This is a list of recent blog posts which I found interesting. That I found them interesting doesn’t mean I necessarily agree with or endorse all of the ideas presented in the posts, but that I found them to be intriguing and thought-provoking. They may benefit you as you prayerfully consider your area of shepherding and stewardship, which has been given to you in trust by the Lord. (They are listed in no particular order of interest.) Please post your comments to discuss  any article that strikes your interest. If you have recent blog posts to nominate, please send the link and your reasons for nominating that post to .

About this week's Top Recent Blog Posts

As many of you are undoubtedly aware, I've been extremely busy this week with Kid's Club. I'm very blessed by the many ways that I got to hang out with and minister to children this week. We had one hundred kids this week! Young kids always amaze me and impress me with how much they are actually able to grasp of the Christian faith. Anyhow, with all of that occupying so much of my time, my online reading this week was a bit scattered and random. So, the following is a bit disorganized, but all very interesting to you, I hope.

Please think about commenting here if you have any thoughts that you would like to share about any of the posts. Thanks!

Has God Called You? The Calling of the Christian Minister

This is a great article on the calling of Pastors/Elders within the local church.I think this is an issue that should always be in front of us as church members. We must always prayerfully seek out those who are called by God to serve us and to minister to us through the Word of God. In humility we must always count the Word as essential to our daily lives, and therefore, we must always remember our need for called and gifted men who can expose the meaning of scripture and help us to understand it more clearly.

Though all Christians are called to serve the cause of Christ, God calls certain persons to serve the Church as pastors and other ministers. Writing to young Timothy, the Apostle Paul confirmed that if a man aspires to be a pastor, “it is a fine work he aspires to do.” [I Timothy 3:1, NASB] Likewise, it is a high honor to be called of God into the ministry of the Church. How do you know if God is calling you?

10 Proven Practices for More Productive Leadership

As a leader of leaders, this article made me aware (once again) of how much I have yet to learn with regards to managing an outstanding team of gifted men and women. The funny thing about leaders is that they are all usually Type-A personalities, and therefore, they run with a built-in passion and enthusiasm for their particular calling. My philosophy in the past has always been to let leaders lead with as little interruption and micro-managing from me as possible, however Hyatt envisions a more cooperative spirit than this with his concept of weekly cadence: three goals for each week and three goals for each day and a time of reflection at the end of the week. This definitely fosters team cohesion but limits freedoms and individuality. I'm prayerfully thinking through this idea right now, and I'm not sure that I agree with his "cadence" concept with regards to Christian ministry. What are your thoughts? Do you like to be micromanaged? Do you think you would work better identifying goals and outcomes on a weekly basis in close partnership with a team of other leaders? Would this work in the Christian church? Because I'm confident it might drive me insane. What do you think?

How Many Churches Have New Member Classes?

This is nothing but research. It seems that all Thom Rainer puts out these days is research: stats and figures. But he lists some hard numbers on how many churches have New Members Classes, and we see that the trend is growing. He states in a rather concise way the value of new members classes:

"These classes not only can dispense good information about the church, they can provide clear membership expectations as well. And raising the bar through expectations results in greater member retention and, more importantly, more biblically functioning church members."

That's the ballgame, ladies and gentlemen! We need to start educating our people on what it means to be a Biblical member of a healthy church, and this is something that is woefully lacking in so many churches these days. This is why Bridge Baptist Church has a new members class, because too many Christians veiw themselves as consumers of spiritual goods and services at church rather than contributors to the church. This is a trend that must be discipled against.

Without an Invitation, It’s Just a Story

It's all the rage these days to talk of God's election and soveriegn control over a person's salvation, even to the extent that Christians have little or no participation or response in the matter of God's saving act in their life. This has resulted in many reformed and calvinistic churches doing away with things such as the public invitation, typically offered at the end of worship services. Sadly, I do not see any justification for this brand of "calvinistic" theology from the Scripture. Now, I like the Reformers. I like the Puritans. I agree with much of what they wrote. But no response necessary on the part of the Christian? No invitation needed? No way. I like what Marc Cortez had to say this past week about inviting a response from those who hear the Gospel:

"I remember hanging out with some people once who were planning a little get together. They were all talking about what to bring, what time to start, and how much fun it would be. It sounded great. There was only one little problem. I hadn’t been invited."

How about you? Where do you stand on the issue of offering invitations at the end of public worship services? Should we give people a chance to respond in repentance and faith? Or is this man's thinking?

NM Baptists, Glorieta, & Lifeway’s Shame

Some of my dearest friends and fellow Baptists in the whole world hail from the great State of New Mexico. I just had a team of fellow Christians from our sister church in New Mexico arrive here in BC to help us with our annual Kid's Club this past week. And I agree with Howell Scott. It is a shame, and I am outraged at the atrocity that has become the Glorietta Conference Center. The conference center was a gift given to Lifeway from New Mexico Baptists over 60 years ago in trust that it would be used to advance the Kingdom of God, not be "liquidated" to advance Lifeway's financial balance sheet, not left run-down, and not abandoned.

Adopted for Life, Ten Years Later: What I’ve Learned Since

I enjoyed this post. I've learned a lot through the adoption process, and my heart still breaks for the more than 1,400 orphans who still reside in foster care within British Columbia. If God has called true religion this: "...to care for widows and orphans in their affliction," then why are not more Christians within British Columbia doing more for the multitude of orphans? Why are we not moved by our love of Christ to do more? More's post was a good one. Children are languishing before our very eyes! If we claim that we love God, shouldn't we have a heart for the things that He has a heart for -such as orphans?

"“Adopted” defines how you came into the household, but it doesn’t define you as some other sort of family member."

Chick-fil-a and the Irony of the Tolerance Police

This past week saw a major surge in the "tolerance" debate, namely that there isn't any. Even more specifically, the popular purveyors of the so called "tolerance" movement showed their true colors: they do not tolerate anyone that does not agree with them. It was fine to call for tolerance when they were in the minority, but tolerance doesn't mean, "everyone gets to form their own opinion, and we should all respect that." Tolerance means, "Politely decline from commenting negatively on what I believe, and if you feel the need to oppose what I believe then I'm coming after you with everything that I have."

Tolerance? Sure.

On another note, kudos to Chic-Fil-a. I miss this restaraunt (along with good Mexican food) from the States. More than this, I'm proud of hard working small business owners who turn their companies into huge successes, abide by Christian principles, and then stand for truth and virtue despite the fact that the world pressures them not to. Good for them! May we all aspire to such nobility.