It’s that time of year again when some church leaders try to figure out what to do about Halloween. Do we do a “Harvest Fest”? Do we let kids dress up? Do we not care about Halloween? Do we even say the word ‘Halloween’? Wherever you land on the spectrum—just own and run with it….
For the past few years I have struggled with something that is hard to talk about outside of a very tight close few friends. Anxiety and mild depression. Having grown up in church and being a part of ministry since I was very young–18-years-old. You learn that it’s one of those taboo topics that…
Knowing that I’m a children’s pastor and avid Disney fan, I’ve had many parents ask me what my opinion is on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. It’s well documented that Disney is releasing their anticipated live action picture Beauty and the Beast. It has also been reported that Disney planned an “exclusively gay moment” with the character LeFou….
I’m often asked what my top recommendation for parenting books are. I have a few favorites for different reasons. I hope if you are ever in need of a great resource that these recommendations will help: Don’t Miss It: Parent every week like it counts by Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy This is a very…
We can probably all agree that we have personal convictions about things, we believe in ownership—the “all in, do whatever it takes” mentality—and know God has a calling on our lives. What do you do though when these three at times can seem at odds? The chances are, you will go through seasons where these…
Are our kids worth fighting for? I’m imagining everyone reading this saying a resounding, “Yes, of course!” Imagine sending a soldier out to war without armor, without weapons and no communication devices. Not just sending him out to war, but expecting victory. Imagine that warrior coming home beat up and wounded. There would be no…
Start With “Why”. The above image seems so simple, but it’s revolutionary for churches who don’t currently live by it. The “Golden Circle” was created by Simon Sinek and if every church did this, I’m convinced they would see bigger and better results for the Kingdom. In short, most churches promote WHAT they do and…
It definitely has not been without it’s ups and downs, but we are five and a half weeks into our new ministry format for Go Kids at River Valley Church. Our format has been transitioning from a personality-based stage teaching method to a large group/small group method. Because we don’t have the man-power to create…
Thought I’d share with you what my pastor did this past weekend. He set the record for the world’s shortest sermon: What are you thoughts!? 🙂 -PJ