I turned 60 on Nov.3, and was more excited about that pending birthday than any other since turning 16 or 21. The reason for the excitement is the potential for this season of ministry leadership. Those who are living in the fourth quarter have gained a lifetime of experience and should know themselves well enoughContinue reading “Living in the Fourth Quarter”
Category Archives: Leadership
Reaching Your City or County
I think international missionaries have at least one advantage over local church pastors in the states. Don’t misunderstand—those who leave their homeland and loved ones to relocate to a foreign country as missionaries experience challenges that most of us will never know. Those challenges can only be met successfully by a clear call from GodContinue reading “Reaching Your City or County “
5 Secrets to Ministry Longevity from a Seasoned Pastor
Many of us in ministry leadership are grieved by recent revelations of high-profile pastors who were discovered to have been unfaithful in their marriage. These discoveries continue to shock us and serve as a reminder that we are all in a battle against the flesh and the devil. The overwhelming majority of pastors, however, areContinue reading “5 Secrets to Ministry Longevity from a Seasoned Pastor “
Fear of Man
I heard a sermon 32 years ago that I have not forgotten. In fact, there has probably not been a year that has passed since then that I did not think about this message or at least its implications for my life. The sermon was preached by Evangelist Del Fehsenfeld Jr., founder of Life ActionContinue reading “Fear of Man “
Things That Make Us Pray
What drives you to your knees in prayer? A pastor friend said, as I was listening to him describe a remarkably difficult time in his pastorate, that this event was certainly causing him to pray, and in his words, “anything that makes you pray is a good thing.” While the analogy could be pushed tooContinue reading “Things That Make Us Pray”
The Pipeline
There are currently 303 Kentucky Baptist churches searching for their next pastor. These churches are located throughout the commonwealth and represent our unified effort to advance the gospel in Kentucky. Most of those churches are looking for a bivocational pastor and are discovering that are very few, if any, qualified men in their area toContinue reading “The Pipeline”
Marital Advice
Occasionally someone will ask me for marital advice. It’s most often not counsel on specific marriage issues, but rather marriage advice in general — something like, “What have you learned about marriage?” Connie and I have been married more than 31 years and we have a great marriage. We love each other and we enjoyContinue reading “Marital Advice”
Peer to Peer Relationships
Disciple-maker Waylon Moore was known for saying every Christian needs three people in his or her life: pacesetters, pupils and partners. A pacesetter is someone you are learning from who is living the Christian life in an exemplary manner, a pupil is someone you are helping to grow and a partner is someone running aContinue reading “Peer to Peer Relationships “
The Ministry Doldrums
There is an oceanic experience known as the doldrums, which refers to certain regions of the ocean marked by the absence of strong winds. Pastors and ministry leaders also experience what feels like ministry doldrums a season when the wind is not filling your sails and things feel flat. These can be discouraging times —Continue reading “The Ministry Doldrums “
Vacations Can Be Resets
Vacations are not only a great time for rest, relaxation and investing in important relationships, but they can also be a time of reset. To reset something, according to Webster’s dictionary, is to set again or anew. In life we need to occasionally reset our routines and vacations can be a strategic time to doContinue reading “Vacations Can Be Resets “
Dr. Todd Gray 