December 2008 issue of Ministry

Just as my daily list guides my daily activities, I find it helpful to make another list of important items. That list contains my study plans, reading goals, and relationships with individuals important in my life. This list also changes—items are added or deleted. December may be a good time of the year to review such a list. If you make a list, what would you include on it? How long would it be?

The closest I have ever been to real diamonds was during my days as a graduate student in France. No, my parents were not rich. They did not shower me with expensive jewelry. On the contrary, to support my studies, I worked as a security guard in nearby Geneva, Switzerland, where I would spend the night patrolling various businesses that included world-famous banks, watch factories, and well-known jewelry shops. I always knew that “diamonds are forever,” and have known from the start that my wife will probably never own one. Thus, I accepted the fact that “diamonds are forever” out of my reach.

Two pastors share their hopes for this evangelistic initiative.

It is one of the oldest questions humans have asked, and one of the hardest answers to understand.

Sequence preaching: How to design and prepare an effective sermon series

Partaking of the Communion service can be an intense and emotional experience. But what do we say by our nonparticipation in the Communion service?

Every pastor has them. What can you do about them?

Birthing a new church is challenging. But watching God perform miracles is exciting.

Despite Jesus placing equal weight on both preaching and healing, we often focus just on proclamation with very little, if any, time left over for healing.