In a seminar today I was told about a recent missiology dissertation, focusing on business as mission. That is, not business as a platform for mission, but business itself as mission. The idea is that in the context of a country closed to the gospel, the business missionary goes in not under the pretense of [...]
James White offers good reflections on why seminary training is increasingly shunned by those going into ministry. On first read, it seems to me that his perspective, and that of those avoiding seminary is (1) essentially pragmatic, and maybe too pragmatic; and (2) true of some seminaries, surely, but definitely not all. Read and see [...]
Seminary students have a LOT of writing to do. This article has some great counsel on honing your ability to write. One excerpt: 4. Give yourself time. Many smart people tell themselves pathetic lies like, “I do my best work at the last minute.” Look: It’s not true. No one works better under pressure. Sure, [...]
I’m just completing my first semester in a seminary Ph.D program, which I began while keeping my full-time ministry job as Associate Pastor of my church. It’s not an easy task at all, and has more than its share of time management challenges. I wanted to share some of my thoughts and practices, and to [...]
The first week of seminary is over, and looming ahead are due dates for reading, papers and tests. You know this because you should have a syllabus for each class, which contains all the assignments you’ll need to complete this semester and their due dates. This is awesome. It’s a time management bonanza. If you [...]
Triage (`tree-ozh), from French, “to sort.” 1. A process for sorting injured people into groups based on their need for or likely benefit from immediate medical treatment. Triage is used in hospital emergency rooms, on battlefields, and at disaster sites when limited medical resources must be allocated. 2. A system used to allocate a scarce commodity, [...]
Dr. Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky (where I am currently studying) has a new blog post on calling, which resonates with many things we’ve said here on the same topic. An excerpt: Charles Spurgeon identified the first sign of God’s call to the ministry as “an intense, all-absorbing desire [...]
During the summer, some folks are finalizing plan to begin seminary in the Fall. Whether you’re on your way, or thinking about it, here’s a summary of our series on calling to ministry. Make Sure You’re Supposed to Be Here Part One Part Two Part Three Sounding the Call Part Four The Calling to Ministry [...]
Great words from James MacDonald or Harvest Bible Chapel about the critical difference between ministering equippers and servants in the church. (Video not working? try here) This is a pretty important distinction. In particular, I’ve seen people go into youth ministry because they love working with youth. Then they become full-time ministers and realize that [...]
Your personal sexual integrity is as important as anything else. A pastor friend of mine put it this way: Sexual sin among ministers is the atomic bomb. Nothing else can destroy so much, so fast. It will wreak havoc and destruction in the church on a scale that nothing else can. But among you there [...]
In the face of all the multiple demands at seminary, the temptation to laziness can be acute. I’ve spoken with a number of students who succumb to laziness, to their own hurt. They have much to get done, but cannot get themselves to do it. Often laziness will show up as procrastination; or choosing to [...]
I approached seminary with many of the common illusions seminary students have. I thought it would be a spiritually vibrant and intense time, full of people who were overflowing with passion for Christ. Boy was I surprised. My first semester, I enrolled in Hebrew class, like many beginning M.Div.-ers. I made friends with some other [...]
There is a huge range of debatable issues in theology and in the practice of ministry that a person could take sides on. An average church member generally isn’t required to have fully developed theological opinions. They are often asked to agree with and support the theological and philosophical stance their church, but aren’t required [...]
When I’m invited to preach at a church I’ve never been to, I want to gather information that will guide me in the ministry of pulpit supply. Here are the questions I ask: How did you get my name? (Probably through the seminary, but it’s good to ask.) What time does worship begin? When does [...]
I’ve had more than my share of preaching, teaching, and speaking opportunities since I began seminary studies. A lot of these have been repeat visits– during seminary, I preached 94 times in 23 different places. So I’ve been blessed to get some invitations to go back to places I’ve preached before. (I always appreciate the [...]
I began this website in December of 2007 as a way to give counsel to seminary students from a vantage point outside seminary. Now, I have returned to seminary, this time as a Ph.D student. I just completed my first semester toward a Ph.D in Christian Philosophy at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. [...]
James White offers good reflections on why seminary training is increasingly shunned by those going into ministry. On first read, it seems to me that his perspective, and that of those avoiding seminary is (1) essentially pragmatic, and maybe too pragmatic; and (2) true of some seminaries, surely, but definitely not all. Read and see [...]
So what’s it like to date at seminary? Ed and I are working on the relationships section of the book and realized we needed to hear from more perspectives than just ours. So how about it? Have any thoughts or perspectives on seminary dating life you think would be valuable for other seminary students? You [...]
A new grad from my alma mater, Southwestern, shares his thoughts on seminary. A sample: Make an effort to develop good friendships Not only are you making friends for life, who will be a rock for you to lean on during your days in ministry, but you will learn more outside of the classroom in [...]
This excerpt from Darrin Patrick’s new book, Church Planter: The Man, the Message, the Mission, has terrific insight for seminary students. One of the greatest temptations for pastors is to use ministry to hide from and avoid God. It is easy to hide behind your sermons by expecting everyone in the church but yourself to [...]
The true reasons people go into ministry are manifold. We’ve written at length about the need for divine calling. But not surprisingly, there are human factors as well. One major human factor that is widely unacknowledged is personal brokenness. I’ve never met anyone in ministry who didn’t have some level of emotional wounding in their [...]
