Darryl Dash's Blog, page 81
February 26, 2019
The Imperfect Pastor
I’ve lost track of how many times The Imperfect Pastor says something like this:
Pause here for a moment. Slow down if you can.
Pause here. Read that last sentence again if you need to. Prayerfully slow down for this.
Take note of this if you can…Mark this down.
Each time, it really is worth slowing down and rereading what Zack Eswine has written. We are ordinary pastors, and Eswine understands what we need to know, which makes this no ordinary book.
The Heart of a PastorI’m spending a year,...
February 23, 2019
Saturday Links
Links for your weekend reading:
Be Prepared for the Normal Resting State of the Church
Rest works as a time of deepening in the growth cycles of the Church, even as it might continue to broaden.
Theology matters. Because love is mindful, not just heartfelt.
Refuting the Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Here’s how to refute the irrefutable law of the lid.
Five Reasons to Avoid Sending Short-term Mission Teams
For those five reasons, I won’t be leaping at the chance to...
February 19, 2019
The Kind of Man I’d Like to Become
I suppose I’ve always had dreams about becoming a certain kind of man. They used to be dreams about accomplishment: about being known as that guy, the guy who does big things and has a big reputation. I look around me now and realize those are bad dreams. They’re not dreams rooted in one’s identity with Christ. And who would want the responsibility that comes with trying to do big things, or the self-focus on what I want to do?
Increasingly as I get older I have a different set of dreams. Her...
February 16, 2019
Saturday Links
Links for your weekend reading:
Community is a Costly Business
If we want to make a big impact on our world, why not get in the risky business of building community?
Sabbath Rest Is for Busy Moms, Too
It’s possible to make Sundays a day of rest, even in the season of young children.
Love as Motivation for Time Management
Let the loving service that you can render to those around you motivate you to organize that schedule, kill those time wasters, and seize the best parts of the day.
February 12, 2019
Gospel for Life Coaching
A number of years ago, my wife Char began to work as an accountant for an online nutrition company. That sounded pretty sketchy. I checked out their website and grew even more concerned. I thought she had been duped.
It turns out that the company was legitimate. They had Ph.D.’s in nutrition science, and they knew how to translate the science into everyday life. I watched as Char lost over 60 pounds.
Hacking HabitsLooking back, the nutrition company did a few things well:
They translated the...February 9, 2019
Saturday Links
Links for your weekend reading:
Move Over, Sex and Drugs. Ease Is the New Vice.
Do modern amenities make it tough for us to embody God’s love?
Hug the Parade: Ministry Challenges (and Opportunities) in Transient Places
Planting a church is hard work in any context. Planting in transient places, though, can make it feel like permanence and sustainability are nothing more than the stuff of myths and legends.
Six Thoughts After Six Years of a Public Church Plant
Here are six things I have learne...
February 5, 2019
The Road to Character
We’ve all met a particular kind of person:
They radiate a sort of moral joy. They answer softly when challenged harshly. They are silent when unfairly abused. They are dignified when others try to humiliate them, restrained when others try to provoke them. But they get things done. They perform acts of sacrificial service with the same modest everyday spirit they would display if they were just getting the groceries. They are not thinking about what impressive work they are doing. They are no...
February 2, 2019
Saturday Links
Links for your weekend reading:
The Most Attractive Quality in a Leader
The most attractive quality in a leader, I find, is when you discover that the inside is bigger than the outside.
Don’t Ignore the “Speed Limit”: How the Sufficiency of Scripture Should Make Us Patient
The speed limit in Scripture encourages us to a more patient, persevering, and sustainable ministry, one that more commonly takes the long view.
Why Church Planting ‘Success’ Is Dangerous
At some point I traded being sustai...
January 29, 2019
Terroir
terroir | terˈwär |
noun
the complete natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.
I'm reading a quirky series of books called Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading. They're written by Ari Weinzweig, owner of a deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I'm enjoying them more than I expected.
In the first volume Weinzweig writes about the concept of terroir. "The 'soil' in which a business is built does make a difference. Just as you c...
January 26, 2019
Saturday Links
Links for your weekend reading:
Many churches consider singing the funnest part of the service. Yet singing is not prescribed for Christian worship for the purpose of fun.
“If you can’t be faithful with a few, don’t ask the Lord to give you many.”
Why We Need to Think About Ecclesiology and Polity More Than We Care to Admit
The overwhelming majority of issues in our churches stem from a lack of thinking on ecclesiology.
