve each week.

Friday – December 22 @ 6:30 pm.
(Please note – this will have the live children’s performance)

Sunday – December 24 @ 9:00 am.
(Please note – there will be no 10:30 am program, but it will return next week)

Sunday – December 24 @ 4:00 pm.

Final note, each program will have the outside seating areas blocked off in the beginning. If enough people come and sit in the middle, then we will open up the chairs on the side for everyone. This will help us with the passing of communion and candle lighting if we have a smaller group. (Thanks for understanding and not complaining 😊)

Please join us for one of these programs. If you do not care which one you attend, then I would ask you to consider coming to the 4:00 pm Sunday worship as it looks to be the smallest attendance right now from initial feedback.

If you cannot make it, I wish you a wonderful and blessed Christmas season.

Have you ever wondered what a pastor dreams about at Christmas time? Probably not. That being said, it is not going to stop me from sharing what I focus on during the holiday season.

1. I pray non-Christian people have a positive Christian experience. I chose the words carefully. I do not have a plan to explain the whole gospel at our Christmas programs. Instead, my focus is on people who are skeptical about religion to have a great experience at Church. Our program will be mostly special music with few congregational songs, communion, and candlelight will be the emphasis, guests can take home a gift bag, and we will have cookies in the kitchen if anyone would like to have one. I want people to develop a positive attitude toward people of faith.

2. I hope people learn something. Every year I want people who attend our Christmas programs to learn one tiny thing new. This year I have been teaching about the songs of Christmas, giving their backstory and looking at the lyrics of each song. I hope one little part of that information sticks with them and it comes to mind year after year. The story of Christmas is very familiar, but possibly one person may hear it for the first time or maybe understand in a more precise way. One goal is to have people who come to our programs deepen their understanding of faith.

3. I want people to receive something helpful to them. If people are down right now, I hope they feel encouraged even if it only comes through a prayer. If they are lonely, I hope they find a friendly person with which to talk. If they need to refocus on what is important at Christmas, I hope we are able to help them. I believe every person has holes in their life they are trying to fill, and I want God to use our Church to help them on their journey of faith.

4. I am asking God to use this Christmas to further his kingdom. I have been asking for God to send us a large group of people. I hope this weekend will spark something inside of several of them. Maybe it will inspire them to come back to Church again. Perhaps it will challenge them to come back a faith they once left. Maybe God will use this to touch the heart of a person with the gospel in a new and exciting way. I have no idea what God will do through our programs, but I believe he will use it to produce good fruit in the coming year.

As a pastor, when I come to the holidays I think about how God can use this one season for his glory. I ask God to use me and the people of the Church I lead to make an impact for eternity. I want this Christmas to be better than last year and have a more significant impact on our community and our world.

College and Seminary do not adequately prepare you for all the demands of ministry. Some things you need to know already or learn on the fly. This is especially true as the pastor of a small Church in a smaller community. It has been busy around the Church and here are some of my skills that come out the week of Christmas.

1. Sweeping and Mopping. I want everything to look perfect for all the guests we will have this weekend. Often the work starts out ground level with cleaning some of the floors.

2. Purchasing. Numerous supplies are needed to make the weekend come together. An extra strand of lights, lighters, batteries, and candles were some of the items on the list. I am sure more stuff will be needed.

3. Decorating (at least helping). I am not a decorator, but I can place things where I am told. Occasionally my thoughts are needed to make everything look stunning around the Church.

4. Candle trimming and prep. I know a lot about candles. Things like how to store them for a year and how to prep them for use. Every candle is burned, and then the wick is trimmed for a beautiful look at our program.

5. Moving (plus stacking and unstacking). The stage has been cleared and will then need to be reset after the program. Decorations have been brought out and unpacked. Eventually, all this will have to go back into the tubs and then back into storage.

6. Taking Instructions. Many times, I just need to do what I am told. Move this, buy that, clean this, throw that away and whatever else needs to be done.

7. Emptying trash. This time of year seems to fill the trash can over and over. The dumpster is already full and will probably end up that way again in a few days. Wrapping paper can fill a trash can.

8. Advertising. We need to get the word out about our services (Friday @ 6:30 pm & Sunday at 9:00 am and 4:00 pm). I try to think of every free way to spread the word.

9. Creative Teaching. I was taught in Bible college to study the text and discover the authors intended meaning and then preach it. That part is easy, the tricky part is preaching on a story everyone has heard in a new and creative way.

10. Prayer. This week I have tried to spend extra time in prayer. I am praying for everyone involved in the program and especially all the guests who will come to a program. I pray their hearts and minds are open to the message of Jesus.

Weeks like this remind me of a couple of simple truths. First, the work of the gospel is for everyone. I may be a trained professional, but my job only requires 5-10 hours of that training this week. God can use anyone willing to step up. Second, ministry often happens in the little things. A clean floor or an empty trash can do not seem like much until you want one. A candle burning on the stage is a simple object until God uses it in the worship of him. This weekend, a kind word, an open door, a handshake, showing someone the nursery, passing a tray and a hundred other things will help people experience God. When you are willing to do anything to see the kingdom of God furthered, then every little action helps the cause of Christ.

Last Saturday night three of my boys and I attended a Kansas City Chiefs football game at Arrowhead Stadium. I attended at least one game I can remember as a child, but the memories are a little blurry. This was my first pro game as an adult. Here a couple of thoughts on my experience and how they might have some application for the Church.

1. People Value Experiences. Many people are moving away from obtaining more stuff to having great experiences with their money. For me, and many others, this was a family experience. We could all attend together, see the sights, watch the game and have fun while building a memory that we will all keep a long time. This quest for a shared memory meant people arrived early and tried to add to the fun. Many took numerous pictures from all over the stadium.

This type of thinking is impacting the Church. Many Churches see the importance of their weekend experience in a desire to get people to encounter God in a life-changing way.

2. Money Means Different Things to Different People. A group of twenty-somethings next to us showed up halfway through the first quarter and left at the start of the fourth. They did not seem to care about the game while purchasing overpriced food and expensive beverages. If you add in parking their night was costly. On the other hand, I used a discount ticker, ate before and after the game away from the stadium and had my wife drop us off, so we did not have to pay for parking. The value of money to many people is very low. Dropping several hundred dollars on an experience they desire is nothing to them.

The Church is frequently resistant to asking for money. The problem is not in the asking; many people have the available resources. The issue is more about people seeing the need and the benefits of giving.

3. People Want to Have Fun. The single biggest driving factor in this quest appears to be alcohol. Anyone who has been to any sports arena will tell you that the alcohol flows all game. Personally, I do not entirely understand the thinking behind it, but numerous people believe they need something to help them drop their guard and have fun.

The Church must lovingly confront the use of alcohol. The Bible allows for people to drink, but when you need it to have fun, a drastic change has happened. In the end, I have seen far more destruction from consumption than fun.

4. People Have Lost Control of their Tongues. I heard the “F” word more at one game than I had in the last year. I sat and wondered how many of these people would call themselves Christian. I also questioned whether the word they were using has any meaning anymore.

The Church must continually confront what the culture says is acceptable. It also should push people to use their words for good and not for evil.

Overall, I had a good time with my boys on Saturday. Since I work all day Sunday, it was a rare treat to go to a game on Saturday night. I value my time making a memory, but I was reminded of the great need people have for Jesus.