Yokemates

What happens when the pastor is sick on Sunday?  It can throw his whole household upside down. It could provide a quiet day of recuperation. It may mean that life goes on as usual.  Sick days may be provided and allowed for – officially – but it isn’t always that simple. What if a church has only one pastor? What if a decision has to be made the night before? What if the ‘emergency sub’ or associate staff is on vacation? What if the symptoms don’t show up until right before (or during) the worship hour? Sometimes the reality of calling in sick on a Sunday just isn’t doable. Unless the illness is very significant the luxury of taking time off is not practical or realistic. So, how do you help your husband survive the “I feel horrible” Sundays when he still chooses to faithfully show up to work?   With gentleness and kindness With your presence of support With an understanding ear With a lunch menu of his choosing (if he wants to eat at all!) ...

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. ” Proverbs 27:17 Good, solid Biblical resources are hard to find. But free? Yes, there is a quality online conference that you can enjoy any time (day or night) that works into your schedule – and it’s all for free! What is it called? 'JustONE' Virtual Conference 2018 When is it happening? It begins on February 5, 2018 How long will it be held? For 14 days! Don’t let that overwhelm you, just think of it as a mini-retreat in the comfort of your own home! In fact, the website says “Get all this delivered straight to your phone or computer while sitting comfortably on your couch, latte in hand, wearing yoga pants.” Now, I don’t personally have any yoga pants, and I’ve never had a latte in hand when at home, but… I loved the last 'JustONE' Virtual Conference (more details below!). I watched many of the challenges at my kitchen table. Some I enjoyed cuddled up on my couch. Sometimes I enjoyed ...

Several years ago a lady accused me of being too busy and not available. She was not happy with me, and I was well aware of her irritation. I asked her if I could give her a call later, and she agreed. Before reaching out to her I pondered the best timing of that call, and I prayed for wisdom. I took time to try and think through the situation and the possible outcomes. I tried to prepare myself to genuinely give a listening ear and not be on the defensive. But, what haunted my thoughts the most was her accusation. Was I somehow unintentionally giving the impression to others that I was too busy or unavailable for them? Within a day, I was able to connect by phone with my accuser. The conversation went something like this. Me - I’m sorry we weren’t able to talk this through at church yesterday. I’m a bit confused why you believe me to be unavailable. Perhaps I missed a call or an email? Her - No, I didn’t contact you earlier. Me – Have I neglected to connect with you ...

Growing up I thought I lived in a small city. We were not far from beautiful farm lands, yet we could also see Chicago’s skyline within an hour’s drive. I didn’t realize until I was in college that I actually grew up in a big city – with a population of 300,000. I also thought my church was a ‘normal’ size. It was larger than some other churches nearby, but I knew almost everyone there. Most of my family and extended family attended my church. I went to school with almost all of the kids in my Sunday School classes. If I didn’t know someone’s name, their face was familiar or my parents knew who they were. Yes, I was sure I lived in a pretty small community. That was many years ago, and God has expanded my horizons. I’ve now lived for more years in a community with no stop lights than in a city where more time is spent waiting at stop lights than driving to your destination. God gives us the ability to adapt, and I am truly grateful for that! The traffic isn’t the issue now, it i...